Brand Experience and Product Development Manager

This role will conceive, develop, and guide experience design projects from ideation to execution encompassing new builds, hotel refurbishments and/or other fleet wide installations with the aim of continuously improving guest satisfaction and supporting strategic goals of the Carnival Cruise Line brand. Experience design & product development will be implemented through cross functional teams that are managed by this dynamic role combining the function of creative direction and project management.

Essential Functions:

• Lead experience design of new shipboard venues, zones or features from initial ideation and strategy development through execution. 
• Assess feasibility, potential limitations, profitability, and marketability. 
• Provide creative direction and project management to all aspects of the guest experience related to new concepts and/or features including but not limited to architectural design, brand development, guest programming, operational procedures and signage; ensure that aspects of the new product support the vision and concept narrative.
• Identify and engage internal and external resources and/or suppliers needed to support a project.
• Support the roll-out of existing branded experiences.
• On site supervision, creative direction and/or management of project installations.
• Assemble and lead cross functional teams across the organizations and externally to ensure high quality product development that delivers a positive guest experience in line with Carnival Cruise Line’s vision statement. Manage up and influence at all levels of the organization. 
• Ensure that applicable commercial teams and stakeholders are informed and participating in the features and programs that are in development while maintaining a coherent theme. 
• Ensure that there is a clear understanding of who is doing what across stakeholders from various departments that are participating in product development including clear expectations of accountability and responsibility for all workstreams. 
• Work closely with new build, refurbishment, design, and operations teams to ensure that all aspects of the guest experience have been accounted for as part of the development of each project.
• Develop story-driven briefs and presentations with new proposals, project status, and / or results of shipboard experiences with overall goal of gaining alignment and buy-in from multiple stakeholders at all levels of the organizations up to the executive level. Define desired product results and create themes and a story that deliver experiences in response to business needs and guest satisfaction. 
• Lead development and provide creative direction for visual assets to support story telling such as story boards, illustrations, 3D renderings and/or animations.
• Develop strategy behind the roll-out of new concepts and/or core sub-brands. Identify opportunities to better leverage venues or features across the fleet. 
• Identify opportunities to introduce new concepts (dry docks & new builds). 
• Collect, analyze and offer recommendations using key metrics that support decision-making and provide recommendations that respond to guest needs (e.g. includes but not limited to revenue, cost, seating capacities, area measurements, key vessel particulars, guest satisfaction and staffing) 
• Work closely with marketing, research & insights to inform strategy and product development opportunities.
• Ensure there is a system and process for identifying, prioritizing, tracking, and evaluating innovative concepts from various sources including but not limited to Carnival shipboard and shore side employees, market research and existing/potential guests.
• Create and manage processes, planning and reference documents such as responsibility assignment matrices (RACI – Responsible, Accountable, Consulted and Informed), timelines, budgets, approvals, and commitment tracking.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s in Business Administration, Marketing, Experience Design, or Production
• 5 years of experience in product development, experience design and/or themed entertainment design.
• Hospitality, theme park and/or cruise line experience preferred.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• General understanding of how to read architectural drawings, material specifications and/or take measurements on architectural drawings using programs like AutoCAD or PDF based programs such as Bluebeam Revu
• Familiarity with Adobe Creative Suite, Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign and/or equivalent is preferred.
• Familiarity with Unreal Engine, Unity, Autodesk M&E Suite, or equivalent is a plus.
• Requires regular use of collaborative and communication platforms such as Microsoft Teams and SharePoint
• Strong analytical, verbal, written and presentational skills.
• Ability to create stories and presentations as needed to turn a vision into an executable project that can be presented to senior leadership for consideration.
• Understanding of the complete ecosystem that makes up a guest experience including the operational requirements needed to support it.
• Ability to build strong relationships and solicit cooperation from individuals in a variety of roles making up a cross-functional team needed to take a project from vision to reality.
• Graphic design capability is a plus, must be able to provide creative direction to graphic artists and have an understanding and vision for how graphic design could be applied to an environment.
• Must take initiative, work with minimum supervision, multi-task and balance numerous priorities, strong organizational skills and agility are critical.

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 CCL facilities. May need to stand for long periods of time.

Travel: Less than 25% shipboard travel likely

Work Conditions: Work may require employee to work inside and outside with exposure to changing climate and/or operate machinery. May be requested to work a different shift.

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 Tuesday through Thursday each week. Employees may work from their homes on Mondays and 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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