Fleet Supervisor - Creve Coeur, IL

Fleet Supervisor - Creve Coeur, IL

Position Summary
The Fleet Supervisor is responsible for leading safe, reliable, and efficient fleeting operations for ADM’s American River Transportation Company (ARTCo) operations in the Creve Coeur, Illinois area. This role supports daily marine operations on the Illinois River, with responsibility for supervising tugboat/fleet activity, deckhand performance, barge movements, safety expectations, operational readiness, and communication between vessel crews, terminal operations, maintenance, dispatch, and site leadership.
The Creve Coeur, IL location is an ADM/ARTCO river terminal operation positioned on the Illinois River at mile marker 158. The site supports barge, rail, and material-handling activity across bulk, break bulk, steel, grain, and grain by-product commodities. With access to the TZPR switchyard and connections to major rail partners, the terminal plays an important role in ADM’s regional transportation and logistics network.
This position requires a hands-on leader with strong marine operations knowledge, sound judgment, and the ability to lead teams in a safety-sensitive, fast-paced river transportation environment. The Fleet Supervisor plays a critical role in ensuring barges, vessels, crews, and customer commitments are managed safely, efficiently, and in alignment with ADM and ARTCo operating standards.

Key Responsibilities
Fleet & Marine Operations Leadership

• Supervise daily fleeting, harbor, and tugboat operations supporting ARTCo’s Creve Coeur,/LaSalle river location.
• Coordinate barge movements, fleet organization, tow building, dock activity, and vessel readiness to support operational needs.  border
• Provide direction to captains, deckhands, and marine operations personnel to ensure work is completed safely, efficiently, and accurately.
• Monitor operational schedules, river conditions, equipment availability, and staffing needs to minimize delays and support service commitments.
• Partner with dispatch, terminal leadership, maintenance, and other operations teams to ensure alignment on priorities, barge placement, and workflow.
• Ensure accurate communication of fleet status, equipment needs, operational delays, and safety concerns.
• Support continuous improvement efforts related to productivity, turnaround time, crew performance, equipment utilization, and operational reliability.

Safety, Compliance & Risk Management

• Lead by example in promoting a strong safety culture across all marine and fleet activities.
• Ensure compliance with ADM, ARTCo, U.S. Coast Guard, DOT, OSHA, environmental, and site-specific safety requirements.
• Conduct safety observations, job briefings, audits, and follow-up discussions with crew members.
• Support incident investigations, near-miss reviews, root cause analysis, and corrective action implementation.
• Ensure proper use of PPE, safe line handling, vessel access procedures, confined space awareness, fall protection, lockout/tagout expectations, and other applicable marine safety practices.
• Reinforce safe decision-making during changing river, weather, traffic, and operational conditions.

People Leadership & Crew Development

• Provide daily leadership, coaching, and performance feedback to fleet crews and hourly team members.
• Set clear expectations for attendance, professionalism, communication, safety behaviors, and operational execution.
• Support onboarding and training of new deckhands, captains, and marine personnel.
• Identify skill gaps and partner with leadership to improve training, retention, and crew readiness.
• Promote accountability while maintaining a respectful, team-oriented work environment.
• Assist with scheduling, staffing coverage, overtime planning, and workforce needs based on business demands.

Equipment, Maintenance & Operational Readiness

• Partner with maintenance teams to ensure tugboats, barges, radios, rigging, tools, and safety equipment are maintained and operationally ready.
• Report equipment deficiencies, damage, mechanical concerns, or unsafe conditions in a timely manner.
• Support planned maintenance, inspections, vessel repairs, and operational downtime coordination.
• Ensure documentation, checklists, inspections, and operating records are completed accurately and on time.

Communication & Cross-Functional Partnership

• Serve as a key communication link between fleet crews, terminal operations, dispatch, maintenance, and leadership.
• Provide timely updates regarding barge status, operational needs, staffing concerns, safety matters, and service-impacting issues.
• Support customer-focused execution by helping ensure material movement, barge handling, and fleet activity are completed safely and reliably.
• Maintain a professional and solutions-oriented approach when resolving operational challenges.

Day in the Life
A typical day for the Fleet Supervisor begins with reviewing the current fleet status, barge lineup, crew assignments, weather and river conditions, maintenance updates, and operational priorities for the day. The supervisor may conduct a safety briefing with the crew, confirm tugboat readiness, review barge movements, and ensure all team members understand the work plan and hazards for the shift.
Throughout the day, this role stays closely connected to the river operation, communicating with captains, deckhands, dispatch, terminal teams, and maintenance to keep activity moving safely and efficiently. The Fleet Supervisor may walk the fleet area, observe line handling or vessel activity, check on crew performance, troubleshoot delays, address safety concerns, and adjust priorities as business needs change.
The role requires both leadership and practical problem-solving. One part of the day may involve coaching a newer deckhand on safe work practices, while another may involve coordinating equipment repairs, responding to a barge movement change, reviewing documentation, or helping leadership understand staffing or operational constraints. Success in this role comes from staying visible, calm, organized, safety-focused, and proactive.

Qualifications
Required Qualifications

• High school diploma or equivalent required.
• Previous marine, fleeting, tugboat, terminal, transportation, logistics, or industrial operations experience required.
• Prior leadership, supervisory, lead operator, captain, or crew leadership experience preferred.
• Strong understanding of safety-sensitive operations and the ability to enforce safety expectations consistently.
• Ability to work in an outdoor industrial/marine environment, including exposure to weather, river conditions, noise, and moving equipment.
• Strong communication, decision-making, problem-solving, and organizational skills.
• Ability to work flexible hours, weekends, holidays, or extended shifts as operational needs require.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in river transportation, barge fleeting, harbor services, or inland marine operations.
• U.S. Coast Guard license or marine credential experience preferred, depending on position structure and operating requirements.
• Knowledge of Illinois River operations, barge handling, tow building, tugboat operations, and marine safety practices.
• Experience supervising deckhands, captains, or hourly operations teams.
• Familiarity with ADM, ARTCo, grain, bulk material handling, or terminal operations.
• Strong computer skills, including use of email, operational systems, reporting tools, and basic Microsoft Office applications.

Key Competencies

• Safety Leadership
• Marine Operations Knowledge
• Team Leadership and Coaching
• Operational Planning
• Accountability and Follow-Through
• Communication and Coordination
• Problem Solving Under Pressure
• Customer and Service Orientation
• Adaptability in Changing Conditions
• Continuous Improvement Mindset

Working Conditions | Environment

• Outdoor river, fleet, terminal, and industrial work environment.
• Exposure to weather, water, noise, dust, moving equipment, uneven walking surfaces, and marine operations hazards.
• Frequent walking, standing, climbing, bending, and working around barges, vessels, docks, and equipment.
• Must be able to respond to operational needs outside of standard business hours when necessary.
• Safety-sensitive role requiring strong judgment, situational awareness, and adherence to policies and procedures.
• Must be able to work 50% Office | 50% in the Field