Senior Manager, Field Operations

Journey with us! Combine your career goals and sense of adventure by joining our incredible team of employees at Royal Caribbean Group. We are proud to offer a competitive compensation and benefits package, and excellent career development opportunities, each offering unique ways to explore the world.

We are proud to be the vacation-industry leader with global brands — including Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises and Silversea Cruises — the most innovative fleet and private destinations, and the best people. Together, we are dedicated to turning the vacation of a lifetime into a lifetime of vacations for our guests.

Royal Caribbean Group’s Silversea Cruises brand has an exciting career opportunity for a full time Senior Manager, Field Operations on the Destination Development Team reporting to the AVP, Expedition Innovation and Operational Excellence.

This position will work onsite in Miami, Florida

Position Summary:

In this position, you would be responsible for working collaboratively with 70+ Expedition Field Staff onboard our vessels to ensure the seamless delivery of Silversea Expedition cruise product and experiences including the implementation of best practices, identifying lessons learned, driving strategic initiatives and supporting operations with in situ changes. You would also leverage internal content experts (including expedition staff) to validate future itineraries to ensure they are viable and operable from an expedition perspective.  Lastly, you would collaborate with key stakeholders in adjacent departments (e.g. Port Operations, Marine, and Hotel Operations, etc.) to proactively resolve operational challenges and ensure that expedition voyages are successful.   This role also works closely with the Expedition Operations Team to ensure the educational profiles for each voyage are executed as designed. 

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Proactively work with shipboard staff to:
  • Monitor the state of operations in the fleet and be able to distill and report on it in various shoreside forums including executive audiences.
  • Ensure best practices are followed.
  • Collect and distill lessons learned.
  • Drive strategic initiatives (including elements of the Annual Operating Plan).
  • Support rapid decision-making related to real-time, unforeseen operational changes.

• Collaborate directionally with the Deployment, Port, and Marine Operations Teams in developing new expedition itineraries and giving direction on regional regulatory constraints, polar operating environments, and permitting considerations.

• Collaborate with Deployment, Marine Operations, Port Operations and leverage Expedition Staff to provide in-depth itinerary reviews and validation to ensure future expedition itineraries can be operated to deliver an excellent guest experience.

• Directionally participate in developing expedition itineraries, from conception, block-out, validating operational feasibility, and guiding the itinerary team in writing the actual technical schedule.

• Develop strategy and manage the delivery of all field Expedition experiences in collaboration with the Expedition Operations Field Staff Team.

• Ensure onboard educational content is delivered as designed by the Product Innovation Team.

• Use in-depth expedition destination experience and knowledge to develop product delivery SOPs and systems for monitoring and implementing robust quality control programs on expedition experiences and SHOREX.

• Assist the Expedition Operations and Marine Teams with developing and updating the Expedition Operations Manual.

• Review and update expedition activities SOP to appropriate standards per industry and government regulations.

• Develop new expedition experiences and create SOPs for new activities (e.g., Zodiac night operations, private Zodiacs, scuba, glass bottom boats, snorkel platforms, use of ROV, etc.).

• Manage daily feedback reports from vessels and facilitate bi-weekly meetings to evaluate the feedback and create action items for implementation by various departments to enhance the destination expedition experience.

• Collaborate inter-departmentally, as well as with stakeholders, both internal and external, to evolve and manage sustainable practices during destination experiences.

• Continually identify, research, and develop expedition cruise product enhancements, equipment, resources, and tools necessary for ongoing product innovation and differentiation.

• Work closely and collaboratively with Expedition Operations to ensure product development and delivery alignment.

• Create and execute a plan to engage onboard Expedition Staff ashore in workshops that will directly enable professional development, staff engagement, process improvement opportunities, develop strategic initiatives, leverage expert knowledge from field staff.

• Develop, implement, and drive revenue-generating opportunities for expedition cruise products such as private zodiac programs.

• Represent the organization selectively at IAATO and AECO, and participate actively in membership organization committees (as assigned).

Qualifications, Knowledge and Skills:

• BSc/BA in Travel, Tourism and Hospitality, Business Administration, Management or similar field of study.

• 10 years of work experience, preferably in cruise or expeditions.

• Must possess cruise/expedition destination knowledge.

• Must have in-depth operational and product development experience in the expedition cruise sector.

• Must have worked onboard cruise/expedition vessels and have practical knowledge of the product.

• A strong understanding of expedition ship operations and operating regions.

• Must have a proven track record of community engagement and developing programs in remote communities.

• Must have a proven track record in working with expedition field staff.

• Possess an understanding of budget planning and financial control.

• Ability and willingness to travel about 40% of the time.

• Strong written and verbal communication skills; professional demeanor.

• Proficient with word processing and spreadsheet software and presentations.

• Must be highly organized, self-motivated, and capable of working with minimal direction.

• Ability to set priorities, handle multiple tasks simultaneously, and manage time effectively.

• Solid expedition and cruise industry background.

• Possess a proactive and hands-on attitude.

• Ability to work in a fast-paced, deadline-oriented environment with excellent communication and presentation skills.

• Solid organizational and leadership skills (experience in global team coordination).

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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