Yacht Provisioning Manager
A yacht provisioning manager runs the shore side of every galley and pantry order. Chefs and chief stews send their lists at midnight. This person makes sure the Wagyu, the vintage Champagne, the Japanese mayonnaise and forty kilos of limes are at the passerelle before the guests board. The job suits former crew who know what a charter week looks like from the inside.
The jobWhat fills the day
Orders arrive by WhatsApp, email and provisioning apps from head chefs, sole chefs, chief stews and pursers. You source each item from wholesale markets, specialist importers and local farms, and fly in anything that can't be found locally. Then the order is packed with the cold chain intact, labelled by fridge, freezer or pantry, and driven to the quay. After delivery comes the paperwork: invoices, receipts and VAT records. On charter, those costs often come out of the APA, so the accounts have to be accurate. Many firms also supply crew food, cleaning products, flowers and wine.
The Mediterranean season runs from May to September and it is relentless. One manager might handle six yachts in a morning, all sailing at noon. Winter is quieter in Antibes and Palma. Then the work moves to Fort Lauderdale, St Maarten and Antigua. Size changes the work as well. An 80m yacht orders by the pallet against a detailed spec. A 35m sole chef orders on the move, a few bags at a time. Remote cruising in the Maldives or French Polynesia means freight forwarding, bonded stores and customs paperwork booked weeks in advance.
Most hires are former yacht chefs, chief stews or pursers. They know the brands, the portion sizes and how fussy a principal can be about mineral water. Hotel procurement staff and people from fine food wholesale also do well. A clean driving licence matters, and so does the local language: French in Antibes and Monaco, Spanish in Palma, Italian in Genoa or Sardinia. Captains and chefs stay with suppliers they trust, so reliability and discretion count for more than polish.
Many people start as provisioning coordinators, taking orders and packing. From there they move up to manage key accounts or run a branch. Senior people either become operations directors at the larger provisioning groups or start their own business, which plenty do once they have a list of loyal chefs. Some move sideways into yacht operations or charter management, where a working knowledge of budgets, suppliers and port logistics carries straight over.
Skills employers look for
- Supplier sourcing and negotiation
- Cold chain management
- Customs and bonded stores
- Multilingual communication
- Order and invoice systems
- Calm under deadlines
- Galley and pantry knowledge
A working dayTuesday in July, provisioning warehouse, Antibes
Buy fish, shellfish and produce at the Nice wholesale market for two yachts leaving Port Vauban at noon.
Back at the warehouse to work through overnight messages. A 60m head chef has added blue lobster and a second case of yuzu.
Pack chilled and frozen boxes and label them by fridge and locker. Log temperatures before the vans are loaded.
Deliver to the quay and meet the deckhands at the passerelle. The chief stew checks the wine and Champagne against the order.
Quick lunch at the desk between phone calls.
Arrange caviar and a special-order cheese to be flown from Paris for a yacht arriving in Monaco tomorrow. Book the courier for its delivery.
Issue invoices with supplier receipts attached and split out VAT. Send a charter yacht's purser a running total against the APA.
Plan tomorrow's market run and brief the drivers. Confirm late orders before the suppliers' cut-off.
Pay by experienceAnnual salary. Estimates. Bars share one scale.
Some firms pay commission or a bonus on account turnover. Summer overtime is common and often paid as an end-of-season bonus. Palma salaries tend to sit slightly below Antibes and Monaco. See the Yacht & Crew Management salary guide for figures from live adverts.
Tickets and visas
Must have
- Food Hygiene Level 2
- Full driving licence
Gets you hired
- Food Safety Level 3 / HACCP
- WSET Level 2 Wines
- Working French, Spanish or Italian
- Basic customs and freight knowledge
Visas
- EU right to work for Mediterranean roles
- US right to work for Florida roles
Where it leadsA typical career path
Yacht & Crew Management jobsOpen now on SuperyachtRoles.com
Questions crew ask
Do I need to have worked on yachts?
It isn't mandatory, but most hires have. Former chefs and chief stews already know what a 'Fiji only, room temperature' order means and why it can't go wrong. Fine food wholesale or hotel purchasing experience is the next best route in.
Is it a year-round job?
Usually, yes, but the hours swing hard with the seasons. Mediterranean firms work very long days from May to September and much shorter ones in winter. Many also supply yachts in refit or follow their clients to the Caribbean.
Will I earn as much as I did on board?
Often less in cash terms, especially once rent and tax come in. In return you get a home life, a permanent contract and a clear route into management or your own business.
Where are most of the jobs?
Antibes, Cannes, Monaco, Palma, Barcelona and the Italian Riviera in Europe. Fort Lauderdale, St Maarten and Antigua in the winter markets. Smaller hubs serve the Maldives, the Seychelles and the South Pacific.