Fleet Public Health Officer

This is a fully remote position, open to applicants in Portugal.

📋 Description

• Oversee the organization’s public health, sanitation, and food safety initiatives throughout the entire fleet.

• Manage the fleet's public health management system and ensure that onboard procedures comply with relevant regulations.

• Analyze regulatory changes and translate them into fleet procedures, checklists, training resources, and corrective measures.

• Organize and conduct internal public health audits, vessel readiness assessments, and mock inspections.

• Participate in external inspections as necessary and guide shipboard teams in addressing findings and completing follow-ups.

• Evaluate inspection results, scores, deficiencies, and recurring patterns; oversee corrective and preventive actions.

• Assist in maintaining public health standards during new builds, refurbishments, equipment upgrades, itinerary modifications, and operational evaluations.

• Direct the fleet's HACCP and food safety initiatives covering receiving, storage, preparation, cooking, cooling, reheating, service, and sanitation.

• Mentor Executive Chefs and galley teams on safe, practical practices.

• Supervise vessel Water Safety Plans from bunkering or production to treatment, storage, distribution, and points of use.

• Oversee recreational water facilities, potable water and beverage systems, housekeeping and laundry sanitation, medical/public health areas, waste management, and various environmental health controls.

• Manage illness surveillance, case reporting, isolation, cleaning, disinfection, contact management, and outbreak escalation protocols.

• Assist Medical and command teams in identifying illness trends, coordinating investigations, and implementing control measures.

• Lead or assist in outbreak assessments, root-cause analyses, and after-action reports.

• Create and provide role-specific training for officers and crew members.

• Guide Public Health Officers, health leaders, department heads, and crew through demonstrations, drills, inspections, and follow-ups.

• Maintain a fleet risk register, audit timetable, illness trend reports, inspection dashboard, and corrective action tracker.

• Offer risk assessments and recommendations to the Master and shoreside leadership.

• Collaborate with Medical, Marine, Hotel, Culinary, Engineering, Environmental, Safety and Quality, Learning and Development, Procurement, and other pertinent teams.

• Execute fleet audits, review records and working areas, request corrective actions, and escalate significant or imminent public health risks.

⛳️ Requirements

• A degree or recognized professional qualification in environmental health, public health, food safety, microbiology, occupational health, or a related field.

• Extensive experience in public health, environmental health, food safety, or sanitation, particularly with cruise ships or other complex passenger vessels.

• Strong understanding of CDC Vessel Sanitation Program standards and inspection practices.

• Knowledge of HACCP principles, potable water safety, and outbreak prevention and response strategies.

• Familiarity with Canadian cruise ship public health inspection and illness-surveillance requirements, including the Public Health Agency of Canada’s Travelling Public Program.

• Awareness of SHIPSAN and other relevant international guidelines.

• Experience in designing and delivering training, leading audits and inspections, investigating incidents, analyzing trends, and managing corrective actions.

• Capable of communicating confidently with senior executives, Masters, department heads, inspectors, and a multinational crew.

• Skilled at translating technical requirements into practical operational routines.

• Proficient in professional English; knowledge of additional languages is a plus.

• Willingness to travel internationally for extended periods and work onboard under operational conditions.

🏝️ Benefits

• Opportunities for remote work.

• International travel for extended durations.

• Professional growth through role-specific training, coaching, drills, and follow-up.

• Experience in a five-star cruise environment and exposure to international destinations.