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VISION § FUNCTIONALITY

WHO WE ARE

MERLION SHIPPING LTD. is a manning agency that employs marine specialists. Established in 1998 by Captain Doncho Meledjiev, it has been performing its functions for 25 years. The agency’s office is located in the center of Varna – 11 Tsar Petar Street.

The agency recruits Deck Officers, Engineers, Cadets, Pump mans, Bosuns, Fitters, Electrical Officers and Cooks for tankers, as well as Cooks, Bosuns and Fitters for dry cargo vessels owned by the German shipping company REEDEREI NORD B.V..

OUR IDENTITY

BECAUSE WE ARE PEOPLE. BECAUSE WE WORK WITH PEOPLE.

BECAUSE FOR US EVERY PERSON IS A PERSONALITY AND EVERY PERSONALITY IS AN INDIVIDUALITY.

THAT IS WHY EVERYONE OF YOU IS DIFFERENT FOR US. AND EACH OF YOU IS IMPORTANT FOR US. YOUR SUCCESS, DEVELOPMENT, SAFETY, NEEDS AND FAMILIES.

THAT’S WHY MERLION IS NOT JUST AN AGENCY, BUT A FAMILY.

OUR VISSION

WE MANAGE OUR AGENCY MOTIVATED, RESPONSIBLE AND QUALIFIED.

WE STRIVE TO GIVE THE BEST, PROFESSIONAL, COMPLEX AND ACCURATE ANSWER FOR EVERY SEAFARER – CANDIDATE AND CLIENT, CONTRACTOR AND PROBLEM.

WE FOLLOW THE ESTABLISHED LEGAL AND INDUSTRY FRAMEWORKS AND STANDARDS IN THE MARITIME INDUSTRY, FIRMLY ROOTED IN EXPERIENCE AND PROVEN OUR FLEXIBILITY AND ADAPTABILITY TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE DYNAMIC POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC ENVIRONMENT IN WHICH WE ALL LIVE AND WORK – BOTH NATIONALLY AND GLOBALLY.

OUR MISSION

TO GROW.

TO DEVELOP.

TO IMPROVE.

TO BE THE AGENT YOU WANT TO TRUST.

TO BE THE PARTNER YOU HAVE.

WHY YOU SHOULD TRUST US

• AS AN AGENT
  • You are welcome to our office at our reception hours from 09:00 to 13:00, every working day from Monday to Friday.
  • For better organization of the workflow, please make an appointment by phone or via our social profiles on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Viber, WhatsApp as well as our e-mail.
  • Our team will be happy to answer your questions and guide you through the application and hiring process.
  • We make sure our clients have up-to-date working certificates, documents and to keep them always informed of the latest developments and changes in the working environment and in close relation to the employer.
  • MERLION SHIPPING does not take any fees from the seafarers for the manning services provided!
  • MERLION SHIPPING LTD. ensures high standards and quality of the services offered, constant connection with its clients, positive and correct attitude.

• AS A PARTNER
  • We are fair, loyal and responsible.
  • We have many years of experience.
  • We are flexible, fast and adaptable to changes in our environment.
  • We do our best to meet the requirements and needs of our partners and customers.
  • We monitor the changes in our field and constantly improve the quality of the services we offer.
  • We have good cooperative with our Maritime Administration, Universities and Schools with maritime departments and with all Qualification Centers.
  • We have ability to source and recruit high volume of Officers and Crew for Companies vessels.
  • We have good knowledge of local labor market, preferably with Manning. Agent’s office staff having some seafarers background, and contacts with local maritime authorities.
  • We have good knowledge of local and international legislations related to employment of seafarers.
  • We operate in compliance with requirements of Regulation 1.4 of ILO Maritime Labor Convention 2006, incl. Unlimited License and Certificate of Seafarers Recruitment and Placement Service Provider, as per ILO MLC 2006, Standard 1.4, issued by a Recognized Organization.
  • We are certified to operate with personnel data.
  • We have good accounting.

If you need us, we are here!

HOW WE WORK WITH APPLICANTS

You are welcome to apply your Application Form when there is open vacancy or not via any of our contacts channels.

We recommend you to fill in our Application Form online. (You will find it in the lower left section of our website, bottom menu „Merlion Shipping“ ___ „MERLION-APPLICATION-FORM“: www.merlionshipping.com).

This will allow us to get to know you better before our meeting and will save time on the next step.       

You should:

• Hold all required documents and certificates as per STCW-95, ILO MLC 2006 and Company requirements.
• Have good command of English language.
• Had no negative records with your previous employers or manning agents.
• Have previous experience in a rank sought or higher.
• Have previous experience on the same class of vessel as the Company’s vessel with vacancy, for engineer officers – previous experience with similar types of main engines;
• Have preferably had previous experience of working in a multinational crew.

We will answer on all of your questions and make an appointment for interview in our office.(The interview can be made via skype, Zoom or other video call platform, if you are living far away from Varna or by other respectable reason.)

In this step you should care with you all work documents(originals) that you have:

• Passport;
• Seamans Book;
• USA Visa-if you have;
• All certificates as per STCW-95, ILO MLC 2006;
• Evaluations reports(if you have);
• Sea Service (original from MARAD with stamp and signature);
• Photo (passport size);
• Recommendations/Evaluation Reports from previous Employer/s.

We will welcome you in friendly atmosphere as well as:

• Fill in an application form (if you didn`t yet);
• Learn more about your professional achievements and expectations; 
• Notify and ask you to sign a Statement about the costs you would be required to cover in the process of recruitment (Passport, Seaman’s Book, mandatory certificates, etc., if you haven’t already);
• View your original certificates and other employment related documents, check their authenticity and scan all of them for you applicant’s file;
• Provide a declaration for work with your personal data (both the agency and the company we represent are positioned in European Union), the contents of which you can read and sign;

• Check your Marlins English level.

We will inform you about:

• The company, the fleet and the specifications of the vessels;
• The wage scales and benefits;
• The duration of the contract and vacations, crew changes and ect.;
• The general conditions on board,

and answer all of your questions.

If you are applying for a specific position, we will inform you as well as:

• Approximate joining date;
• Rank for which you are considered;
• Name, type, particulars of the ship and her trading pattern;
• General terms of employment – you will be given opportunity to study applicable contractual terms / collective bargaining agreement and seek advice;
• Brief description of duties assigned to the particular rank;
• Other information which could be of interest to you.

In this case you will be ask to make a computer based professional test.

REEDEREI NORD B.V. uses Seagull CES testing software for this purpose. For Officer candidates, minimum passing total score is 60%. The score of each individual function should also be minimum 60%. For Petty Officers holding deck and engine ratings’ watch-keeping certificates company is arranging CBT professional knowledge test (support level). 

The next step is when the company announces a vacancy:

• We select suitable candidates which are meeting the criteria and we forward their application form to the company;
• If the company find them suitable, they will initiate an interviewing process from their side.

On this part of the process, you will sign a contract for intermediary activity with the agency.

Different steps of pre-employment checks, depending on the rank of applicant, will then be followed by the Personnel department of the company.

Basically, for the Selection of the Officers they have meet below experience criteria:

Depending of the rank, the next steps could be:

• Make initial contact with an applicant over the phone;
• Use computer-based profiling tools. Personnel department will send instructions about such tests and assessments directly to Officer candidates;
• Videoconference interview from IT Director or the technical superintendent for position of ETO through;
• Additional videoconference interview by the Operations / Technical Directors or the superintendents of respective departments for positions of Master, Chief Officer, Chief Engineer and Second Engineer.

If Senior Officer candidate passes this interview successfully, he will be invited to the head office for the final face to face interview with the heads of departments who will jointly decide whether he is suitable.

If approved, Senior Officer candidate will pass through 3 days’ pre-joining briefing in the head office.

Basically, for the Selection of Petty Officers they have to meet below experience criteria:

• Minimum 12 months of sea time in rank sought or higher;
• Those employed as trainees should have suitable experience.

When taking into consideration all presented information the Personnel Department will evaluate the candidate and will inform us about their acceptance or rejection- respectively we will inform you in a phone call.

Final steps are:

• Making a pre-joining medical certificates in approved by the company medical center;
• Pre-Joining Briefing from our side;
• Receiving flights details & travelling documents;
• Signing the pre joining documents(company & agency policy);
• Signing the contract.

Company remarks regarding:

• MARLINS ENGLISH TEST: Minimum passing score for Officers is 70%, for Petty Officers and Ratings – 70% – Exception from the requirement for Marlins English test may be made for Officer applicants who will be interviewed face to face or remotely through videoconference by the company representatives.
• SELECTION OF PETTY OFFICERS: The Company operates Inter-Departmental Flexibility system (IDFF), which allows for better use of available workforce on board.  All Petty Officers and Ratings of the deck and engine departments work according to the operational and maintenance needs of the ship at any given time. The ratings from deck department can work in the engine department and vise versa.  Catering staff will not normally be part of IDF work force, but will be expected to assist in urgent situations.

If you need us, we are here!

HOW WE WORK WITH PARTNERING SHIPPING COMPANIES

We provide trust, responsibility and a high level of devotion to legitimate shipping companies with high quality of work, technological process and human resources and because our main and most important asset are seafarers,  we expect same from our partnering companies. Safety, respect and well-being of every seafarer must be a top priority for you, as well as for us.

• We answer all calls on at least one of our mobiles 24/7.
• We respond to all e-mails within few hours, depending on our current workload.
• Our office is open from 09:00 to 13:00 every work day, excepting weekends and official holidays for seafarers. All other time we reachable for all by telecom or on-line.
• We are 24 h on disposal when there are crew changes.
• We are at your disposal for information, help, cooperate…
• We will be happy and will do our best to be useful to you with our resources.
• We keep in touch with our seafarers while they are on leave.
• We keep in touch with their families while they are on board.

If you need us, we are here!

CERTIFICATES

The certificates you need may vary according to the requirements of different companies and the position you are applying for, but you will mainly need:

• CERTIFICATE OF COMPETENCY
• BASIC TRAINING IN OIL AND CHEMICAL TANKER CARGO OPERATIONS – FOR TANKERS
• ADVANCED TRAINING IN OIL TANKER CARGO OPERATIONS – FOR TANKER OFFICERS
• BASIC SAFETY TRAINING
• PROFICIENCY IN SURVIVAL CRAFT AND RESCUE BOAT OTHER THAN FAST RESCUE BOAT
• ADVANCED FIRE FIGHTING – FOR OFFICERS
• MEDICAL FIRST AID – FOR OFFICERS
• MEDICAL CARE ON BOARD – FOR SOME OFFICER RANKS
• TRAINING IN OPERATIONAL USE OF ECDIS AND AIS – FOR DECK OFFICERS
• TRAINING IN BRIDGE RESOURCE MANAGEMENT AND TEAM WORK – FOR DECK OFFICERS
• CERTIFICATE FOR TRAINING IN ENGINE ROOM RESOURCE MANAGEMENT AND TEAMWORK – FOR SENIOR ENGINEER OFFICERS
• CERTIFICATE FOR TRAINING ON MONITORING OF THE MAIN AND AUXILIARY MACHINERY OPERATION AND ASSOCIATED CONTROL SYSTEMS – FOR ENGINEER OFFICERS
• SHIP SECURITY OFFICER – FOR DECK OFFICERS
• SHIP SAFETY OFFICER
• CERTIFICATE OF PROFICIENCY IN TRAINING FOR SEAFARERS WITH DESIGNATED SECURITY DUTIES
• SHIP`S HANDLING AND MANEUVERING
• LIQUID CARGO SIMULATOR TRAINING.

These certificates must be issued by MARAD – Bulgaria.

You must take courses for your certificates ONLY IN CERTIFIED QUALIFICATION CENTERS AND MARITIME SCHOOLS such as:

Certificates with expiration date must be renewed with a:

• refreshment course,
• or only with a request in MARAD (depending on the certificate).

Different shipping companies can add a variety of additional certificates, courses / seminars / trainings for which are organized by the companies or their representatives – worldwide, online, on board. It does not need to be issued or validated by MARAD and are only for the needs of the company fleet.

If you need us, we are here!