Sr. Manager, Entertainment Experience - Programming and Operations

The Senior Manager of Entertainment Experience is responsible for overseeing entertainment programming, guest experience, and ship-wide operations across the US and Australia fleet of 29 ships leading 100+ team members. This role drives the strategy, execution, and operational efficiency for digital entertainment, guest communication, itinerary customization, and scheduling, ensuring alignment with business goals and brand standards.

The Senior Manager leads teams to achieve operational excellence by ensuring policy compliance, resource optimization, financial performance, and safety protocols. The role focuses on delivering seamless guest experiences, implementing improvements based on data-driven insights, and fostering collaboration across key departments. It provides strategic leadership for both shoreside and shipboard teams, including Entertainment Directors, Content Managers, and Fleet Supervisors.

With a commitment to talent development, operational excellence, and financial discipline, the Senior Manager ensures the consistent delivery of innovative and cost-effective entertainment experiences, while driving guest satisfaction and team performance. Key areas of oversight include policy and procedure adherence, innovative programming, special itineraries, effective inventory usage, safety protocols, and impactful marketing activations.

Essential Functions:

• Program, Operations & Innovation
  • Programming and Operations: Lead the fleet-wide programming strategy and daily operations, ensuring adherence to department standards, policies, and procedures. Manage special itineraries, groups, charters, and event planning. Implement changes based on guest feedback, rollouts, onboard cast changes, and overall business objectives.
  • Digital Entertainment: Supervise onboard digital entertainment, including Movies, in-cabin TV, SeaSide Theatre, IMAX, and televised sporting events.
  • Communication: Oversee guest and crew communication channels such as HubApp, Scala, printed Fun Times, and Entertainment Planner.
  • Itinerary Customization: Develop and execute strategies for itinerary customization based on demographics, home ports, voyage lengths, and seasonality.
  • 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 Bingo, Deal or No Deal, and mobile games. Implement effective cost control measures while maintaining the quality of entertainment offerings.
  • Branding: Ensure all entertainment programs adhere to Carnival's business strategy including the "Recipe for Fun" standards, HESS Procedures and operational standards impacting the broader shipboard hotel and marine departments.
  • Quality Assurance: Maintain quality control and operational excellence across all entertainment operations, providing ongoing evaluation to ensure a consistent and premium guest experience.
• Team Leadership & Development
  • Shoreside Leadership: Provide strong leadership to the shoreside entertainment team, directly managing 2 supervisors and indirectly 1 coordinator. Foster a collaborative, high-performance culture that supports entertainment operations. Lead by example, ensuring clear communication, accountability, and commitment to operational excellence.
  • Fleet Leadership: Lead and mentor 8 Fleet Supervisors to maintain and optimize standard operating procedures, daily functions, entertainment programming, operations, and supply guidelines.
  • Shipboard Leadership: Manage the shipboard team of 100+ Entertainment Directors and Content Managers, providing leadership, guidance, and training to ensure they are knowledgeable and strategic leaders. Inspire and motivate 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.
  • Shoreside Team Development: Support the development of shoreside teams through growth opportunities, project assignments, and future-focused development. Foster a culture of teamwork that supports our goals and growth plans.
  • 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 insights, challenges, and suggestions to enhance collaboration and operational success, while proactively resolving conflicts.
  • Talent Recruitment: Oversee the end-to-end recruitment process for Entertainment Directors, from initial resume screening to final hiring decisions. Manage the training and scheduling of the Entertainment Director team while developing and maintaining a talent pipeline for future roles. Collaborate with Casting and Booking teams to attract and hire top talent for the Content Manager position.
  • Career Development: Support the growth of entertainment staff by working with shipboard leaders to identify future leaders and offer growth opportunities. Implement targeted training programs and training colleges, fostering a collaborative culture that encourages feedback and innovation. Offer mentorship and professional development to build a strong pipeline of future talent.
  • Training: Implement training and best practices to equip the team with leadership skills. Continually enhance the training program to ensure successful integration. Partner with Talent Development to grow training programs, create educational conferences, update training documents, and share best practices.
• Collaborate
  • Cross-Functional: Work with other Entertainment departments to support the alignment and consistency of shipboard entertainment across the fleet. Drive communication and collaboration between shoreside and shipboard teams to ensure operational success.
  • Senior Leadership: Collaborate with leadership at all levels to ensure alignment on goals and objectives.
  • Inter Company: Foster collaboration with internal and external stakeholders, including F&B, Housekeeping, Communications, Casino, HR, Marketing, Public Relations, Social Media, Revenue Partners, Marine, and Technical teams, to align entertainment programming with Carnival's objectives. Collaborate with the shoreside groups team to manage group spaces, bookings, charters, and live performances. Lead and approve the planning and execution of these performances. Maintain relationship with sisterliness to share best practices.
  • External Partners: Support existing relationships with external vendors. Foster new partnerships to enhance the quality and diversity of entertainment offerings.
• Program Evaluation
  • Data-Driven Decision Making:Leverage data and analytics to inform decisions and refine programs based on performance insights. 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 ship visits and maintain open communication with shipboard teams, offering guidance on maintaining alignment with company objectives and evolving entertainment standards. Report on results and action plans regularly.
  • Sentiment Analysis: Regularly analyze sentiment to identify patterns and trends, pinpointing specific aspects of the customer experience that require improvement.
• Safety & Compliance
  • Safety Practices:Review and refine safety practices, create 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 Global HESS (Health, Environment, Safety, and Security) and ADA guidelines.
• Financial Accountability
  • Plan: Prepare and propose financial plans for capital investments and 7M+ operating expenses. 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 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.
  • Revenue Performance: Lead and motivate the team to meet revenue targets through strategic planning and ongoing performance monitoring to achieve 50M+ in revenue.
  • 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 in Entertainment, Recreation, Tourism, Hospitality and/or Business.
• 8+ years in a similar role

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Attention to Detail: Precision in analyzing data and preparing reports to ensure accuracy and reliability. Ensure Programming and Operations are executed as per standards set.
• Advanced Time Management: Expertise in prioritizing tasks and managing time efficiently to meet deadlines.
• Strategic Planning: Competent in planning and executing strategies to achieve long-term organizational objectives.
• Data Analysis: Proficiency in analyzing large datasets using tools like Excel, SQL, and data visualization software (e.g., Tableau, Power BI) to identify revenue trends and opportunities.
• Leadership Excellence: Capable of inspiring, guiding, and motivating employees to achieve optimal performance.
• Emotional Intelligence: Skilled in understanding and managing one's own emotions, as well as recognizing and influencing the emotions of others.
• Decision-Making: Making informed and timely decisions that benefit the team and organization.
• Diplomacy: Demonstrates professionalism and adept at maintaining confidentiality and handling sensitive information.
• Financial Principles: Understanding of financial statements, accounting principles, and revenue recognition standards.
• Revenue Generation: Ability to build and enhance revenue streams while minimizing costs.
• Project Management: Planning, executing, and overseeing projects to ensure they are completed on time and within budget.

Physical Demands: Work primarily in a climate-controlled environment with minimal safety/health hazard potential.

Travel: 25-50% with shipboard travel likely

Work Conditions: 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 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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About Us

At Carnival Cruise Line, our mission is to consistently deliver safe, fun, and memorable vacations at a great value. As the world's most popular cruise line, we offer a variety of unique experiences across our fleet, ensuring that every voyage is filled with excitement and discovery. From world-class entertainment and dining to exploring stunning destinations, we create lasting memories for our guests while maintaining a dedication to the places we visit and the lives we touch.

Join us and embark on a career that offers not only the chance to grow professionally but also the opportunity to be part of a global community that makes a difference.

In addition to other duties/functions, this position requires full commitment and support for promoting ethical and compliant culture. More specifically, this position requires integrity, honesty, and respectful treatment of others, as well as a willingness to speak up when they see misconduct or have concerns.

Carnival Corporation & plc and Carnival Cruise Line is an equal employment opportunity/affirmative action employer. In this regard, it does not discriminate against any qualified individual on the basis of sex, race, color, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, age, marital status, mental, physical or sensory disability, or any other classification protected by applicable local, state, federal, and/or international law.

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