Lead, Fuel & Energy (Corporate)

The Lead Fuel & Energy Buyer serves as a regional and strategic leader within the global fuel procurement and energy management function. This role manages complex operations, high-value transactions, and supplier performance across multiple regions, ensuring compliance, cost optimization, and operational continuity. The position requires deep technical expertise, strong stakeholder engagement, and leadership in process improvement, demand planning, and regulatory compliance. The role also includes mentoring junior staff and driving strategic initiatives to enhance sourcing efficiency and sustainability.

Essential Functions:

• Regional Leadership & Stakeholder Engagement: Act as a “regional champion” managing operations, clients, and programs across multiple regions or the entire country. Recommend regional-level strategies for consistent performance. Liaise with internal stakeholders, port authorities, agents, suppliers, and surveyors to ensure smooth and compliant bunker operations. Drive regular meetings with the Energy Management team and influence internal stakeholders to resolve operational issues. Build and maintain relationships across departments and facilitate effective communication to resolve process gaps.

• Supplier Management & Performance: Lead Quarterly Business Reviews with key suppliers. Monitor and analyze supplier performance metrics (quality, delivery, compliance). Identify recurring issues and coordinate corrective action plans. Ensure supplier compliance with contractual obligations and mentor junior staff on supplier engagement best practices

• Strategic Procurement & Risk Management: Independently manage fuel delivery, supplier performance, and commercial claims. Handle high-value, urgent, or technically complex spot purchases over $1 million. Monitor commodity availability and pricing risks; lead initiatives to optimize sourcing and reduce costs. Align procurement activities with operational plans and business priorities. Continuously analyze market drivers that move bunker prices. Coach and mentor the purchasing team on index mechanics, spot formula structuring, and how macro factors translate into bunker delivered prices

• Demand Planning & KPI Analysis: Lead monthly forecast demand planning using historical data, seasonal trends, and market factors. Collaborate with suppliers, operations, and energy management teams to ensure accurate forecasts. Analyze KPI trends to identify root causes of performance issues and provide actionable insights. Support continuous improvement initiatives using KPI data and mentor junior staff on forecasting and KPI analysis

• Regulatory Compliance & Technical Expertise: Maintain awareness of compliance areas such as VGP, IMO, FuelEU Maritime, and related abatement technologies (scrubbers, shore power). Deep understanding of ISO 8217 and ISO 4259 reproducibility margins for quality disputes. Ensure claims are escalated if unresolved beyond 30 days; participate in monthly claims review meetings. Identify patterns in claims and recommend preventive measures like third-party surveys.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities:

• Scope: Global and regional impact across multiple cruise brands and ports.  Responsibilities extend to strategic sourcing, operational continuity, and compliance oversight. Influences cost efficiency, supplier performance, and process improvement initiatives. Demonstrated knowledge of global fuel indices and index‑based pricing mechanisms; solid understanding of global fuel flow dynamics and the major factors that drive pricing across regions and grades; ability to translate complex market movements into actionable sourcing and contracting strategies.

• Problem solving: Resolves complex operational and contractual challenges affecting multiple regions. Develops corrective action plans and drives continuous improvement. Balances strategic objectives with real-time operational needs under high-pressure conditions. 

• Impact: Direct effect on fuel cost optimization, operational reliability, and compliance. Enhances organizational efficiency through process and system improvements. Strengthens supplier relationships and mitigates operational and financial risks.

• Leadership: This role could have a direct report while participating in strategic sourcing projects, training junior staff and requires high levels of operational, procurement, and problem solving skills in order to manage a dynamic, highly volatile commodity within a stringent emission regulatory framework  that is mission critical to our global operations.

For all roles:

• Knowledge:  Understanding of workplace policies and procedures / Familiarity with team collaboration tools and techniques.

• Skills:  Strong time management and organizational skills

• Abilities:  Ability to maintain reliable and consistent attendance / Capacity to be punctual and meet deadlines / Ability to collaborate effectively with colleagues and work as part of a team / Demonstrated professionalism in all interactions and tasks.

Qualifications:

• Education: Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain, Business, Marine Engineering, or related field (or equivalent experience).

• 8+ years in fuel procurement, marine operations, or energy supply chain. Proven experience managing strategic accounts and high-value transactions. Strong background in contract negotiation, risk assessment, and supplier performance management. Familiarity with global marine fuel markets, regulatory compliance, and operational logistics. Prior experience in cruise or maritime sector strongly preferred.

Travel:  Less than 25% non-shipboard travel likely

Work Conditions: Work beyond normal business hours or on weekends may be required occasionally to support business needs, projects, or operations.

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

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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