Sr. Director, Product Development

The Sr Director, Product Development will lead product branding, guest design experience (programming) and design of new and existing Royal Caribbean International brand concepts. All concepts should directly respond to consumer insights and the white space identified in the design experience guidelines created by the Product Strategy and Concept Development team. Effective project management skills are essential to drive initiatives while leading cross functional collaboration across the organization to establish an effective product development process. This person is responsible for creating branded concepts that deliver on design experience guidelines. Working hand in hand with Operations and to program and design the venues/experiences is key. All concept information for guest communication, validation of execution and audit process post-delivery will be established and maintained by the Product Development team.

Based in Miami, FL and reporting to the AVP, Product Mexico & APAC, the Sr. Director, Product Development requires the ability to direct teams that develop concepts/experiences for extensive land-based projects globally.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

Project Manage and Socialize design experience guidelines along with the Product Strategy and Concept Development team to ensure creative agencies, Operations and teams have the needed information to develop proper branding, customer centric programming and design venues to deliver desired guest experience.

Operate as the lead driver as it relates to governmental relations (i.e., EIA approval, land lease extension) in collaboration with internal government liaison.

Create & effectively align all needed Go-to-market materials and communications with RCI marketing, trade, call center & web, as well as RCG investor relations, corporate communication and group employees to ensure all messaging is succinct.

Benchmark experiences to understand white space & then partner with strategy & insight teams to better define future concepts and viability in reaching the ideal guest experience.

Develop Brand concepts/experiences by working with a creative agency to name, create visual identity and craft narrative to be used through the line to bring the concept to life and communicate to guests. Present/defend concepts to executive brand leadership, pivoting as needed to reach desired outcome.

Ensure with the Product Strategy and Concept Development team that concepts are marketable, drive satisfaction and revenue.

Establish the guest experience, in conjunction with Hotel Operations, for each concept based on design experience guidelines. Through the line programming must be consistent throughout the portfolio to deliver on guest needs/wants and maximize authenticity.

Guide internal & external stakeholders on programming to deliver on what’s been established as the desired concept and ensure that architects and designers capture the experience accurately.

Design and establish seamless approval process for branding, programming development and design execution with Operations, marketing, and Senior Leadership.

Design and establish validation process with Product Strategy and Concept Development team to ensure concepts are being created to meet the specifications outlined in the design experience guidelines.

Partner with the Marketing Communications, Public Relations, Creative Agency, and Revenue Management to ensure the latest information is being accurately depicted in the brand’s communication and systems.

Work closely with the Operations and Design teams on run of show events to showcase programming as well as look & feel to ensure the guest experience will be delivered as concepted and branded through the line.

Develop and Implement start up plans to ensure each concept/experience is flawlessly executed from initiation.

Direct pilots to work out potential concept challenges prior to fleetwide rollouts.

Develop audit tools and process to ensure concepts keep their essence and magic over time.

Build consistency of signature concepts across the portfolio.

Identify synergies across projects to maximize resources and create best in class experiences.

Build and develop the critical problem-solving skills of team members.

Foster a highly collaborative cross functional team, where cross-discipline dynamic communication is paramount to success.

KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS

The ideal candidate will possess a combination of creative and execution skills.

A proven track record of leading teams to deliver guest experience products.

Ability to apply strong creative, analytical, financial, and critical problem solving is required

Strong project management skills; with heavy emphasis on execution of new concepts

Able to manage and prioritize multiple projects simultaneously

Experience in managing internal and/or cross functional teams

Ability to assemble, lead and influence cross functional teams to execute

Proven ability to collaborate with others, plus the ability to build strong and sustainable relationships, and the capability to interact with all levels of the organization

Willingness to take personal initiative

Deep knowledge and extensive track record in leading teams in the delivery of guest experience concepts

Strong business acumen

Candidate must possess strong written and oral communication skills, including the ability to communicate effectively at the senior most executive levels of a company

Attention to detail and follow-through

Strong key computer skills (Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook)

QUALIFICATIONS AND EDUCATION

Bachelor’s degree required; MBA preferred

15 years business, product/brand marketing or operations with large-scale, complex projects

10-12 years of experience in the travel/cruise industry/ hospitality

Experience working with Architects/Designers/Creative & Innovation Consultants expected

15 years in product/brand management, corporate strategy, or management consulting experience in the hospitality/consumer product

Past management experience successfully leading multiple teams (internal and external) and driving actionable results through others

Candidate must possess strong written and oral communication skills and be able to work effectively with all levels of personnel, specifically senior level executives where consistent strong communication is a must

Excellent interpersonal skills to communicate with all levels of leadership and employees

Deep knowledge and extensive track record in leading teams in the development of vacation experience concepts

Ability to assemble, lead and influence cross functional teams to develop strategies that include input and buy-in from all stakeholders

Global experience, and the ability to work within a multicultural environment

Strong storytelling and presentation skills, experience presenting to executive leadership

Strong business acumen

Able to see interdependencies of various functions and bring them together for common goals

Ability to analyze data and research results to make recommendations

Ability to apply strong analytical, conceptual, and strategic thinking

Ability to grasp the complexities of the business to effectively translate that into a strategy

Experience developing strategic framework and design experience concepts

Visionary, able to conceptualize innovations for our product and translate into actionable strategy

Strong creative thinking with ability to develop innovative ideas and creative problem solving

Able to manage and prioritize multiple projects simultaneously

Willingness to take personal initiative

Attention to detail and follow-through

FINANCIAL/QUANTITIVE RESPONSIBILITIES

Direct foreign land-based destinations exceeding $1B & manage a $5M consultancy budget