Sr Mgr, Onboarding

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 Crew Readiness Team has an exciting career opportunity for a full time Sr. Manager, Onboarding.

Position Summary:

The Senior Manager, Onboarding is responsible for leading and optimizing all aspects of crew onboarding, documentation processing, and employee services to ensure a seamless, compliant, and efficient onboarding experience for seafarers across global operations. This position plays a strategic role in developing and executing the marine onboarding strategy, ensuring compliance with international maritime regulations, and collaborating with key shipboard and shoreside stakeholders to drive operational efficiency. Additionally, this role is accountable for meeting established key performance indicators (KPIs) related to onboarding efficiency, compliance, and crew readiness. The role also involves leading, mentoring, and developing a high-performing team to meet organizational goals and workforce deployment needs.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Develop and lead the strategic direction for onboarding whilst ensuring alignment with the CAM’s KPIs.
• Lead and develop a team of onboarding specialists and documentation coordinators, fostering a culture of accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
• Oversee the end-to-end onboarding process for crew, including documentation verification, medical clearances, visa/work permit processing, and compliance checks, ensuring alignment with international maritime regulations (e.g., MLC, STCW).
• Ensure that all required crew documentation is processed accurately, efficiently, and in accordance with company policies, port state requirements, and flag state regulations.
• Collaborate closely with Operations, Scheduling, Compliance, and HR teams to align on crew movement, workforce planning, and operational needs for ship deployments.
• Drive improvements in onboarding efficiency through data-driven insights, process optimization, and technology enhancements to streamline crew hiring and mobilization.
• Manage escalated cases requiring complex decision-making related to visa issues, medical evaluations, background verifications, and last-minute crew changes to support uninterrupted ship operations.
• Ensure that all onboarding policies and procedures are standardized across the fleet and aligned with regulatory and corporate compliance requirements.
• Serve as a key liaison with flag states, port authorities, recruitment partners, and regulatory agencies to address compliance issues and industry best practices in onboarding.

Qualifications, Knowledge, and Skills:

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Human Resources, Maritime Operations, or a related field; Master’s degree preferred.
• 10+ years of experience in crew management, onboarding, or operations, preferably within the cruise or maritime industry.
• Proven track record in leading global teams and managing complex, high-volume onboarding operations.
• Strong knowledge of maritime regulations (MLC, STCW, flag state requirements) and their impact on crew onboarding and deployment.
• Exceptional problem-solving, analytical, and decision-making skills, with a focus on improving operational efficiency and compliance.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to collaborate effectively across land-based and shipboard teams.
• Ability to manage high-pressure, time-sensitive situations, such as last-minute crew changes, medical emergencies, or compliance escalations.
• Experience in process automation and digital transformation for onboarding or workforce deployment systems is a plus.

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.