Manager, Youth Operations

Manager of Youth Operations is responsible for the comprehensive management and safe operation of onboard Youth Programs across the US and Australia fleet of 29 ships carrying over 1 million youth annually leading 650+ team members. This role drives the vision, execution, and operational efficiency for Turtles, Camp Ocean, Circle “C,” and Club O2. The Manager is accountable to ensure youth safety and compliance by defining and executing policies and procedures, training curriculums, and audits. The Manager oversees revenue, operational technology, and guest communications ensuring alignment with business goals and industry standards.

The Manager leads teams to achieve operational excellence by assuring policy compliance, resource optimalization, financial performance and safety protocols. The role focuses on delivering seamless Youth Programs experiences, implementing improvements based-on data driven insights, and fostering collaboration across key departments. It provides strategic leadership for the shipboard teams, including Youth Programs Directors, Youth Programs Supervisors, Camp Counselors, Animators, Teen Leaders, and Fleet Supervisors and manages the promotion process.

With a commitment to talent development, operational excellence, and technology efficiencies, the Manager ensures consistent, safe and cost-effective youth and family experiences, while driving guest satisfaction and team performance. Key areas of oversight include policy and procedure adherence, training curriculums, safety protocols, shipboard team development, revenue, and guest conflict resolution.

Essential Functions:

Program, Operations & Innovation:

Programming and Operations: Lead development and daily operations for onboard Youth Programs (Turtles, Camp Ocean, Circle "C," and Club O2), ensuring adherence to department standards, policies, and procedures. Support programming and partnership activations that enhance guest experience and align with company goals. Oversee team scheduling, leader development and promotion plan. Resolve escalated guest issues.

Youth Safety:  Oversee the implementation and management of training curriculums, including Youth Staff Academy, to ensure staff are fully prepared to cultivate a safe and welcoming environment for children, teens and families. 

Guest Technology: Develop guest technology for Youth Programs to enhance efficiency, compliance, child safety, and guest experience. Utilize technology to help manage guest flow, revenue transactions, compliance requirements, and required reporting.   

Fee-based Experiences: Build and enhance revenue streams, increase current revenue, and minimize costs to deliver greater profitability year over year for the department, including initiatives like Night Owls, rentals, arts & crafts and Build-A-Bear Workshop. Implement effective cost control measures while maintaining the quality of entertainment offerings.

Guest Communication: Oversee guest and crew communication channels such as HubApp, Scala, website, and printed materials tied to Youth Programs.

Quality Assurance: Ensure quality control and operational excellence across all youth and family operations, providing ongoing evaluation to ensure a consistent and premium guest experience.

Team Leadership & Development:

Fleet Leadership: Lead and mentor Fleet Supervisors to maintain and optimize standard operating procedures, daily functions, entertainment programming, operations, and supply guidelines.

Shipboard Leadership: Manage the shipboard team of Youth Programs Directors and Supervisors, providing leadership, guidance, and training to ensure they are knowledgeable and strategic leaders. Inspire and motivate shipboard and shoreside teams by setting clear expectations, recognizing achievements, and fostering a culture of excellence. Lead by example to create an environment where team members feel valued and empowered to contribute to innovative and high-quality guest experiences.

Cultural Essentials: Promote Carnival’s expected behaviors, such as speaking up, respecting and protecting, improving, communicating, listening and learning, and empowering. Encourage team members to share their insights, challenges, and suggestions to enhance collaboration and operational success, while proactively resolving conflicts.

Talent Recruitment: Partner with Casting and Booking teams to identify and recruit top talent for Teen Leader and Assistant Youth Director roles, building a pipeline of potential candidates. Conduct interviews, give feedback, and assist individuals with their growth and development.

Career Development: Support the growth of talented Youth Staff by working with shipboard leaders to find future leaders and offer growth opportunities. Implement targeted training programs and training colleges, providing growth opportunities, and fostering a collaborative culture that encourages feedback and innovation.

Training: Implement training and best practices to equip team with the skills to effectively lead their department. Continually enhance the training program. Partner with Talent Development to grow training programs, update training documents, and share best practices.

Collaborate:

Cross-Functional: Work with other Entertainment departments to support the alignment and consistency of shipboard youth and family operations across the fleet. Drive communication and collaboration between shoreside and shipboard teams to ensure operational success.

Senior Leadership: Work with entertainment teams and shoreside directors to align strategies with broader business goals, including NPS improvements and hotel operations.

Inter Company: Foster cross-functional collaboration with internal and external stakeholders including external vendors, IT, F&B, Housekeeping, Communications, Casino, HR, Marketing, Public Relations, Revenue Partners, Global Sourcing, Procurement, Legal, Security, Sanitation, Marine, and Technical teams to ensure that entertainment programming supports and aligns with Carnival’s objectives.   Maintain relationship with sisterliness to share best practices.

Safety & Compliance:

Safety Practices: Lead safety practices, create, update and enforce training programs, ensuring the highest level of guest and crew safety while maintaining operational integrity. Ensure teams are prepared to fulfill onboard safety-related duties.

Compliance Adherence: Ensure full compliance with company policies and procedures, emphasizing safety protocols and operational standards as outlined by ADA and Global HESS (Health, Environment, Safety, and Security) guidelines.

Partnerships: Build and maintain strong partnerships within Sanitation, Compliance, Security and Legal teams to develop safety and compliance policies and practices for Youth Programs. 

Legal: Collaborate with the Legal department to ensure all operations comply with legal standards and regulations. Participate and ensure depositions are handled properly. Maintain a focus on child safety and occupational health to ensure a safe environment for guests and team members

Program Evaluation:

Data-Driven Decision Making: Leverage data and analytics to inform decisions and refine programs based on performance insights and KPI. Track trends, guest surveys, guest feedback, and operational metrics to enhance service delivery and guest satisfaction. Modify operations to optimize guest satisfaction and operational efficiency.

Performance Monitoring: Conduct monthly calls, sailings, and ship visits to maintain open communication with shipboard teams, offering guidance on maintaining alignment with company objectives and evolving youth and family entertainment standards. Report on results and action plans regularly.

Sentiment Analysis: Regularly analyze sentiment to identify patterns and trends, pinpointing specific aspects of customer experience that require improvement.

Financial Accountability:

Plan: Prepare and propose financial plans for operating expenses and capital IT investments in excess of $6M. Continuously monitor and adjust plans based on guest behavior, sourcing, and operational dynamics. Ensure revenue targets are set and achieved.

Resource Management: Establish clear usage guidelines for resources, inventory, and supplies to maximize efficiency for four core youth programs, high-visibility events, seasonal holidays, and branded activations, ensuring timely and budget-compliant delivery. Lead initiatives focused on streamlining process and reducing expenses.

Vendor Management: Partner with Sourcing, Procurement, Purchasing, Legal, and Compliance teams to develop strategies, negotiate contracts, and manage vendor relationships. Optimize cost savings, ensure high-quality service, and identify and mitigate supply chain risks.

Travel and Expense: Manage personal and direct reports’ travel arrangements and expenses in line with Carnival Cruise Line’s policies. Ensure all travel is cost-effective and compliant, and submit expense reports promptly.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities:

• Leadership Excellence: Capable of inspiring, guiding, and motivating employees to achieve optimal performance.

• Communication Skills: Clearly conveying information and expectations to team members and stakeholders.

• Adaptability: Flexible and capable of adjusting to changing circumstances and challenges.

• Coaching and Mentoring: Experienced in providing guidance and support to help team members grow and develop their skills through constructive feedback.

• Emotional Intelligence: Skilled in understanding and managing one's own emotions, as well as recognizing and influencing the emotions of others.

• Interpersonal Skills: Strong ability to build and maintain positive relationships and foster a collaborative team environment.

• Revenue Generation: Ability to build and enhance revenue streams while minimizing costs.

• Financial Principles: Understanding of financial statements, accounting principles, and revenue recognition standards.

• Decision-Making: Making informed and timely decisions that benefit the team and organization.

• Data Analysis: Proficiency in analyzing large datasets using tools like Excel, SQL, and data visualization software (e.g., Tableau, Power BI) to identify participation numbers, revenue trends and opportunities.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor's Degree in Education, , Entertainment Management, Business, Hospitality and Tourism, Sports and Recreation, or related field. Master’s degree preferred.

• 5+ years experience in a similar role centered on youth programs operations and management . Previous cruise ship experience is a plus

• Proficient in Microsoft Office 365 applications with advanced skills in Excel, Word, and Power Point. Oracle and online databases is a plus.

• Valid passport required. Create polished presentation materials, prioritize and manage multiple projects at any one time, manage demanding timelines and implementation schedules, possess strong communication skills and leadership experience

• Experience operating a youth program and leading a team. Previous cruise ship experience is a plus.

Travel: Less than 25% with shipboard travel likely

Work Conditions: Work may require employee to work inside and/or outside with exposure to changing climate and/or operate machinery.

Physical Demands: Must be able to remain in a stationary position at a desk and/or computer for extended periods of time. Requires regular movement throughout company facilities.

This position is classified as “in-office.”  As an in-office role, it requires employees to work from a designated Carnival office in South Florida Monday through Thursday each week. Employees may work from their homes on Fridays.  Candidates must be located in (or willing to relocate to) the Miami/Ft. Lauderdale area. 

Offers to selected candidates will be made on a fair and equitable basis, taking into account specific job-related skills and experience.   

At Carnival, your total rewards package is much more than your base salary. All non-sales roles participate in an annual cash bonus program, while sales roles have an incentive plan. Director and above roles may also be eligible to participate in Carnival’s discretionary equity incentive plan. Plus, Carnival provides comprehensive and innovative benefits to meet your needs, including: 

• Health Benefits: 

  • Cost-effective medical, dental and vision plans 
  • Employee Assistance Program and other mental health resources 
  • Additional programs include company paid term life insurance and disability coverage  
• Financial Benefits: 
  • 401(k) plan that includes a company match 
  • Employee Stock Purchase plan 
• Paid Time Off 
  • Holidays – All full-time and part-time with benefits employees receive days off for 8 company-wide holidays, plus 2 additional floating holidays to be taken at the employee’s discretion.  
  • Vacation Time – All full-time employees at the manager and below level start with 14 days/year; director and above level start with 19 days/year.  Part-time with benefits employees receive time off based on the number of hours they work, with a minimum of 84 hours/year.  All employees gain additional vacation time with further tenure. 
  • Sick Time – All full-time employees receive 80 hours of sick time each year.  Part-time with benefits employees receive time off based on the number of hours they work, with a minimum of 60 hours each year.   
• Other Benefits 
  • Complementary stand-by cruises, employee discounts on confirmed cruises, plus special rates for family and friends 
  • Personal and professional learning and development resources including tuition reimbursement  
  • On-site Fitness center at our Miami campus 

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