Permits Manager

Job Description

APM Terminals

Project Permit Lead - APM Terminals - North Sea Terminal Bremerhaven (NTB) Transformation Project

Business Unit: Department:

APM Terminals – Business Integration Management (BIM) Project Execution

Job classifications: Reports to:

Senior Management Project Engineering Lead

About APM Terminals:

APM Terminals is an international port and terminal operator. The company develops and operates container terminals around the world and is committed to safe, efficient and sustainable operations. APM Terminals operates a global network of ports and terminals in more than 30 countries and employs over 30,000 people worldwide. APM Terminals is lifting the standard of efficiency, responsibility, connectivity, and productivity in the industry.

The Project

APM Terminals and Eurogate have entered into an agreement for a long-term partnership to jointly invest approximately €1 billion in the modernisation of the North Sea Terminal Bremerhaven (NTB) in Germany. The transaction remains subject to relevant approvals.

The project will include:

• Transition of terminal operatorship to APM Terminals
• Significant investment in modern equipment, infrastructure, and systems
• Integration of NTB into the APM Terminals global network

The investment is intended to transform NTB into one of the world’s most efficient and resilient container terminals. The modernisation includes electrification of equipment and the use of renewable energy, with the ambition to operate with zero greenhouse gas emissions, a first of its kind in Germany.

As part of the transformation, terminal capacity is expected to increase from approximately three million to four million TEU annually.

The overall objective is to ensure the terminal remains competitive, efficient, and future-ready, supporting long-term growth and sustainable operations.

Role overview:

Project Permit Lead is responsible for managing all interactions with the relevant regulatory authorities and stakeholders to timely secure compliance via obtaining the required permits and approvals for the project.

The role acts as the primary interface with external authorities, such as permitting consultants, designers, and third-party experts, while coordinating internally with Engineering-, Construction-, Automation-, and HSSE teams.

The main goal is to translate a complex phased brownfield project, under live operations, into a structured, permit-driven delivery model, aligning permitting requirements with design maturity, project phasing, submission strategy, and operational constraints.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and manage all permitting activities across the full project lifecycle, ensuring alignment with project schedule, milestones, and critical path, while defining and continuously refining the overall permitting strategy.
• Act as the project’s primary interface for regulatory engagements, representing the project in meetings, discussions, and formal submissions with authorities, ministries, and municipalities.
• Monitor and support the development and maintenance of Eurogate’s comprehensive permit tracker, ensuring it reflects a complete, accurate, and up-to-date list of required permits and associated documentation.
• Lead coordination with the permitting consultant(s) to review existing documentation, verify permit requirements, and ensure alignment between all permit registers and stakeholders.
• Identify missing permits, inconsistencies, and documentation gaps, while monitoring risks, authority feedback, and dependencies, and implement proactive mitigation measures.
• Coordinate with internal and external design teams to ensure all required technical inputs (drawings, reports, calculations) are prepared on time and are fully integrated into permit application packages.
• Structure project scope into permit-relevant work packages and define submission sequencing, authority engagement logic, and prioritisation is aligned with design maturity and phasing.
• Lead preparation, review, and submission of permit applications, ensuring all documentation is complete, accurate, and compliant with regulatory and project requirements.
• Establish structured communication processes, manage stakeholder coordination (including regular meetings), and maintain transparency on permitting progress, decisions, and follow-up actions.

Planning & Reporting

• Prepare regular reports on permitting progress, risks, and mitigation actions.
• Provide input to project schedule and risk management processes.
• Support governance reviews and stage gate approvals.
• Works in close coordination with Engineering, HSSE, and Project Controls functions.

Direct Reports

• Directly reporting to the Project Engineering Lead,
• Functional reporting to Eurogate’s permitting representative.

Risk & Issue Management

• Identify risks related to permitting delays or regulatory constraints.
• Propose mitigation strategies and alternative pathways.
• Escalate critical issues to project leadership in a timely manner.

Qualifications, Skills, and Experience;

• Minimum 12–15 years of relevant experience in permitting, regulatory coordination, or similar roles, with a proven track-record in engaging government authorities and regulatory bodies. Experience as a client representative in infrastructure-, industrial-, or large-scale projects is advantageous.
• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Environmental Studies, Urban Planning, Law, or a related field.
• Strong understanding of permitting processes; experience in Germany and familiarity with German regulatory frameworks is a plus.
• Strong stakeholder management and communication skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities in a structured and organized manner, maintaining high attention to detail and compliance.
• Proactive, solution-oriented, and self-driven, with strong coordination skills, high discipline, and a results-oriented mindset. A collaborative team player with high-quality awareness and the ability to work effectively in multicultural environments.

Languages

• German: Mandatory (Fluent – interaction with authorities)
• English: Mandatory (Project communication)

Maersk is committed to a diverse and inclusive workplace, and we embrace different styles of thinking. Maersk is an equal opportunities employer and welcomes applicants without regard to race, colour, gender, sex, age, religion, creed, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, marital status, sexual orientation, physical or mental disability, medical condition, pregnancy or parental leave, veteran status, gender identity, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. We will consider qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with all legal requirements.

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