Manager, Product Creative Studio

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Position Summary:

The Royal Caribbean Creative Development + Advanced Concept Design Studio (or “Creative Studio”) has a balanced mission of enhancing in-flight near-term product efforts, and envisioning future capabilities and offerings of the company. We apply creative efforts to enhance and amplify existing products, and develop new product, experience, and service prototypes that improve guest and crew experience across all human interface touch points. We leverage both established and emerging products and technologies, partner with vendors and service providers, and invent new concepts, blending physical and digital to produce shareable design assets and tangible prototype experiences. We prove out concepts for desirability, feasibility, and viability, and move projects that satisfy these requirements to homes within relevant RCG businesses. The Creative Studio is seeking a Design Manager to assist in delivery of this work.

Based in Miami, FL and reporting to the Director, Creative Development + Advanced Concept Design, the Design Manager be responsible for contributing directly to deliverables as a highly skilled design practitioner and overseeing individual projects. The Design Manager will participate in the initial creative process, conduct initial research, contribute to creative vision, experience design exploration, prototype fabrication, and project validation for Creative Studio projects. The Design Manager will be a crucial part of the Creative Studio of conceptualizing and designing big ideas and helping drive the development of those ideas into shareable assets and tangible prototypes.  

We are seeking a hybrid designer: one who can work across product categories, a range of scale, from small hand-held objects to large walkthrough spaces, and utilize both digital and physical in service of the ultimate guest and crew experience. We need someone who understands how to create experiences and craft narratives, how to design and fabricate those experience into objects and spaces, and understands how the totality of that meets and drives RCG needs. As the Creative Studio drives the future of the RCG business by developing products, services, and experiences that don’t exist yet, we need someone who first grasps the desired outcome, then determines the best medium for the solution, then can lead the studio team through the process of delivery outcomes at the highest level of quality. The ideal candidate’s first instinct would be to understand the bigger picture, imagine the experience, then determine what experience elements are needed, then collaborate with studio resources to produce them.

The Design Manager will have demonstrated experience with leading the design process (research, need/problem/opportunity identification, ideation, prototyping, design refinement), fabrication of functional prototypes ranging from small (handheld objects) to large (full-scale walkthrough spaces), and the validation process of working with multiple teams and stakeholders for buy-in, contribution, and sign-off.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Take responsibility for specific Creative Studio projects, managing all aspects: executing design direction, assets/deliverable development, timing/milestones, refinement and revisions, operational integration.
• Collaborate with Creative Studio Director and team members, and Product Development resources to deliver integrated project solutions.
• Assist with or drive primary and secondary research, both guest/crew-focused and topical.
• Participate in initial process to identify guest/crew needs/problems/opportunities and determine project vision and direction.
• Develop comprehensive experience concepts, producing relevant Industrial, Graphic, Spatial, and Experience Design assets for projects; epitomize excellence in design process, concept, and problem-solving.
• Providing design input and guidance on initial ideas and prototype designs for fabrication. 
• Assisting with fabrication of a range of physical prototypes through analog and digital means: early rough models to show-ready demos; cardboard mockups to 3D models; small-scale handheld objects to large-scale walkthrough spaces.
• Providing input, feedback, and guidance to project team resources and/or vendors (as needed).
• Lead self: take responsibility for assigned work, exercise initiative to contribute beyond what’s assigned, work to address developmental opportunities and increase capabilities.
• Lead projects from a design standpoint; take responsibility for operational aspects of projects (timing, milestones, reviews).
• Formally lead junior resources (Designers, Interns, etc.) on Creative Studio team or project teams.
• Subtly lead broader project team members and leadership to good design options
• Function as a voice for design: ask insightful questions, promote best design decisions, patiently respond to challenges or opposition with informed positions and suggestions.
• Exemplify partnership and collaboration with internal RCG teams, influencing design decisions towards excellence while navigating competing priorities and constraints.
• Explore and investigate emerging techniques, technologies, trends, events, and companies to leverage and/or partner with on innovation projects; share findings with team.
• Generate new strategic ideas for the Creative Studio, be it process, practice, or project.
• Manage multiple project work streams concurrently, including collaboration with other internal teams as needed.
• Provide informal support and assistance to junior team members for project work and individual growth.

Qualifications, Knowledge & Skills:

• Bachelor’s degree in Design (Industrial Design preferred) and multidisciplinary in nature. 
• 7-10 years of relevant work experience.
• Excellent design skillset:
• Excellent creative and conceptual thinking skills; interest in tackling any design challenge presented, regardless of category, nature, or scale.
• Excellent visual communication skills (sketching, rendering, technical drawing/design, storyboarding; illustration and graphic design ability a plus). 
• Excellent 3D modeling skills, including ability to model small to mid to large scale (handheld objects, furniture, attractions, spaces), and basic model animation skills.
• Excellent physical modeling and prototyping skills: hand-built analog models as well as 3D assets that demonstrate excellence in form, structure, color, material, and finish.
• Facility with rapid prototyping technology (CNC, laser, material printing technology, etc.).
• Strong understanding of human factors demonstrated by considerations incorporated into designs.
• Excellent verbal communication skills (presentation, explanation, persuasion).
• Informed point of view on design topics; biased to respectfully but firmly sharing opinion to achieve excellence. 
• Demonstrable variety in design capabilities: Ability to work across product categories, at varied scales (small object to large environment), and with different degrees of tangibility (concrete to abstract).
• T-Shaped Person: deep expertise in function coupled with diverse knowledge, experience, interests, and awareness across relevant areas, and enthusiasm for working within and across functions.
• Strong sense of empathy for user point of view, and curiosity about the range of appropriate solutions.
• Strong grasp of experience design, narrative structure, and storytelling.
• Strong time management, organizational, and collaboration skills, enabling management of multiple work streams and delivery against deadlines.
• Experience collaborating with and providing input, direction, and feedback to vendors.
• Highly curious, highly engaged, highly motivated.
• Biased to action, attentive to detail, consummate craftsmanship.

We know there's a lot to consider. As you go through the application process, our recruiters will be glad to provide guidance, and more relevant details to answer any additional questions. Thank you again for your interest in Royal Caribbean Group. We'll hope to see you onboard soon!

It is the policy of the Company to ensure equal employment and promotion opportunity to qualified candidates without discrimination or harassment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, sexuality, gender identity or expression, marital status, or any other characteristic protected by law. Royal Caribbean Group and each of its subsidiaries prohibit and will not tolerate discrimination or harassment.

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