Loyalty & Co-brand Marketing & Communications Program Manager

The Program Manager, Loyalty and Co‑Brand Branding, Marketing, and Communications leads the strategy execution of all loyalty and co‑brand marketing initiatives. This role is responsible for delivering integrated, multi‑channel communication strategies, managing agency partnerships, owning the marketing calendar, and planning and executing loyalty promotions, co‑brand campaigns, and events that elevate program awareness and engagement. The Program Manager also owns and manages multi‑million‑dollar marketing budgets, overseeing spend across internal teams and agency partners to ensure strong ROI, financial discipline, and alignment with business priorities.

Working closely with cross‑functional marketing, legal, compliance, and business partners, the Program Manager oversees the review and approval of all loyalty and co‑brand content and copy, ensuring accuracy, brand consistency, and regulatory compliance. This role owns the branding and creative direction of all loyalty assets and drives continuous improvement through KPI tracking, performance analysis, and copy and creative testing. The ideal candidate brings a strong marketing foundation, exceptional project management skills, and a customer‑centric mindset, playing a critical role in driving engagement, retention, and measurable business results aligned with overall enterprise objectives.

Essential Functions:

• Loyalty Communications Strategy & Execution:  Lead integrated, multi‑channel loyalty communication strategies across email, digital, social, and owned channels, ensuring consistent, on‑brand messaging. Own end‑to‑end content and copy development, coordinating reviews and approvals with Legal, Compliance, Risk, Brand, and internal stakeholders. Define KPIs, analyze performance, and optimize campaigns through ongoing copy, creative, and channel testing.

• Loyalty Promotions & Engagement Initiatives: Partner with Member Engagement/Experience, Member Services, and Strategy teams to plan and execute loyalty promotions that drive engagement, retention, and value. Lead cross‑functional development of promotional offers, messaging, and journeys, including content review and regulatory approval processes. Track performance and ROI, leveraging insights to continuously refine promotional strategy and effectiveness.

• Co‑Brand Marketing: Develop and execute integrated marketing strategies for co‑brand programs in collaboration with external partners and internal stakeholders. Lead joint marketing campaigns, overseeing creative development, copy review, and compliance approvals across Legal and Risk teams. Own and manage multi‑million‑dollar co‑brand marketing budgets across internal teams and agency partners, ensuring ROI and financial discipline.

• Loyalty and Co‑Brand Events: Lead strategy, planning, and execution of loyalty and co‑brand events that drive awareness, acquisition, and engagement. Coordinate with internal teams, agencies, and external vendors, including review and approval of event content and communications. Measure event performance and impact, applying insights to optimize future event investments and outcomes.

• Agency Relationship Management: Own relationships with external agencies supporting loyalty and co‑brand marketing, providing strategic direction and ensuring brand and compliance alignment. Manage agency scopes, contracts, and multi‑million‑dollar budgets, balancing internal and external spend to maximize efficiency and ROI. Conduct performance reviews, manage deliverables, and drive accountability across agency partners.

• Strategic Planning: Support senior leadership in shaping long‑term loyalty and co‑brand strategies aligned to enterprise objectives. Conduct market research, competitive analysis, and performance reviews to inform prioritization and investment decisions. Develop business cases and recommendations for new initiatives, enhancements, and partnerships, including financial and risk considerations.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities:

• Scope: The Program Manager, Loyalty & Co‑Brand Branding, Marketing & Communications is responsible for leading the strategy and execution of all loyalty and co‑brand marketing, branding, and communications initiatives. Reporting into the Loyalty organization, this role owns integrated marketing planning across channels, manages multi‑million‑dollar marketing budgets spanning internal teams and agency partners, and ensures all content and communications meet brand, legal, compliance, and risk standards. The Program Manager partners closely with Marketing, Legal, Finance, Risk, and external agencies to deliver high‑impact campaigns, promotions, and events that drive engagement, retention, and business results.         

• Problem Solving: This role requires strong strategic, analytical, and operational problem‑solving skills to: Design and optimize integrated loyalty and co‑brand marketing campaigns that deliver measurable performance across multiple channels and audiences. Navigate complex approval workflows by balancing creative goals with legal, compliance, risk, and partner requirements while maintaining timelines. Manage budget constraints, agency performance, and competing priorities, identifying efficiencies and improvements in planning, execution, and measurement.

• Impact: The Program Manager directly contributes to the success of Carnival’s loyalty and co‑brand programs by: Driving consistent, on‑brand, and compliant marketing execution that increases customer engagement, loyalty, and program awareness. Maximizing the effectiveness and ROI of multi‑million‑dollar marketing investments through disciplined budget management and performance optimization. Reducing risk and protecting brand integrity by ensuring all communications meet regulatory, legal, and internal governance standards.

• Leadership: Lead day‑to‑day execution of loyalty and co‑brand marketing initiatives, ensuring alignment with strategic objectives, timelines, and financial targets. Serve as a central point of coordination across internal teams (Marketing, Legal, Risk, Finance) and external agency partners to deliver integrated outcomes. Demonstrate strong ownership, influence without authority, and a commitment to continuous improvement in creative quality, operational rigor, and results.

Qualifications:

Education:

• Bachelor’s degree in Marketing, Business, Communications, Finance, or a related field required. Advanced degree (MBA or equivalent) preferred but not required.

Experience:

• 6-7+ years of experience in marketing, loyalty programs, brand management, or co‑brand/partner‑driven marketing.

• Proven experience leading integrated, multi‑channel marketing campaigns across digital, email, social, and owned channels.

• Hands‑on experience managing external agencies and overseeing creative development, content, and campaign execution.

• Experience managing multi‑million‑dollar marketing budgets, including forecasting, spend management, and ROI measurement.

• Familiarity with legal, compliance, and risk review processes, particularly within regulated or partner‑driven environments, preferred.

• Strong background in performance measurement, reporting, and campaign optimization.

Skills & Competencies

• Strong understanding of integrated marketing and brand management across digital and traditional channels.

• Exceptional project and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to lead complex initiatives across cross‑functional teams.

• Analytical and data‑driven mindset with the ability to interpret KPIs, evaluate performance, and optimize marketing outcomes.

• Ability to manage agency partners, creative workflows, and content review processes while meeting timelines and quality standards.

• Working knowledge of compliance, legal, and governance requirements related to marketing communications.

• Financial acumen, including budget management, financial tracking, and performance reporting.

• Agency experience, Marketing role in Loyalty and / Cruise industry or other travel and hospitality industry

Travel: 25-50% with 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: 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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