Sports and Attraction Operations Supervisor

The Supervisor, Entertainment Experience – Sports & Attractions Operations plays a pivotal role in supporting the Manager, Entertainment Experience - Attractions Ops, Sports & Aquatics. This position is responsible for overseeing the safe operation of all onboard adventure and amusement attractions, sports activities, and aquatic safety programs across a fleet of 29 ships in the US and Australia. The Supervisor ensures the smooth operation of Carnival's attractions and sports programming by creating and maintaining standard operating procedures, optimizing the Outer Deck experience, and leveraging industry trends, guest feedback, and data analytics.

In addition to operational oversight, the Supervisor manages equipment and signage ordering, inventory management, and budget tracking to ensure financial compliance. This role involves close collaboration with the Fleet Sports Training team to manage training programs, documentation, and certification tracking for all onboard team members. The Supervisor continuously updates internal safety procedures in the HESS database to keep operations aligned with industry standards and trends.

The Supervisor also provides leadership and guidance to a 100+ shipboard team and 4 Fleet Supervisors, fostering a collaborative and high-performance culture. This position supports the scheduling and training of Sports Managers, ensuring they are well-prepared to deliver safe and exceptional guest experiences. This position also will act as a liaison between the Manager and other stakeholders ensuring effective communication and coordination across all levels of the organization.

Essential Functions:

• Program, Operations & Innovation
  • Attractions & Sports: Support the development and daily management of outer deck and attractions offerings, ensuring strict adherence to departmental standards, policies, and procedures. Collaborate with the Experience Programming and Operations team to create and implement programs that significantly enhance guest satisfaction and align with the company's strategic objectives.
  • Fee-Based Experiences: Assist in the operation of high-revenue attractions such as BOLT, Sky Zone, and Edge. Partner closely with the Entertainment Marketing and Revenue team to provide critical feedback on executing strategies, develop robust revenue streams, increase current revenue, and minimize costs, thereby ensuring substantial profitability year over year.
  • Branding: Ensure that all sports and attraction operations are meticulously updated and align with Carnival’s business strategy, including the “Recipe for Fun” standards and HESS procedures. Maintain impeccable branding, signage, and hardware usage across all attractions and sports areas, including the timely ordering of replacements as needed.
  • Scheduling: Work with the Entertainment Casting & Booking Team on scheduling Sports Staff. Facilitating interviews, onboarding, and coordinating fleet meetings to ensure seamless communication and team alignment.
  • Aquatic Safety: In a supportive capacity to the Manager, assist with the implementation and management of the Aquatic Attendant safety program as needed, ensuring the highest standards of safety and operational excellence.
  • Quality Assurance: Maintain quality control and operational excellence across all entertainment attractions, providing ongoing evaluation to ensure a consistent and premium guest experience. Develop and enforce policies, standards and procedures for a secure service delivery
• Team Leadership & Development
  • Fleet Leadership: Supervise and mentor 4 Fleet Supervisors, conducting weekly one-on-one meetings to provide development feedback. Oversee their travel, training schedules, and punch lists to ensure operational compliance of all attractions across the fleet. Provide strategic guidance and support to foster effective leadership.
  • Career Development: Oversee the career development process for Sports Staff, including approving levels and managing the promotion process to Sports Managers. Conduct meetings to ensure Sports team have the necessary tools and support for success. Offer mentorship and development opportunities to help them grow in their roles. Team up with our career development team to deliver complete support and development opportunities for everyone. 
  • Cultural Essentials: Uphold and promote Carnival’s core behaviours, 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.
  • Team Environment: Actively engage in team meetings, projects, and brainstorming sessions to foster collaboration and idea sharing. Support a positive team environment by recognizing individual contributions and promoting mutual respect and support among team members.
• Collaborate
  • Cross-functional: Collaborate with other Entertainment teams to ensure alignment and consistency of shipboard attractions across the fleet. Facilitate effective communication and cooperation between shoreside and shipboard teams to ensure operational success. Work with senior leadership to address challenges and development plans.
  • Leadership Communication: Maintain proactive communication with shoreside entertainment teams, directors, and shipboard leadership. Act as a liaison for Sports Managers to report concerns or suggestions for improvements.
  • Inter-company:  Work with internal and external stakeholders, including New Builds, Refurbishment, and marine technical teams to support and align with Carnival’s objectives.
  • Recruitment and Onboarding: Support Sports Team recruitment, onboarding, and transition processes in partnership with the Casting & Booking team.
  • Vendor Management: Collaborating with the Manager, partner with Management, Sourcing, Procurement, and Purchasing teams to develop strategies, discuss contracts, and manage vendor relationships. Focus on optimizing cost savings, ensuring high-quality service, and identifying and mitigating supply chain risks.
• Program Evaluation
  • Feedback Analysis: Gather and analyze feedback from guests and shipboard personnel to identify areas for improvement. Use this information to suggest decisions to shoreside leadership to implement enhancements that elevate the overall guest experience.
  • Quality Assurance: Lead quality control for all equipment needed for attraction and aquatic operations, ensuring crew training needs and the guest experience meet established expectations by shoreside senior leaders. Assist with Carnival’s warehouse, purchasing, and shipping teams, plus outside vendors and manufacturers.
  • Data Insights and Reporting: Leverage data to accurately determine usage guidelines for consumable sports equipment and attraction safety gear. Submit reports to showcase changes and request implementation from the Manager, Entertainment Experience - Attractions Ops, Sports & Aquatics.
• Safety & Compliance
  • Regulatory Compliance: Work with the Entertainment Experience Operations and Programming team to ensure compliance with Maritime Labor Convention (MLC) regulations regarding hours worked, breaks, and scheduling. 
  • Certification & Training: Conduct regular checks to make sure that all Team Members working onboard have valid certifications for the individual attractions. Partner with Talent Development to grow the training program, update training documents, and share best practices.
  • Safety Protocols: Review and refine 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. 
  • Operations: Ensure Sports operations are up to date and compliant with company policies and procedures. Update training programs to reflect current procedures and communicate changes effectively to the team.
  • Compliance Adherence: Ensure full compliance with company policies and procedures, emphasizing safety protocols and operational standards as outlined by Global HESS guidelines. Write and update HESS guidelines as needed for the attractions based on onboard events and incidents.
  • Occupational Health and Legal Compliance: Assist the Manager to ensure all operations comply with legal standards and regulations. Review and ensure depositions are properly handled. Maintain a focus on occupational health to ensure a safe working environment for all team members.
• Financial Accountability
  • Financial Oversight: Track and manage large expenditures by consistently overseeing all incoming invoices from submission through payment. This includes auditing the coding, categorization, and amounts of purchases to ensure alignment with entertainment account strings and maintaining communication with the Accounts Payable department.
  • Sourcing & Vendor Management: Support research, sourcing, and negotiation with vendors to ensure cost-effective solutions for attractions. Help identify and manage vendors for new and existing offerings, ensuring timely and efficient delivery of services and material
  • Invoice Processing: Lead the coding, categorizing, and aligning of purchases to various account strings. Input and code invoices for processing, ensuring accuracy in financial transactions. Monitor payment statuses and follow up with the Accounts Payable department to resolve any issues in a timely manner. 
  • Vendor Setup: Facilitate the setup of new vendors by collecting and verifying all required documentation, including completed GSM Supplier Information forms, sample invoices with preprinted banking information. 
  • Strategy Execution: Support the development of financial plans for capital investments and operating expenses. Continuously monitor and adjust plans based on guest behavior, sourcing, and operational dynamics. Track and analyse spending to ensure it aligns with budgetary goals and identify opportunities for cost savings.
  • 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.

Qualifications: 

• Bachelor’s degree in Entertainment, Recreation, Tourism, Hospitality and/or Business
• 6+ years in a similar role in sports, recreation, theme parks and attraction management 
• Proficient in Microsoft Office 365 applications, with advanced skills in Excel, Word Power Point, and online databases is a plus.
• Proven expertise in one or more areas such as cruise ships, amusement parks, sports teams, high volume entertainment experience or other athletic/recreational organizations.
• 2-4 years in a similar role or in previous experience in a supervisory or leadership role

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Attention to Detail: Proven track record in scheduling and planning and able to ensure accuracy to avoid scheduling conflicts and errors. 
• Time Management: Strong ability to manage time efficiently to meet deadlines and keep projects on track.
• Data Analytics: Knowledge of how to leverage data to optimize operations and drive strategic decisions.
• Leadership: The ability to guide, motivate, and support team to achieve their best performance.
• Decision-Making: Making informed and timely decisions that benefit the team and organization.
• Project Management: Proficient in project management principles and capable of multitasking.
• Adaptability: Being flexible and able to adjust to changing circumstances and challenges.
• Diplomacy: Demonstrates professionalism and able to maintain confidentiality.
• Organization: Skilled in setting priorities and maintaining well-organized tasks and projects.
• Problem-Solving: Identifying issues and developing creative and effective solutions.
• Self-Directed: Capable of handling multiple tasks and projects independently.

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. Must be able to lift in excess of 50 pounds. May need to stand for long periods of time.

Travel: 25-50% shipboard and non-shipboard travel likely. 

Work Conditions: Work primarily in a climate-controlled environment with minimal safety/health hazard potential. 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. Other job specific working conditions Need to be comfortable with heights and being around/in water

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 preschool program and wellness center at our Miami campus

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