Facilitator, communicator, coordinator
In his position as Operations Coordinator, Merlijn is the link between the commercial department and the fleet and ensures that everything runs smoothly from start to finish. This means a lot of communication between and with customers and crew and of course there are many things that need to be arranged to support the boats during their work. In addition, Wijngaarden Marine Services has a number of ‘inland’ vessels which, amongst others, provide transport over inland water and assistance for various reasons in the ports and at shipyards. Here too, Merlijn is responsible for both the operational and the commercial part.

The variety between sea and inland shipping and supporting the many different activities that the boats carry out within many global projects, make Merlijn a perfect fit. Each project has its specific requirements, and each location has different challenges; all activities have their own risks and technical limitations and of course safety must be guaranteed at all times.

Never not learning
Because we’re never really done learning, Merlijn gets support from the QHSE, Technical Department and crew on board to keep developing. He therefore regularly tries to be on board to learn exactly what the work entails and what he should know to be able to prepare projects properly. This means that he also has to travel every now and then to board a ship, which only makes his job even more fun and interesting.

The culture at Van Wijngaarden Marine Services is very pleasant and there is a lot of laughter. There is a mentality of ‘actions speaks louder than words’, of being agile and taking responsibility with the entire team when circumstances demand it. Fortunately, the lines of communication are very short which Merlijn really appreciates. Van Wijngaarden Marine Services is a very committed employer who does a lot for his people.