Operations Manager - Braspenning Coatings Curaçao
Location: Willemstad, Curaçao — you keep the overview, we take care of the rest.At the Braspenning Group, we’re not looking for a paper pusher. We’re looking for a steady hand at the helm: someone who keeps the big picture, gets teams running smoothly, manages schedules like a craft, and spots issues before they escalate — then fixes them fast. As our Operations Manager in Curaçao, you are responsible for planning and clearly defining the scope of work to be executed, managing supervisors and foremen, scheduling equipment and personnel, and monitoring project costs and progress. You report regularly to the Braspenning Group head office in Amsterdam and maintain frequent communication with the client, aligned with project progress.
What you do is anything but boring:
As an Operations Manager, you are the central link between clients, supervisors, foremen, planning, safety and cost control. That sounds like a full agenda — and it is — but that’s exactly where you thrive. You ensure that:
- Everyone knows what needs to be done, when, and by whom.
- You define clear project objectives, make them transparent for the client, and determine what is required to successfully deliver the project.
- You develop a robust project plan for work execution and ensure a well-aligned staffing plan. The right people, machinery and materials are in place exactly when and where they are needed.
- Toolbox meetings and project meetings are organised regularly — not as box-ticking exercises, but as sharp, focused moments that truly add value.
- You investigate (near-)incidents and ensure that Safety, Planning and Quality are not abstract concepts, but translated into tangible, measurable results.
You consult, instruct, motivate — and still keep smiling:
From discussions with the shipyard to meetings with senior management, from taking a critical look at a (near-)incident to fine-tuning workforce planning: you handle it all with flair and speed. You maintain oversight across multiple projects, monitor progress and costs, and steer Supervisors where necessary.
Other tasks you do (and preferably already have experience with):
- Monitor costs like an accountant with a helicopter view.
- Always recognise when work qualifies as variation or additional work.
- Maintain strict control over compliance with VCA requirements, the Dutch Working Conditions Act (Arbowet), and all safety and environmental regulations — and ensure your team does the same.
- Ensure accurate and timely order administration.
- Handle and resolve complaints and claims related to quality and delivery times.
- Level headed, even when pressure increases.
- Leadership with a human touch
- A healthy dose of hands-on, practical insight
- Someone who is visible on site — not a desk-bound manager
- Physically fit, mentally sharp, and comfortable with irregular working hours
- Strong communication skills, with even stronger organisational abilities
- Fluent in Dutch and English; Papiamentu is a plus
- A position within a family-owned company with international reach
- Impressive projects you can truly be proud of
- Teams that will go the extra mile for you when you lead them well
- A competitive salary and excellent secondary employment benefits
- Company phone and laptop
- A role with real responsibility and trust
- The freedom to organise your work independently
- A loyal, down-to-earth team that, like you, believes in getting things done
- Room to grow, learn and make real impact
- Strong compensation, excellent benefits and genuine personal appreciation
Does this sound like your next challenge?
Ready to make your mark at a shipyard in the Caribbean? Send us your CV or get in touch directly for a confidential introductory conversation. We’d be happy to meet you — on site at the shipyard or at our office. For more information about this vacancy, please call +31 (0)20 630 4320 and ask for Maaike Raadsheer.
Braspenning Group
Masters of blasting, coating and teamwork. Since 1956.
