Director, Newbuild Concept & Innovation

Position Summary 

The Director, Maritime Concept & Innovation serves as the department leader for the innovative development, management, and execution of the maritime side of Newbuild Programs within the Newbuilding organization. This role is responsible for collaborative driving innovation across all newbuild initiatives, overseeing technical and operational standardization, and ensuring alignment with the Corporation’s strategic objectives and Global Marine Operations.  

The Director acts as the key interface within the Newbuilding leadership organization and Global Marine Operations, representing the interests of all brands—Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises, Silversea Cruises, and TUI Cruises. The role requires a balance of technical expertise, visionary leadership, and strong collaborative skills to deliver effective, safe, and cost-effective maritime solutions.  

Key Responsibilities 

Leadership & Strategy  

• Lead the development and implementation of innovative newbuilding concepts and programs across all brands.  

• Define strategic direction for maritime concept development, ensuring alignment with corporate innovation and sustainability goals.  

• Serve as the primary Newbuild representative to Global Marine Operations, fostering strong cross-functional collaboration.  

Project & Program Management  

• Oversee multiple newbuild projects and technical development projects, ensuring delivery on scope, budget, and schedule.  

• Manage project pipelines from concept through execution, coordinating resources, budgets, and deliverables.  

• Provide technical oversight and problem-solving support across complex maritime engineering and design challenges.  

Technical Standardization & Innovation  

• Lead the creation, evaluation, and implementation of standardized technical and operational frameworks for newbuilds across all brands.  

• Drive initiatives to achieve cost-effectiveness and operational efficiency without compromising quality, safety, or environmental performance.  

• Manage information input and integration into digital tools and centralized systems for global accessibility and consistency.  

Collaboration & Stakeholder Management  

• Act as a trusted partner to internal stakeholders, shipyards, classification societies, and external partners.  

• Influence decision-making across brands through data-driven recommendations and expert guidance.  

• Foster a culture of innovation, collaboration, and continuous improvement within the Newbuilding and Marine Operations teams.  

Qualifications & Experience  

• Minimum 15 years of maritime experience, preferably as a Naval Architect and/or senior shipboard officer (such as Chief Engineer or Staff Captain).  

• Extensive knowledge of ship design, newbuilding processes, and technical systems for large passenger vessels.  

• Proven experience managing large-scale projects or programs with multiple stakeholders.  

• Strong understanding of maritime regulations, safety standards, and operational best practices.  

• Demonstrated success in developing and implementing cross-brand or cross-fleet standardization initiatives.  

• Able to flexibly travel globally approximately 25% of the time  

Key Competencies & Skills 

• Exceptional verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to convey complex technical concepts clearly.  

• Strong interpersonal and relationship-building abilities across technical and executive levels.  

• Strategic thinker with high analytical capability and problem-solving acumen.  

• Influential collaborator able to lead by example and drive consensus across global, multicultural teams.  

• Results-oriented mindset focused on innovation, cost efficiency, safety, and sustainability.  

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.