Manager, Wardrobe & Creative Operations

This position is on – site in our Royal Caribbean Productions North Miami

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.

Celebrity Cruises Entertainment team has an exciting career opportunity for a full time Manager, Wardrobe & Creative Operations reporting to the Director Creative & Theatrical Production.

Position Summary

Manager, Wardrobe & Creative Operations is responsible for all aspects of the Celebrity Cruises’ Wardrobe Department. This position manages and supports all facets of Wardrobe operations for shipboard productions including managing budgets, working with design teams and show creation team,  supporting events, vetting, hiring and contracting costume technicians, set-up/running/scheduling costume shop, creating and maintaining inventories, managing wardrobe stock, overseeing wardrobe projects, creating costume bibles, creating and maintaining yearly wardrobe project’s schedule, vendor/supplier sourcing and set ups.  Creates a well-run and organized production and wardrobe program both shipboard and shoreside.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Manages the Wardrobe Department at Celebrity Cruises for both shipboard and the Wardrobe shop at the shoreside production studio.

• Manage day to day operations including, but not limited to: shoe fittings, costume fittings, measurements, make-up/hair tutorial day, ongoing ordering of inventory items, make-up, fishnets, tights, specialty performer items, inventory, storage, cobbler services, onboard costume shop inventory replenishment, wardrobe logistics shipments, packing, unpacking and receiving.

• Assist Director, Creative & Theatrical Productions on all production items including but not limited to scheduling of installs, rehearsals, new productions, events, new builds and logistical needs. 

• Sources, interviews, hires, contracts and schedules Wardrobe Technicians, Costume Designers/Stylists, Make-up Designers, Hair Stylists/Designers and wardrobe suppliers. Develops and manages a wardrobe roster, which includes but is not limited to wardrobe builders, stitchers, suppliers and designers.

• Manages annual Wardrobe budget for fleet. Creates, proposes and manages budgets for individual projects.

• Manages costume design integrity for the Celebrity Wardrobe Department. Ensures these standards and Celebrity’s values are communicated to every vendor/wardrobe technician, cast captain and technical teams onboard.

• Manages and develops all Style Guides for the Entertainment Department.

• Manages and creates annual schedule for every costume project including cast changeovers, cast handovers, maintenance visits, special events and show builds.

• Travels to costume houses to supervise costume builds, as needed. 

• Acts as part of the Celebrity creative team and is able to work in tandem with Celebrity Leadership, Creative Directors, Producers, Agencies and Choreographers on assigned projects.

• Liase with all incoming Production companies to facilitate costume needs and set expectations for costume guidelines.  

• Manages Costume Designers as designs are submitted in to fine tune costume designs, ensure Celebrity Leadership & the Creative Team’s vision is in place in both form and function.

• Manages the build of select show/project costume pieces, including hiring/vetting costume technicians for build, ensuring quality of build of each costume and managing team to ensure deadlines are met and all costumes remain within the vision of the creative team, remaining within production budget parameters.

• Manages creative development of costume direction for select in-house projects.

• Manages all aspects of creative and operational elements for special projects, as assigned.

• Researches and stays ahead of curve with fashion forecast, new technologies, techniques and material utilization.

• Manage Celebrity’s Costume Shop at the studio including selecting, sourcing and purchasing all equipment, fabrics, notions, machines and necessary shop items. Design layout of shop, workstations, storage, build, dye and laundry areas.  Procure all inventory relating to Costume Shop. Staff shop according to project needs to ensure budgets are met.

• Manage maintenance of all costume shop equipment, both shipboard and shoreside. 

• Develop and manage relationships with vendors/suppliers, negotiating regularly to ensure best possible pricing is in place for all materials and services including shoe, fishnet, makeup, fabric, jewelry and notions, equipment suppliers as well as day rates for vendors.

• Leads design team in purchasing of materials for select costume builds, ensuring quality, durability, functionality and design specification requirements are met, while remaining within project budget.   

• Manages interviews and assesses candidates within each production cast to select Cast Wardrobe Captains and train them to maintain, clean and repair all wardrobe items onboard vessel, ensuring all rules, policies and maintenance procedures are adhered to during their contract.

• Develops costume show bibles for every project/show for Celebrity Cruises, ensuring all bibles are on each vessel for Stage Production Manager and Cast Wardrobe Captain to reference during contract. All details of each costume are updated regularly and include washing and care instructions allowing the vessel to ensure costume design integrity is in place at all times.

• Develop and update Costume Build Guidelines to achieve longevity for costume builds. 

• Develop and manage internal costume bibles for every costume piece created for Celebrity Cruises including, fabric swatches, fabric names, supplier information, design renderings, design patterns, notions and reference photographs to support maintenance and rebuild of costumes.

• Develop and maintain database and inventory of all costume items/notions in storage, allowing all stored items in performance ready condition. Create & maintain inventory, storage, care, alterations & maintenance for all production show, theme events, experiences, venue entertainment, pool party, holiday, studio/land events in addition to any other costumes which are built or purchased for the production department onboard the vessels and in studio.

• Advise on vessel’s backstage wardrobe areas, owners supply, new show projects and designing and set up of costume/wardrobe areas onboard.

Performs 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 and Education

• Education: BFA/Degree in Costume Design & Technology preferred or related field or 3 - 5 years of experience in theatrical costume position.  Sewing skills, a must. Design/styling skills a must. Sketching skills a must.
• Cruise Industry experience both shipboard and shoreside, a plus.
• Excellent communication and administrative skills, highly organized and efficient work ethic is a must.
• Spanish language skills are a plus.
• Software: working knowledge of personal computers within a macOS or Windows environment with email, Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint, and related printers and equipment. Adobe Master Collection, Gerber Technologies, and additional costume design software knowledge, a plus.
• Must have good problem-solving skills and ability to manage last minute emergencies in a calm and organized manner.
• Able to work long hours and weekends, when required.
• Travel Requirements: Position travels approximately 30% of the time on ships. This individual will work a minimum of 70% of time in the North Miami Production Studio. Position may be required to travel to other Royal Caribbean Offices located in the Florida area or attend/work events in the local South Florida

Knowledge and Skills

• Costume design, sewing, repair and maintenance experience is required for this poisiton.
• Excellent administrative skills with a highly organized and efficient work ethic.
• Excellent communications, decision making and time management skills are essential.
• Ability to think critically, use independent judgment and exercise decision-making and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to take complete ownership of a challenge and seeing it through to a resolution.
• Able to create and communicate effective presentations to Leadership, casts, colleagues, partners and vendors.
• Ability to work, interact and communicate with internal/external personnel at all levels, able to build and maintain successful business relationships throughout the department and the company as a whole.
• Reasonable knowledge of computer programs listed above, and the ability to develop and install computer applications to existing and new programs.

Financial Responsibilities

• Forecasts and manages annual Wardrobe operations budget. 
• Forecasts and manages capital projects relating to Wardrobe.
• Forecasts and manages special event project budgets relating to Wardrobe.
• Works closely with Director, Creative & Theatrical Production on all budgetary items and is responsible for remaining within budgetary parameters on all projects.
• Uses knowledge of the entertainment industry to make cost-effective recommendations on procurement of necessary production supplies and support resources.

Physical Demands

While performing job functions the employee is regularly required to sit, and stand, write, review and type reports, compile data, operate a pc, communicate, listen, and assess information.  The employee may move about the office complex, may travel to other office locations and may lift, push, pull or move 25-35 pounds. The employee is occasionally required to walk to the dock, ascend and descend the vessel. This position may regularly travel domestically or internationally. Visual requirements include distant, close and color vision, and ability to adjust focus.

Working Conditions

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of the job with or without reasonable accommodations. The environment includes office location, and /or moving inside/outside the office. Responsibilities include traveling between numerous offices.  A high noise level is possible if visiting shipboard or offsite locations.

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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