Key Account Manager (Icebreakers & Governmental Projects)

• Helsinki Shipyard seeks a Key Account Manager for Icebreakers & Governmental Projects to convert strategic customer relationships into newbuilding contracts.
• You will lead strategic account management, tender and proposal processes, commercial negotiations, and cross‑functional alignment on technical, design, and sustainability aspects.
• The role requires experience with governmental or icebreaker projects, ship concept design, CRM tools, commercial negotiation skills, ability to lead project teams, and fluent English.
• The position is based at the Hietalahti shipyard with hybrid work, requires readiness to travel, may include a medical/drug test or security clearance, and applications are open until 9 August 2026.

We are Helsinki Shipyard - a company designing, building and commissioning tailor-made, high-class passenger vessels and icebreakers for extreme conditions. Our roots date back to 1865, and we proudly continue the story of Helsinki's own Shipyard, in the heart of Helsinki. 

With us, you get to design and build the ships under one roof from start to finish, in close collaboration with our customers. Our focus segments today are Icebreakers, Cruise Ships, Superyachts and Naval Vessels. To provide you with some perspective, we've built over 50 % of the world's icebreakers operating today and several remarkable cruise ships over the years.

Since November 2023, Helsinki Shipyard has been part of the Canadian Davie Group. Together with SATA Shipbuilding in Mäntyluoto, Pori, we form Davie Finland Operations.

We are looking for a Key Account Manager (Icebreakers & Governmental Projects) to join our Sales & Marketing organization. In this role, you will turn strategic customer relationships into long-term business opportunities by shaping projects before they formally emerge, influencing decisions early, and ensuring that clients see Helsinki Shipyard as their preferred partner. Through trust, timing, market insight, and advanced technical solutions, you will help secure newbuilding contracts that translate into future additions to the shipyard's orderbook and ultimately become valuable assets in our customers' fleets. You will work closely with our Marketing team, Vessel Segments, Cost Estimation team, and Project Design team. 

Key tasks in the role are:

• Strategic Account Leadership: Build long-term strategies for co-operation with our clients to support our growth and their future fleet development

• Executive Relationship Ownership: Develop and maintain trusted partnerships with customers and other stakeholders, on all needed levels and functions, including top management of customer organizations

• Tender & Proposal Leadership: Lead the offering process, developing competitive solutions with attractive offers in co-operation with our Vessel Segments and Project design team. Understanding the customer operational needs is key to success

• Commercial Negotiation and Bidding Processes: Lead commercial negotiations and our bidding process for new contracts, and ensure that contracts give us good foundation for profitable growth

• Technical, Design and Sustainability Alignment: Drive alignment on various functions contributing to new ship concepts & designs development, taking also into consideration sustainability aspects

• Finding New Leads and Opportunities: This role is not only about nurturing existing customer relationships. Developing sales pipeline with new leads and opportunities is equally important.

To succeed in this role, we wish you to have:

• Previous experience in Governmental Projects or Icebreaker projects

• Strong business and growth mindset, with commercial focus

• Previous experience working with Ship Concept Designs

• Capability to lead a project team including also possible subcontractors / consultants taken to the project team

• Good communication and presentation skills

• Capability to work as part of a team

• Capability to work diligently with processes that allow zero deviations

• Experience in using CRM tools

• Problem solving skills and attitude

• Capability to work and deliver under strict timelines, when needed

• Previous experience from working with large projects

• Readiness to travel

• Skills/competence in ship concepts development as well as experience in commercial negotiations, are highly appreciated.

• Fluent English is necessary as we have international clients and stakeholders. Other language skills are beneficial.

What makes us a good choice?

•  You will have the change to participate in developing our key vessel segments and offering further, and have a key role in securing our growth for the coming years

• In our close-knit Design team of 150 individuals, everyone is familiar with one another, and everyone has a mandate to make a true impact in the projects.

• Environmental responsibility is a core value for us. As part of our commitment, we participate in joint Helsinki sea monitoring, where the quality and harmful substances in the water are monitored

📍Our office is centrally located at the Shipyard in Hietalahti, Helsinki. Our team members work in a hybrid model, combining remote work with time spent at the office depending on the nature of the work and project phase. Typically, we work on-site two to three days per week.

We are also open to candidates who would like to relocate for the role. While we are unfortunately unable to provide relocation support at this time, we are happy to consider applicants who are planning to move to Finland independently and already hold a valid permit that allows them to work in Finland.

Continue our historical story with us! Tell us about yourself by 9.8.2026.

Please note that we review and interview promising candidates throughout the application period. However, as the recruitment takes place during the summer holiday season, there may occasionally be longer response times than usual. We appreciate your patience and will get back to you as soon as possible.

If you have any questions about the role, please contact Jussi Lehtinen, Vice President, Sales & Marketing via e-mail: [email protected] 

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As part of the recruitment process, selected candidates will undergo a routine medical check, including a drug test. For certain roles, a security clearance may also be required.

Apply between 10 June 2026 and 9 August 2026 23:59 (Europe/Helsinki)Helsinki Shipyard

160 vuotta laivanrakennuksen huippuosaamista Helsingissä - tule mukaan !

Helsinki Shipyard on erikoistunut vaativissa olosuhteissa toimivien alusten rakentamiseen - olemme yksi maailman kokeneimmista jäänmurtajien ja erikoisalusten valmistajista. Toimimme Helsingin Hietalahdessa, meren äärellä, keskellä pääkaupunkia.

Aloitamme uuden jäänmurtajan rakentamisen Kanadan hallitukselle. Alus rakennetaan Helsingissä ja viimeistellään Davien telakalla Quebecissä vuoteen 2030 mennessä. Lue lisää projektista täältä!