Development manager, maritime traffic

Briefly explain what you do for a living.

My task is to develop maritime traffic control operating models related to the work of VTS operators. VTS operators work in maritime traffic centres where they direct and supervise Finnish maritime traffic and vessel traffic in the Saimaa area, in real time. My task is to develop models and operating instructions for efficient but safe maritime traffic control. I also coordinate national and international guidelines, which in practice means cooperation with personnel and various stakeholders when legislation, regulations or operational activities are changing. I also monitor changes in the operating environment of maritime traffic, such as new innovations and trends that may affect maritime traffic control in Finland.

How have you ended up in the profession of your choice?

I was interested in working in maritime traffic, so I applied to study as a deck officer and sea captain. I started working in the field as the deck officer of vessels sailing in international waters, but I always knew that I wanted to be a VTS operator. My work experience as a deck officer made it possible for me to apply for the VTS operator position.  I was fascinated by the idea of work combining navigating ships and shore-based surveillance. I worked as a VTS operator for three years until I had the opportunity to work in my current position.

Describe your typical working day or week.

It is only possible to advance to this position from the VTS operator's position. VTS operators have 12-hour shifts, either day or night, during which they monitor the vessel traffic in a certain VTS area. The development manager's workday includes a lot of moving from one place to another. I attend meetings from home, on the road, in the office or in the partner's premises. The most important partners of Fintraffic in this work are Traficom and the Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency. We work together with them on regulations that affect the safety of Finnish maritime traffic, for example.

What kind of work environment or working hours do you have?

I work at the office, at home and in stakeholders’ facilities. About half of the week, I am at home and half on the move at different meetings. I have business trips abroad nearly every month. My working hours are flexible, but I try to start work between 8:30 and 9:00 and finish it eight hours later.

What kind of competence or qualities are required in the profession?

In order to work as a VTS operator or development manager, you must take part in demanding psychological tests and aptitude tests, which are used to map the applicant's characteristics. VTS operators are expected to have a long-term approach, be prepared to react to unexpected situations and have good simultaneous capacity, i.e. the ability to perform several tasks simultaneously.

Development manager is required to have initiative, excellent interaction skills and the ability to adopt extensive and multidimensional entities in a short period of time. Communication skills and the ability to verbalise complex issues accurately and comprehensibly are of utmost importance. In addition, competence in foreign languages is needed, as English proficiency is a necessity in this work, and Swedish is an advantage.

What is the best thing about your profession?

I enjoy encountering people, as well as the goal-oriented cooperation that creates societal impact. We also have a competent work community whose members have unique experience in seafaring.

What are the downsides of the profession or what seems challenging?

The better you want to do your work, the better you should be familiar with different maritime traffic themes, as well as the related discussions and materials. You must accept that you cannot know everything perfectly and, at some point, you must trust that you know enough about a subject, because reading in this work never ends.

What would you tell a person considering a maritime profession?

You can seek work on ships even if you know that you do not want to work on them for your entire life. Expertise gained from working on ships can also be utilised in tasks carried out on land.

How do you see the future of your profession?

The smooth running of maritime traffic is a critical issue that most certainly needs to be guaranteed in the future as well. Technology development creates new opportunities, but it also brings challenges. How are new innovations utilised safely and in a human-centred manner? Finland is dependent on shipping, so there is a shortage of new experts both on ships and on land.