Director, Destination Development (Based in Alaska)

Royal Caribbean Group; Anchorage (AK); Remote; USD 150,000 - 210,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive compensation

Benefits package

Career development opportunities

Job summary

A leading cruise line company is seeking a full-time Director, Destination Development based in Alaska. This influential leader will oversee strategic port development projects, manage relationships with stakeholders, and develop commercial strategies critical for the company's long-term success. The ideal candidate will have a BA/BS and at least 10 years of experience in port development, alongside strong communication and organizational skills. This role involves significant travel and collaboration across various departments.

Qualifications

• 10 years of experience with an international cruise line or port development entity.
• Globally-minded with knowledge of different cultures and countries.
• Ability to read and interpret financial reports and legal documents.
• Strong organizational skills and ability to work independently in a fast-paced environment with multiple projects.
• Ability to lead a team and influence individuals of varying levels of management.

Responsibilities

• Develop commercial and business strategies for port development.
• Manage project phases from pre-feasibility studies to final designs.
• Liaise with stakeholders for project completion.
• Communicate strategy and deal details to stakeholders; evaluate legal contracts for negotiations.
• Participate in Boards of Directors and manage assets in existing JVs under DD leadership.

Skills

Spanish speaker

Verbal and written communication

Organizational skills

Consensus-building

Presentation skills

Global mindset

Travel willingness

Education

BA/BS Minimum

Job description

Journey with us! Combine your career goals and sense of adventure by joining our incredible team at Royal Caribbean Group. We are proud to offer a competitive compensation and benefits package, and excellent career development opportunities, each offering unique ways to explore the world.

We are proud to be the vacation‑industry leader with global brands — including Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises and Silversea Cruises — the most innovative fleet and private destinations, and the best people. Together, we are dedicated to turning the vacation of a lifetime into a lifetime of vacations for our guests.

Royal Caribbean Group’s Royal Caribbean International Brand has an exciting career opportunity for a full‑time Director, Destination Development reporting to the VP, Destination Development – Alaska and West Coast.

This position will be remote and based in Alaska.

This position is not eligible for work authorization sponsorship.

Position Summary

This influential leader is responsible for identifying, implementing, and executing strategic development projects and opportunities in coordination with Destination Development [DD] and Royal Caribbean Group [RCG] Leadership. You would be accountable for securing external approval of the development projects on behalf of RCG, as well as internal RCG approvals. You would oversee the relationship of a subset of our existing JV partners, plan and execute Board of Directors meetings, and ensure the entities maintain RCG guest experience standards. Strong written and verbal communication skills are crucial, as you would be tasked with (1) liaising with colleagues from multiple departments and among varying levels of management across the Company to track down key information needed to advance projects, (2) writing memos and preparing executive presentations summarizing information, and (3) leading presentations and negotiations with global corporate and country leaders.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Develop commercial and other business strategies to meet the strategic port development needs of RCG. The Director, in coordination with DD Leadership, will support the execution of commercial strategies by managing relationships with key internal and external stakeholders across the geographical region. The Director will interact with port authorities, trade associations, and other brands in the industry regarding port development issues. Strategic thinking, communication, negotiation, and business vision are paramount skills to success in this role. The Director will gather intelligence and find win‑win opportunities for the partners and governments in the geographic locations that are core to ensuring RCG’s long‑term success.
• Manage projects along the phases, from pre‑feasibility studies to definitive designs, including RFPs. The Director will guide local consultants and expert teams required for the execution of projects, including engineers and architects, evaluate the feasibility, viability, and financial sustainability of the project, and interact with local authorities to understand and analyze potential obstacles and risks in the administrative path for obtaining required authorizations.
• Interact with various internal and external stakeholders to gather critical information to drive projects to completion, including but not limited to Legal, Deployment, Financial, Accounting, Corporate Capital, Destination Development Strategy, Treasury, Government Relations, Corporate Public Affairs, Corporate Communications, Product Development, Marine Operations, and Port Operations to obtain internal alignment and all RCG corporate approvals ahead of document execution.
• Communicate the strategy and deal details to the various RCG stakeholders to ensure preparation, review and execution of various legal documents to memorialize deal negotiation agreements. Exhibit an ability to evaluate various types of legal contracts to extract synthesized key information necessary for negotiations or strategic discussions.
• Manage assets and implementation in existing JVs. Upon delegation from DD Leadership, the Director will participate in the Board of Directors of that specific entity and will contribute to the management of the asset in coordination with DD Leadership and Corporate Finance. The Director will contribute to providing guidance to local General Managers and Finance teams and local consultants for the application of high‑standard management policies and reporting.
• Create and strengthen positive relationships with ports, destinations, government officials, and travel industry partners.
• Provide daily direction and focus while taking the steps necessary to increase market share, pier availability, new terminal capacity, and new business.
• Travel, meet, and engage key stakeholders within the destinations to listen, understand, and assist in addressing the existing challenges. Travel is expected up to 50% each month, depending on a project and business needs.

Qualifications, Knowledge and Skills

• BA/BS Minimum.
• Spanish speaker preferred, other languages are a plus.
• Minimum of 10 years of experience with an international cruise line or port development entity.
• Outstanding verbal and written communication, consensus‑building, and presentation skills.
• Strong organizational skills and an ability to work independently in a fast‑paced environment with multiple projects and priorities.
• Ability to lead a team and influence individuals of varying levels of management.
• Task‑oriented and reliable with an ability to report on status updates and anticipated timelines.
• A global thinker familiar with different countries and cultures is essential.
• Ability to read, analyze, and interpret financial reports, general business periodicals, contracts, legal documents, and technical reports.
• Existing network of contacts and established business relationships.
• Strong entrepreneurial spirit.
• Highly motivated and self‑initiating.
• Extensive travel – ability and willingness to travel, both nationally and internationally, on a monthly basis up to 50% of the time.

We know there's a lot to consider. As you go through the application process, our recruiters will be glad to provide guidance, and more relevant details to answer any additional questions. Thank you again for your interest in Royal Caribbean Group. We hope to see you onboard soon!

It is the policy of the Company to ensure equal employment and promotion opportunity to qualified candidates without discrimination or harassment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, sexuality, gender identity or expression, marital status, or any other characteristic protected by law. Royal Caribbean Group and each of its subsidiaries prohibit and will not tolerate discrimination or harassment.