AVP, Fleet Refurbishment & Hotel Technical Operations

The Associate Vice President, Fleet Refurbishment & Hotel Technical Operations is responsible for the strategic leadership, governance, and operational excellence of all hotel technical systems and refurbishment programs across the Royal Caribbean Group fleet and brands.

This role ensures that hotel technical assets are safe, compliant, reliable, cost‑effective, and aligned with brand standards throughout their full lifecycle - including in‑service operation, dry‑dock refurbishment, and modernization initiatives—while supporting exceptional guest and crew experiences.

The position provides enterprise‑level direction for hotel technical maintenance, lifecycle planning, refurbishment strategy, and technical innovation, working in close partnership with Marine Technical, Hotel Operations, Newbuild, Refurbishment, Supply Chain, and Brand leadership.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Strategic, Operational & Refurbishment Leadership

• Provide executive leadership and direction for hotel technical maintenance and refurbishment execution across all brands and vessels.
• Establish fleetwide strategies for maintenance standards, lifecycle management, and refurbishment governance of hotel technical systems.
• Act as the senior technical authority for hotel systems during both operational service and dry‑dock refurbishment periods, ensuring consistency while respecting brand differentiation.

Hotel Technical Systems Oversight

• Oversee performance, maintenance, and refurbishment readiness for all hotel technical systems, including galleys, laundry, potable water, guest‑facing assets and elevators.
• Ensure systems are operated, upgraded, and refurbished in compliance with regulatory, class, health authority, and company requirements, with emphasis on safety, hygiene, and environmental protection.

Lifecycle, Capital & Financial Accountability

• Own hotel technical lifecycle planning, including modernization, obsolescence mitigation, and refurbishment investment strategies.
• Provide strategic input to multi‑year capital plans, refurbishment portfolios, and dry‑dock scopes, ensuring alignment with long‑term asset value and brand positioning.
• Partner with Finance and Brand leadership to develop and manage OPEX and CAPEX budgets covering maintenance and refurbishment activities.
• Drive cost efficiencies through standardized refurbishment solutions, repeatable designs, and optimized upgrade cycles.

Hotel Refurbishment & Dry‑Dock Execution

• Serve as the enterprise hotel technical authority for refurbishment programs, including modernization projects, guest‑area upgrades, and hotel systems renewals.
• Define and govern hotel technical refurbishment standards, design criteria, and technical specifications across brands.
• Lead hotel technical scope development for dry‑dock and in‑service refurbishment projects, ensuring:
• Clear technical requirements and execution readiness
• Safe, compliant, and high‑quality delivery
• Schedule and budget adherence
• Partner closely with Newbuild, Marine Technical, Hotel Operations, and Supply Chain teams to integrate operational lessons learned into refurbishment designs.
• Ensure refurbishment outcomes enhance guest experience, reliability, maintainability, and lifecycle cost performance.

Supplier, Yard & Technology Management

• Lead hotel technical supplier strategies for both maintenance and refurbishment scopes, including vendor selection, performance management, and long‑term partnerships.
• Collaborate with shipyards, integrators, and OEMs to ensure consistent technical quality and repeatable refurbishment solutions.
• Evaluate and pilot new hotel technologies and materials for incorporation into refurbishment programs and future standards.

People, Talent & Organizational Development

• Lead and develop a global team of hotel technical leaders supporting fleet operations and refurbishment execution.
• Establish competency frameworks and succession planning covering operational maintenance and refurbishment engineering disciplines.

Stakeholder Engagement & Governance

• Maintain strong governance interfaces with:
• Brand Hotel Operations leadership
• Marine Technical leadership
• Revitalization and Newbuild organizations
• Regulatory authorities and class societies relevant to hotel system upgrades
• Represent Royal Caribbean Group in industry forums related to hotel refurbishment, modernization, and guest‑facing technical innovation.

FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITIES

• Executive accountability for hotel technical maintenance and refurbishment OPEX and CAPEX across the fleet.
• Oversight of large‑scale refurbishment investment portfolios, with direct influence on asset modernization, lifecycle optimization, and capital prioritization.

QUALIFICATIONS and skills

Education

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Facilities Management, or a related technical discipline; advanced degree preferred.
• Minimum 15 years of experience in technical operations, facilities, or shipboard/hospitality environments, with significant time in senior leadership roles.
• Strong understanding of maritime and hospitality regulatory environments, including health, safety, and environmental requirements.

EXPERIENCE

• Demonstrated experience managing complex, asset‑intensive operations across large, geographically distributed fleets or facilities.
• Proven executive leadership and decision‑making capability in high‑complexity environments.
• Strong financial acumen with demonstrated ability to manage large budgets and deliver cost efficiencies.
• Deep technical understanding of hotel systems and their interaction with marine and hotel operations.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to influence at executive and operational levels.
• Ability to lead in a multicultural, fast‑paced, and continuously evolving organization.
• Strong analytical, problem‑solving, and strategic planning skills.
• Proficiency in enterprise maintenance systems, asset management tools, and Microsoft Office platforms.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

• Shore‑side office environment with frequent interaction with shipboard operations.
• International travel required.
• Regular travel to vessels, shipyards, and vendor facilities.
• Exposure to shipboard operational environments during visits and dry‑dock periods.