Senior Manager, Hotel New Build Projects

Disney Cruise Line - The Walt Disney Company; Greater London; Hybrid; Confidential; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

25 days annual leave

Private medical insurance

Dental care

Free Park Entry

Disney Discounts

Parental leave

Employee Resource Groups

Job summary

Disney Cruise Line - The Walt Disney Company seeks a Senior Manager to support the Director, New Build Hotel Projects, guiding hotel operations readiness for new builds and dry docks.

Based in London, four days on-site with one remote day and occasional international travel, you’ll work with WDI and HR to ensure high-quality, compliant guest and crew experiences.

Qualifications

• Degree in hospitality management, business administration, or equivalent senior hotel management experience within cruise industry.
• Extensive senior leadership experience in cruise line operations, ideally ship new build related.
• Good understanding of hotel equipment specs and catering design functionality.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment and collaborate across teams.

Responsibilities

• Drive development and coordination of hotel and crew program requirements for new ship building projects.
• Track adherence to hotel and crew program in ship general arrangement with partners.
• Liaise with Hotel & HR Operations teams for feedback, design evolution, and progress reporting.
• Review technical drawings, plans, materials, and furnishings for design and commissioning phases.
• Develop and maintain hotel/crew equipment specs and Owners Furnished Equipment lists.
• Validate content of modification requests with WDI project management.
• Collaborate with WDI team during build, visit ships during construction, trials.
• Coordinate pre-launch activities: crew training, logistics for embarkation, and spaces readiness.
• Input data for AMOS Maintenance & Procurement database and handover processes.

Skills

Senior leadership

cruise operations

Project management

Regulatory knowledge

Communication skills

Education

Degree in hospitality management

Tools

Leadership experience

Job description

About the Role & Team

This Senior Manager role supports the Director, New Build Hotel Projects with the Disney Cruise Line (DCL) ship development program and operational readiness preparation for new builds & dry docks relating to hotel operations, including food & beverage, onboard revenue, guest services, guest and crew experience. The role focuses on front and back of house functionality & logistics, quality of build and experience, operational efficiency and optimization, and operating responsibly to meet existing and future business and regulatory requirements.

The role will partner with DCL Hotel & HR Operations on newbuild and dry-dock development to facilitate, manage and coordinate the hotel and crew operating requirements, ship building quality assurance, and regulatory and safety compliance needs. It supports decision making and problem solving throughout the project lifecycle, and checks the agreed scope is executed to a high standard of excellence, in preparation for operational readiness.

This role is highly collaborative and solution orientated, partnering with Walt Disney Imagineering (WDI) Project Teams and DCL Hotel & HR Operations to help deliver the best guest and crew operation. You’ll join a team grounded in our Disney values — acting with Integrity, welcoming everyone through Inclusion, embracing boundless Creativity, working together through Collaboration and caring deeply for our Community. These values shape how we work and how we support one another every day.

This permanent role will be based in our London Hammersmith office, 4 days a week, with either a Monday or Friday working from home. You will also be required for occasional international travel.

What You Will Do

• Responsible for driving the development and coordination of hotel and crew program requirements for new ship building projects including cabins, public rooms, galleys & pantries, open deck spaces, embarkation, luggage handling, provisions, offices, stores & lockers.

• Track adherence to and implementation of the hotel and crew program into the ship general arrangement, working with partners to gather feedback and solutions as needed to maintain operational functional and quality standards.

• Liaise with the Hotel & HR Operations teams throughout the new build process to solicit continual feedback to design evolutions, provide regular progress reports and mediate between overlapping program requirements.

• Review and coordinate operational feedback on technical drawings, plans, materials, and furnishings, ensuring requirements are incorporated throughout the design, construction, testing, and commissioning phases.

• Responsible for developing, documenting and ongoing document control of the hotel and crew equipment specifications and Owners Supply and Owners Furnished Equipment Lists to support the set-up and opening of the ship for all hotel and crew areas.

• Responsible for validating the content of hotel and crew area requests for modification and agreements of modification in partnership with WDI project management.

• Closely collaborate with WDI project team including project managers, consultants, site superintendents, regulatory bodies and shipyard teams during the build. Regularly visit and inspect the ship during construction, mockups and test and trials.

• Coordinate hotel and crew operational readiness efforts. Providing planning and communication support for the following pre-launch activities; vessel commissioning team set up, crew training and costuming, logistics arrangements for crew embarkation, and operational completion of crew and guest spaces.

• Input to the generation of the ship specific AMOS Maintenance & Procurement database and uploading of components and part specific data, driving the document handover process and development of maintenance schedules using fleet wide methods and learnings.

• Identify opportunities for business process improvements within new build projects and dry dock initiatives to improve the quality of services delivered.

Required Qualifications & Skills

• Degree in hospitality management, business administration, or equivalent senior hotel management experience within the cruise industry.

• Extensive senior leadership experience in cruise line operations, including experience in managing large projects and teams, ideally ship new build related.

• Good understanding of the technical and regulatory requirements for cruise ships relating to hotel and crew, and other marine safety and quality standards.

• Understanding of hotel equipment specifications. Deep knowledge of catering design and functionality is a strong benefit.

• Highly motivated self-starter able to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced work environment with proven ability to initiate, organize, prioritize, take and provide direction, and complete multiple tasks in a timely manner.

• Ability to work in a team environment with strong interpersonal and partnering skills and positive demeanor.

• Strong verbal, written and presentation skills to be able to clearly articulate and document the needs of the operation.

• Good problem solving and continuous improvement skills and a keen eye for detail.

• Flexibility with work schedule, including weekends and holidays. Prepared to travel internationally for significant periods of time.

• Ability to work in shipyard construction site conditions.

The Perks

• 25 days annual leave

• Private medical insurance & dental care

• Free Park Entry: You will have the opportunity to enter any of our parks with your family and friends for free

• Disney Discounts: you are entitled to discounts on designated Disney products, resort F&B and ticketing

• Excellent parental and guardian leave

• Employee Resource Groups – WOMEN @ Disney, Disney DIVERSITY, Disney PRIDE, our new disability & neurodiversity focused group - ENABLED, and our Mental Health & Wellbeing Group, TRUST.

The Walt Disney Company is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We strive to be a diverse workforce that is representative of our audiences, and where all can thrive and belong. Disney is committed to forming a team that includes and respects a variety of voices, identities, backgrounds, experiences and perspectives.

We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us to request accommodation.