Manager, Architecture and Design

Royal Caribbean Group; Miami (FL); On-site; USD 150,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Royal Caribbean Group is seeking a Manager of Architecture and Design to lead the Newbuild site office, delivering detailed design, coordination, and on-time project delivery for guest spaces and back-of-house areas. Responsibilities include directing outfitting teams, coordinating with shipyards, and ensuring brand standards are met.

The role requires a minimum of 10 years in cruise ship construction, knowledge of SOLAS/IMO, and a bachelor’s degree with architectural/naval architecture

Qualifications

• Minimum 10 years in the cruise ship industry with on-site construction experience.
• Solid knowledge of SOLAS and IMO requirements.
• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent; architectural/naval architecture background preferred.

Responsibilities

• Lead outfitting, BOH, and guest areas design on site to meet brand standards.
• Coordinate design reviews, drawings, and yard visits with shipyards and designers.
• Manage budget, schedule, and quality through design phases and inspections.
• Direct design review processes with shipyard and Miami office leadership.
• Oversee cost management for interior, exterior, and back-of-house areas.
• Mentor staff, develop talent, and communicate department goals.
• Represent the department in executive briefings and risk discussions.

Skills

Architectural drawings reading

Leadership

Project coordination

English proficiency

Education

Bachelor's degree

Architectural/Naval Architecture degree preferred

Job description

Journey with us!

Manager, Architecture and Design

Combine your career goals and sense of adventure by joining our New Build Operations team. Royal Caribbean Group is pleased to offer a competitive compensation and benefits package, and excellent career development opportunities, each offering unique ways to explore the world.

Are you passionate about bringing exceptional cruise ship environments to life? Do you thrive at the intersection of design excellence, shipbuilding, project execution, and operational readiness?
We are seeking a Manager Architecture & Design to join our Newbuild team and play a pivotal role in delivering some of the world's most innovative and visually stunning cruise ships. This position offers the opportunity to work alongside leading architects, designers, shipyards, and technical experts to ensure that every guest-facing space exceeds expectations for quality, functionality, sustainability, and brand experience.

Position Summary: The Architectural Design Manager provides a primary leadership role and expertise to a newbuilding site office, delivering and managing all aspects of the detailed design phases, design coordination, and building phases of the projects assigned to that site office. In so doing, the incumbent continually directs the activities of the site office Outfitting and BOH/Catering superintendents, in tight collaboration with the shipyards’ related management, as well as designers and architect professionals in order to build and deliver high quality brand specific ship design concepts, on time and on budget. Also serves as a steady conduit of information and intelligence to the primary leadership within the Newbuild Architectural Design office in Miami, and the Brand leadership.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Manages, tracks, and upholds the entire overall outfitting and boh/catering building processes on site for all assigned projects, delivering brand specific vessel interior, exterior and back-of-house designs, in accordance with both design intent concepts given and shipyard contracts
• Responsible for all guest interior areas, open decks, appearance of exterior and ship’s profile, and back-of-house areas such as crew areas, offices, galleys/pantries/provisioning, laundry, etc for all projects within the site office. Not responsible for technical areas such as machinery, casings, HVAC rooms, etc.
• Controls and coordinates eventual modifications within these areas with designers and architects. Prepares the Modification requests for changes in areas and coordinates these aspects with the Project Director, informing appropriate team members.
• Organizes planning of various architect, designer, lighting design, catering equipment, artwork, signage coordination meetings, visits, and inspections, in tight synchronization with delivering to shipyard milestones
• Assigns design intent drawing reviews, detail drawing reviews, factory visits, mockup reviews, and inspections to superintendents, and validates quality of their work by self checking, including:
• Pre-checks of architectural materials prior to forwarding it to the yard - ensures that it follows the design standards and guidelines and is within the planned cost frame
• Ensurance that the reference levels are obtained and the scope and quality of the yard follow the approved architect material
• Coordination of all design issues and border/transition areas
• Leads mock-up and first of production inspection of guest staterooms,corridors, and crew cabins
• Tracks and reports on detailed design & design building/production progress, focusing on time schedules, critical path milestones, costs, completion of inspections, quantity/closure of remarks, and while keeping strong focus on quality, in accordance to contract and/or in accordance with subsequent approved modifications, communicating the same in a simple and clear manner. Reports same to Project Director, and Newbuild Architectural Design Dept on regular basis. Creates high level reports for Executives.
• Manages healthy process driven efforts by outfitting & hotel superintendents & consultants. Evaluates the quality and suitability of their work, ensuring that design goals and design standards/guidelines are met, projects are on budget, ship readiness is on time. Frequently visits the shipyard, spending solid and routine time walking onboard the vessels as they are under construction, up to and beyond delivery until such time they are successfully in service.
• Co-leads a high quality Chief Design Review process, in collaboration with the shipyard, and the Miami Architectural Design management, bringing key design status and issues to the forefront, along with risk detection and mitigation. Presents large to small-scale presentations at executive level, using a variety of media to succinctly and articulately convey issues and give recommendations
• Owns cost management of cost complexity in all interior, exterior and back-of-house areas, including art installations, signage, architectural lighting, catering packages, and sound/light/video packages. Keeps Project Director regularly informed.
• Maintains good relations with shipyard leadership and management in related area, along with shipyard’s area coordinators and turn-key contractors.
• May be called upon occasionally for design related pre-contract negotiations for research & development projects. Prepares specification (outline and detail) for projects and updates specifications based on discussions with internal departments. May be similarly called upon to collaborate with others in new white paper prototype projects, bringing ideas, experience and guidance.
• Attracts, trains, and grows diverse talent. Provides professional development of staff through mentoring, feedback, performance management, and career planning. Effectively communicates the department’s values and culture through words and actions.
• Additional responsibilities may be assigned based on the scope of the project

Management of one or two multi-million dollar prototype projects in range of $200m each or more, plus sister projects, simultaneously.

Qualifications:

• Minimum 10 years with the cruise ship industry, combined with on site construction, with familiarity of strong shipbuilding processes, site surveys and marine standards.
• Proven knowledge of SOLAS and IMO
• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent required. Architectural and/or naval architecture degree preferred.

Knowledge and Skills:

• Strong skills to read detailed design and technical drawings
• Excellent written & verbal English is a must. German, French, and/or Finnish language is an advantage.
• Strong interpersonal skills with strong ability to effectively communicate with all levels of management thru employees, across diverse cultures around the world.
• Requires a high level of written and verbal communication skills to convey concepts and requirements of the team to technical and non-technical individuals. Is effective at simplifying complexity.
• Requires strong teamwork, cooperation, and collaborative skills to develop rapport within the department, with other departments, and externally.
• Possesses self-motivation with ability to mobilize people and resources to action, within a high-paced environment
• Good ability to proactively identify problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
• Possesses logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
• Ability to work under tight schedules and to endure challenging situations in high stress situations.
• Working knowledge of computer software for communication and presentations.

Physical Demands:

Good physical condition, able to endure extensive walking and stairclimbing within a heavy and loud shipbuilding construction environment.

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'll 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.