AVP, Design Integration

AVP, Design Integration

Position Summary:

We are a team of creative individuals, passionate about designing and bringing to life extraordinary vacations. We are on a mission to revolutionize the cruising industry by creating and building the most innovative cruise ships and reimagining our award-winning fleet, while constantly striving to challenge the status quo and deliver unmatched guest experiences.

The AVP, Design Integration is responsible for planning, monitoring and recommending robust courses of action around the critical issues of time, cost, risk, process, scope, and quality in the shipbuilding design process for the new generation of Newbuilds across all RCG brands. This role is critical to drive program momentum, whilst ensuring it remains within its schedule and quality guardrails. This role will be a critical link, integrating the functions of Naval Architecture, Architectural Design and Maritime Technology as one cohesive winning team, creating processes to ensure seamless integration and collaboration. The role fosters a balance between creativity, innovation, and operational efficiency while aligning the design process with corporate and department goals, project guardrails, and key partners.

Working closely with SVP/VP of Architectural Design, Naval Architecture and Maritime Technology, and partnering with Mission Control, the AVP, Design Integration will manage all aspects of Design planning, tracking, and status reporting, partnering with internal and external stakeholders to collect, analyze, and report data for recommended course of action.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

· Planning & Processes: Create and establish design process and planning for front-end of Innovation and Concept phases. Evolve and steer the remaining ship design phases through delivery and in-service lifecycle ensuring a cost and resource effective progression, with a strong focus on timelines and quality. Ensure deep understanding and adherence to project processes. Identify enhancements to current processes and recommend improvements in partnership with our innovation minded design teams. Maintain systematic project discipline whilst ensuring agility for our design teams to raise the bar on creativity and innovation.

· Collaboration: Drive design process effectiveness by fostering collaboration and seamless connection amongst the various Design disciplines internally, and externally with the shipyards, building robust frameworks to facilitate the same. Steer Collaborative Innovation, Rational Building and Cost & Risk Centricity through each design phase.

Create, manage and optimize an effective design program to seamlessly blend distinct and unique disciplines and skills with a relentless eye to schedule, cost and quality.

· Timeliness and Schedule Adherence: Develop and maintain detailed project schedules using industry-standard scheduling practices, collaborate closely with various cross-functional teams to establish design timelines and milestones, and to ensure timely achievement of same, implementing corrective actions as needed. Continually review goals and adjust ways of working to accommodate the shifting priorities of a nebulous environment.

Identify and analyze potential schedule risks and implement mitigation strategies. Prepare and present schedule reports and updates to stakeholders, highlighting critical path activities and potential delays.

· Cost & Budgeting Framework: Develop, oversee, and conduct comprehensive cost estimations, considering specific requirements and standards for each brand. Develop and manage budgets to ensure cost-effectiveness and alignment with overall financial scope, maintaining a strong understanding and adherence to financial processes. Ensure costs are justified and transparent, at par with industry averages, and within approved parameters.

· Design Risk Management & Mitigation: Proactively identify and assess potential risks and uncertainties associated with design project costs, timelines, and quality, developing risk management strategies to mitigate impacts on project outcomes and financial performance. Implement contingency plans and risk mitigation measures to safeguard project success.

· Quality Assurance and Compliance: Conduct regular quality inspections and audits to verify compliance with specifications and contractual obligations, addressing any deviations or deficiencies promptly to uphold guidelines and standards and brand vision.

· Reporting and Stakeholder Communication: Proactively engage with stakeholders to build and review project status and monitor progress. Communicate project progress, financial performance, and key insights to facilitate informed decision-making and ensure alignment with organizational goals and objectives.

Regularly integrate, organize, align and communicate the design status to project stakeholders, partners, and team.

· Perform other duties as required.

This job description in no way states or implies that these are the only duties to be performed by the employee occupying this position. Employees will be required to perform any other job-related duties assigned by their supervisor or management.

Qualifications:

· Proven experience in cruise ship design or related large-scale design projects, with demonstrated expertise in planning and integration.

· Minimum of 15 years, ideally in the ship building or cruise line industry.

· Minimum of 15 years managing multi-million-dollar projects and high-performing teams.

· Advanced degree with a concentration in Naval Architecture, Construction/Architecture Business Management, Industrial Engineering, or related field.

· Software: Proficiency in MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Visio, and Project required.

· Knowledge of construction estimating, financial processes and reporting, AMOS, Clarity, Lotus Notes Database, JDE, and Essbase.

Knowledge and Skills:

· Strong analytical skills, highly organized and detail oriented. Ability to introduce efficiencies and modern techniques to existing processes.

· Deep understanding of innovation, creativity, and their role in product design, coupled with strong project management expertise.

· Experienced at compiling and following strict budgets, strong estimating, and

financial analysis skills.

· In-depth understanding of construction, materials, pricing, and industry standards.

· Strong leadership skills and proven experience in leading a medium-to-large multidisciplinary team of professionals, capable of mobilizing people and resources to action.

· Excellent interpersonal skills with strong ability to effectively communicate with all levels of management and employees across diverse cultures worldwide. Capable of simplifying complexity in a high-paced environment. Solid written and verbal communication skills are a must.

· Must be familiar with the working drawing process inclusive of drawing, dimensioning and detailing deck plans, elevations, sections, and details. Ability to understand and interpret architectural plans, sections, elevations, and details.

· Ability to define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions. Ability to interpret an extensive variety of technical instructions in mathematical or diagram form with varying degrees of ambiguity.

· Exceptional communication and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to navigate complex corporate and industry environments.