Fleet Public Health Officer

Job Description

The Fleet Public Health Officer leads the company’s public health, sanitation and food safety programme across the entire fleet. The role translates applicable regulatory standards into practical shipboard controls, supports vessels in maintaining inspection readiness, and builds the capability of officers and crew to protect the health of guests and crew. The position is travelling and requires regular visits to vessels, ports and shoreside offices.

Key responsibilities:

Standards, compliance and inspection readiness

• Own and maintain the fleet public health management system, ensuring shipboard procedures reflect current applicable requirements and guidance, including the CDC Vessel Sanitation Program (VSP) Environmental Public Health Standards, the Public Health Agency of Canada’s Travelling Public Program requirements and guidance, SHIPSAN EU requirements where applicable, and relevant flag, port-state and local requirements.
• Interpret regulatory updates and convert them into clear fleet procedures, checklists, training materials and corrective actions; advise leadership when requirements differ by jurisdiction or vessel operation.
• Plan and lead internal public health audits, vessel readiness reviews and mock inspections; accompany external inspections where appropriate and coach shipboard teams through findings and close-out.
• Review inspection reports, scores, deficiencies and repeat trends; assign owners and deadlines for corrective and preventive actions, verify effectiveness and report fleet performance to management.
• Support public health standards during newbuilds, refits, equipment changes, itinerary changes and operational reviews, working with technical and hotel teams to identify design or process risks early.

Food safety and HACCP

• Lead the fleet HACCP and food safety programme, including hazard analysis, critical control points, monitoring, verification, records and corrective actions across receiving, storage, preparation, cooking, cooling, reheating, service and sanitation.
• Verify food temperatures, time controls, cross-contamination prevention, personal hygiene, galley sanitation, potable ice and water used in food operations, pest prevention and supplier/receiving controls.
• Coach Executive Chefs and galley teams on safe, practical routines that work in a high-volume shipboard environment and remain inspection-ready throughout service.

Water safety and sanitation

• Oversee vessel Water Safety Plans from bunkering or production through treatment, storage, distribution and points of use; ensure risk assessments, sampling plans, operational limits, logs and escalation procedures are implemented and reviewed.
• Work with Chief Engineers and shipboard teams on potable water production and bunkering, disinfection, residual monitoring, water sampling, tank hygiene, cross-connections, backflow prevention, hot-water systems and Legionella risk management.
• Provide oversight of recreational water facilities, pools and spas; potable water, ice and beverage systems; housekeeping and laundry sanitation; medical/public health spaces; waste handling; and other environmental health controls within the role’s remit.

Illness surveillance and outbreak prevention

• Maintain fleet procedures for illness surveillance, case reporting, isolation, cohorting, cleaning and disinfection, contact management, food-handler restrictions, public health communication and outbreak escalation.
• Support shipboard Medical teams and command teams in assessing illness trends, applying applicable reporting thresholds, coordinating investigations and implementing evidence-based control measures.
• Lead or support outbreak reviews, root-cause analysis and after-action reporting; ensure lessons learned become fleet-wide preventive actions and training.

Training and shipboard capability

• Develop and deliver role-based training for officers and crew, including HACCP, food handlers, potable water, sanitation, illness reporting, outbreak response, inspection conduct and public health leadership.
• Coach shipboard Public Health Officers or designated health leads, department heads and crew through hands-on demonstrations, drills, inspections and follow-up.
• Measure training completion and effectiveness, identify capability gaps and maintain usable training records across the fleet.

Fleet leadership and reporting

• Build a consistent, accountable public health culture across vessels while adapting implementation to each ship’s design, itinerary, staffing and operating conditions.
• Maintain a fleet risk register, audit schedule, outbreak and illness trend reports, inspection dashboard and corrective-action tracker.
• Provide timely risk assessments and clear recommendations to the Master and shoreside leadership, escalating imminent or significant health risks through established company channels.
• Coordinate with Medical, Marine, Hotel, Culinary, Engineering, Environmental, Safety and Quality, Learning and Development, Procurement and other relevant teams.

Decision-making and authority

The role has authority to conduct fleet audits, access relevant records and work areas, request corrective actions, and escalate significant or imminent public health risks to the Master and designated shoreside leadership. The Fleet Public Health Officer provides specialist advice and operational oversight; statutory decisions remain with the competent authorities, and ship command retains its responsibilities under company procedures and applicable law.

Qualifications

Qualifications and experience

• Degree or recognised professional qualification in environmental health, public health, food safety, microbiology, occupational health or a closely related discipline.
• Substantial experience in public health, environmental health, food safety or sanitation, including direct work with cruise ships or other complex passenger vessels.
• Strong working knowledge of CDC VSP requirements and inspection practice, HACCP principles, potable water safety and outbreak prevention and response.
• Demonstrated understanding of Canadian cruise ship public health inspection and illness-surveillance requirements, including the Public Health Agency of Canada’s Travelling Public Program; familiarity with SHIPSAN and other relevant international frameworks.
• Experience designing and delivering training, leading audits and inspections, investigating incidents, analysing trends and managing corrective actions.
• Ability to communicate confidently with senior executives, Masters, department heads, inspectors and multinational crew, and to turn technical requirements into practical operating routines.
• Fluent professional English; additional languages are an advantage. Ability to travel internationally for extended periods and work onboard under operational conditions.

Core competencies

Sound public health judgement • Shipboard operational credibility • Regulatory interpretation • Coaching and influence • Incident leadership • Clear reporting • Cultural awareness • Organisation and follow-through

Additional Information

Performance measures

• Inspection performance and reduction in repeat or high-risk deficiencies.
• Timely and effective closure of corrective and preventive actions.
• Completion and demonstrated effectiveness of required training.
• Water Safety Plan implementation, monitoring compliance and timely response to excursions.
• Food safety and sanitation audit results, including sustained control of critical HACCP points.
• Timeliness and quality of illness reporting, outbreak readiness, response and lessons learned.

Role note: This description sets out the principal scope of the position. Responsibilities may be adjusted to reflect changes in applicable standards, fleet structure and operational requirements.