Crew Recruitment and Administration Course
This course gives you the tools to manage the whole life cycle of seafarers efficiently and in compliance. You will learn to handle crew documentation and manning matrices, define profiles, source and screen candidates, run structured maritime interviews, draft contracts and pay packages, administer payroll, rest hours, rotations and leave, control crew costs and prepare HR records for audits and inspections.
Prior knowledge check
These are the skills this program gives you. Tick the ones you already master and we will tell you which part of the syllabus is for you.
You are starting from scratch in this subject. The program is designed precisely for that.
What is the Crew Recruitment and Administration Course?
This short course covers maritime human resources from planning to sign-off. You will study the maritime HR ecosystem and the seafarer life cycle, crew document packages, manning and competence matrices, compliance risks, profile definition, sourcing channels, document pre-screening, structured interviews and technical assessments, contract types, pay and allowances, critical clauses, visas, travel and logistics, contractual onboarding, working and rest hours, payroll and settlements, rotations and handovers, leave and repatriation, total crew cost, audit preparation, data protection, personnel risk management, HR dashboards and HR digitalization.
What sets this course apart: it follows the real crew cycle step by step, so every tool has a clear place in day-to-day work; it keeps compliance with conventions such as MLC and STCW at the center of recruitment, contracts and records; it connects people management with cost control and KPIs; and it ends with an applied project in which you design a complete maritime HR system with SOPs, indicators and evidence.
Program highlights
- The seafarer life cycle: planning, recruitment, embarkation, rotation and sign-off.
- Crew documentation, manning matrices and validity tracking.
- Recruitment and selection: profiles, sourcing, screening and structured interviews.
- Maritime contracts: conditions, pay, critical clauses and onboarding.
- Payroll, working and rest hours, rotations, leave and total crew cost.
- Audits, data protection, HR dashboards and digitalization.
Syllabus of the Crew Recruitment and Administration Course
5 modules. Select a module to see its content.
Maritime personnel management framework: roles, documentation, occupational risks and HR governance on board
- 1.1. The maritime HR ecosystem: shipowner/operator, agency, master, DPA/HSSEQ, crew and control authorities
- 1.2. The seafarer life cycle: planning, recruitment, hiring, embarkation, performance, rotation and sign-off
- 1.3. The seafarer's document package: identity, certificates of competency, other certificates, medical fitness, visas and validity tracking
- 1.4. Manning and competence matrices: operational minimums, critical profiles, watch coverage and relief planning
- 1.5. Compliance risks: expired documents, lack of qualification, document fraud, sanctions and detentions
Crew recruitment and selection: profiling, sourcing, assessment and operational shortlisting
- 2.1. Profile definition: technical competences, languages, experience, safety culture and behavioral skills
- 2.2. Sourcing channels: agencies, professional networks, job boards, referrals, cadets and pipeline quality criteria
- 2.3. Document pre-screening: checking certificates, validity, equivalences and inconsistencies
- 2.4. Structured maritime interview: incident-based questions, operational judgment, teamwork and decision-making under pressure
- 2.5. Technical and practical assessments: simulations, case studies, language tests and pass criteria by role
Maritime hiring and contract management: conditions, clauses, remuneration and document compliance
- 3.1. Contract types and frameworks: duration, rotations, embarkation and disembarkation, probation period and operational annexes
- 3.2. Economic conditions: basic wage, allowances, subsistence, hours, watches, bonuses and total compensation structure
- 3.3. Critical clauses: responsibilities, conduct, alcohol and drugs, confidentiality, use of data and disciplinary rules
- 3.4. Visa, travel and logistics management: itineraries, changes, contingencies, assignments and cost control
- 3.5. Contractual onboarding: signature, delivery of policies, acceptance of SOPs, initial training and evidence
Payroll, time and rotation administration: hours, watches, leave and crew cost
- 4.1. Time and activity management: working and rest hours, shifts, watches and record traceability
- 4.2. Payroll and settlements: calculation, earnings, deductions, advances and reconciliation with operational reports
- 4.3. Rotations and reliefs: planning, position coverage, overlaps, handover and operational continuity
- 4.4. Leave and absence management: sick leave, repatriation, emergencies, substitute crew and impact on manning
- 4.5. Total crew cost: budget, forecasting, deviations, productivity and efficiency KPIs
Compliance, audit and final project: an integrated maritime HR system with SOPs, KPIs and evidence
- 5.1. Preparing for audits and inspections: files, checklists, traceability and response to requests
- 5.2. Data protection and confidentiality: role-based access, retention, document security and third-party control
- 5.3. Personnel risk management: risk matrix, controls, expiry alerts and contingency plans for critical positions
- 5.4. HR dashboard: coverage, turnover, expiries, performance, incidents and cost per operating day
- 5.5. HR digitalization: HRIS, workflows, e-signature, document repository and automated alerts
Duration and format of the Crew Recruitment and Administration Course
It is 300 hours. Tell us how many you can study each week and we will tell you when you will really finish.
This is the pace at which most students finish. It fits well with the installment plan.
Academic leadership and faculty
The Navalis teaching team: working professionals who teach and supervise the programs.
Dr. Marina AlcoverAcademic Director and Head of Quality Assurance
Eng. Diego CifuentesSenior Lecturer in Naval Welding and Non-Destructive Testing; Head of QA/QC for Welded Joints
Capt. Javier Abaroa (MCA)Senior Lecturer in Ship Handling, Electronic Navigation (ECDIS/Radar/ARPA) and GMDSS; STCW Compliance and Bridge Resource Management Coordinator
Dr. Pau FerrerSenior Lecturer in Naval Architecture and Simulation; Director of the Hydrodynamics and CFD Laboratory
Dr. Nuria LlobregatSenior Lecturer in Marine Meteorology, SAR and Operational Safety; Navigation Risk Management Coordinator
Eng. Javier BañulsSenior Lecturer in Electrical Engineering, Automation and ETO Engineering; Electronic Integration and Engine Alarms Coordinator
Eng. Sofía MarquinaSenior Lecturer in Materials, Composites and Corrosion Protection; Coordinator of the Advanced Paints and Coatings Line
Eng. Tomás RieraSenior Lecturer in Propulsion, Alternative Energy and Hybrid Systems; Energy Performance and Vibration CoordinatorObjectives of the Crew Recruitment and Administration Course
Career opportunities after the Crew Recruitment and Administration Course
Questions about the Crew Recruitment and Administration Course
To ensure that vessels have a suitable, competent and available crew so they can operate safely and efficiently.
Recruitment focuses on finding and selecting personnel, while administration covers ongoing management: contracts, payroll, rest hours, rotations, performance, welfare and compliance.
The course works with the requirements of the Maritime Labor Convention (MLC) and STCW as they apply to crew documentation, contracts, working hours and welfare.
Yes. A module covers payroll and settlements, working and rest hours, rotations, leave and the calculation and control of total crew cost.
You design an integrated maritime HR system with standard operating procedures, an HR dashboard, risk controls and the evidence needed for audits and inspections.
Fully online, through a virtual campus available 24/7, with live sessions that are recorded and tutorials with the teaching staff.
The course comprises 300 hours of study across 5 modules of about 60 hours each and ends with an applied project. You can progress at your own pace within the schedule set when you enroll.
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Admission process
No waiting for a call back. If your documents are in order, you can enroll in the same session.
- Profile: aimed at HR staff at shipping and crew management companies, merchant navy officers and maritime professionals, maritime lawyers and consultants, ISM/MLC auditors, and students of maritime law, maritime business administration or nautical studies; a background in business administration, human resources or labor law, or experience in personnel management, is recommended.
- Language: sufficient command of English to follow the classes and the technical documentation.
- Technical resources: a computer with a stable internet connection, an up-to-date browser and spreadsheet software; experience with HR or payroll software is helpful.
- Admission: online application, review of your profile and a short interview with the academic team.
- 01ApplicationYour details, background and documents.
- 02Instant reviewWe check that everything is complete and in order.
- 03EnrollmentChoose full payment or instalments and reserve your place.
Admission is provisional until the committee validates the documents provided. If you do not meet the requirements, the full amount is refunded.
Ask us before you enroll
Leave your details and admissions will write to you to answer any questions. If you are already sure, you can apply and pay in the same session.