Senior Director, Sales

Victory Cruise Lines; Pompano Beach (FL); On-site; USD 120,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

Victory Cruise Lines seeks a Senior Director, Sales to lead and execute our trade sales strategy from our Pompano Beach office. You will guide the sales team, build relationships with travel advisors, host agencies, consortia, and distribution partners across the United States and Canada, and align with marketing for coordinated campaigns.

The role requires an established industry network, hands-on leadership, and strong ability to drive revenue growth and bookings through strategic partnerships

Qualifications

• Minimum 10 years of progressive sales leadership experience.
• At least 3 years in a Senior Director role.
• Experience selling cruises through travel partners is not sufficient alone.
• Direct cruise line sales leadership experience is required.
• Experience in premium/luxury small-ship itineraries is valuable.
• Bachelor’s degree in business administration or sales is required.

Responsibilities

• Lead the sales team and set targets, KPIs, and accountability.
• Develop and expand distribution with travel advisors, host agencies, consortia, and distribution partners in the US and Canada.
• Align sales initiatives with marketing campaigns and lead generation.
• Represent Victory Cruise Lines at industry events and conferences.
• Drive revenue growth through new accounts and increased production from existing partners.
• Identify strategic partnerships and preferred supplier opportunities.
• Travel extensively to engage partners and close opportunities.

Skills

Cruise industry sales leadership

Sales leadership

CRM & analytics

Forecasting

Negotiation

Communication skills

Strategic planning

Team coaching

Travel industry networks

Revenue forecasting tools

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration or related field

Tools

CRM systems

Sales reporting tools

Revenue forecasting tools

Job description

Victory Cruise Lines is a purpose-driven, American-owned and employee-owned cruise line founded by industry icon John Waggoner. We operate intimate cruise ships throughout the Great Lakes, Canadian Maritimes, and Eastern Seaboard, delivering immersive, culturally rich experiences that connect guests with history, destination, and one another. Our sales leaders build the relationships, distribution, and commercial momentum that bring those experiences to more guests. If you're an established cruise line sales leader with a strong trade network, a hands-on approach, and a proven ability to turn relationships into revenue, we'd love to hear from you.

Come "Celebrate the Victory" with us!

OUR STORY

Victory Cruise Lines is a purpose-driven, American-owned and employee-owned cruise line founded by industry icon John Waggoner. We operate intimate cruise ships throughout the Great Lakes, Canadian Maritimes, and Eastern Seaboard, delivering immersive, culturally rich experiences that connect guests with history, destination, and one another. Our sales leaders build the relationships, distribution, and commercial momentum that bring those experiences to more guests. If you're an established cruise line sales leader with a strong trade network, a hands-on approach, and a proven ability to turn relationships into revenue, we'd love to hear from you.

Come "Celebrate the Victory" with us!

OUR VALUES

Safety First | Teamwork | Integrity | Service Excellence | Innovation | Having Fun & Celebrating the Victories

Victory Cruise Lines is more than a workplace—we are a community of professionals who care deeply about what we do, who we serve, and how we show up for one another.

THE POSITION

Our Senior Director, Sales is a hands-on commercial leader accountable for sales execution and measurable results. This position helps lead and execute Victory Cruise Lines’ trade sales strategy to drive revenue growth, expand distribution, and increase bookings and market share. You will direct our sales team, establishing clear sales targets, performance measures, and accountability for results. You will also personally develop new business and strengthen productive relationships with travel advisors, agency groups, host agencies, consortia, and distribution partners throughout the United States and Canada. Working closely with the head of marketing and other internal partners, you will align sales initiatives with campaigns, lead generation, travel advisor education, and partner programs to deliver a coordinated commercial approach.

This role requires an established industry network—and the ability to activate that network to produce business.

HOW SUCCESS IS MEASURED

Success in this position is measured by results. Everyone has a number—and this leader is accountable for turning sales activity into revenue. The Senior Director, Sales will be measured against established performance standards related to:

• Revenue Production
• Booking Growth
• Trade Distribution
• Account Development
• Market Engagement
• Team Sales Performance

Successful leaders expand production from existing accounts, develop productive new partnerships, strengthen their teams’ performance, and ensure that market activity and trade investments translate into measurable business. Relationships open doors. Execution and follow-through turn those opportunities into bookings.

WHAT THIS ROLE REALLY LOOKS LIKE

The Senior Director, Sales will actively:

• Spend significant time in the marketplace, engaging travel partners and developing business
• Leverage established relationships with agency groups, host agencies, consortia, and major distribution partners to generate immediate opportunities
• Conduct agency visits, partner meetings, sales missions, and presentations
• Represent Victory Cruise Lines at industry events, trade shows, and conferences
• Develop new accounts and increase production from existing trade relationships
• Identify and negotiate strategic partnerships and preferred supplier opportunities
• Lead the sales team, including sales support, group sales and business development managers
• Establish sales priorities, targets, KPIs, and clear accountability
• Monitor booking trends, agency production, pipeline activity, and market opportunities
• Work directly with marketing on campaigns, promotions, lead generation, and partner engagement
• Support and lead travel advisor education, familiarization trips, webinars, and cooperative marketing
• Bring field intelligence back to the organization to inform commercial decisions

This is a highly active, market-facing leadership position requiring extensive travel and direct business development.

If you enjoy being in front of partners, building business, leading accountable teams, and seeing your efforts reflected in sales production, you'll likely thrive here.

WHAT THIS ROLE IS NOT

This is not:

• A predominantly office-based leadership position, although some meeting time and collaboration will be required in office at times
• A role focused solely on strategy, presentations, or oversight
• A relationship-management role without accountability for production
• A position where attending events alone constitutes success
• A role for someone who delegates all business development to the team
• A role for someone uncomfortable with extensive travel
• A role for someone who avoids sales targets, KPIs, or accountability

WORK ENVIRONMENT

This is an exempt, salaried position based from our Pompano Beach, Florida office - the successful candidate must already be based in south Florida.

The position requires extensive travel throughout the United States and regular travel to Canada, including agency visits, partner meetings, industry events, trade shows, conferences, and sales missions.

Candidates must be willing and able to maintain an active travel schedule and a consistent presence in the marketplace, in addition to some in-office collaboration time.

The successful candidate will thrive in a fast-paced, entrepreneurial, growth-focused environment that expects initiative, collaboration, and ownership of results.

SKILLS & ABILITIES

• Proven sales leadership ability directly within the cruise industry
• Demonstrated success leading revenue-producing teams and achieving aggressive sales targets
• An extensive, established network of travel agency, host agency, consortia, and cruise distribution relationships
• Strong business development and account-growth capabilities
• Exceptional leadership presence with the ability to inspire trust, credibility, and followership
• Strong strategic planning, forecasting, and sales analytics skills
• Excellent negotiation, communication, and presentation skills
• Deep understanding of CRM systems, sales reporting, and revenue forecasting tools
• Strong technological knowledge and proficiency
• Ability to align sales execution with marketing campaigns and commercial priorities
• Ability to set clear expectations, coach performance, and hold teams accountable
• Readiness to step into broader sales and revenue ownership
• Ability and willingness to travel extensively throughout the United States and Canada

EXPERIENCE

• Minimum of 10 years of progressive sales leadership experience, including at least 3 years in a Senior Director role; note that experience selling cruises through a travel agency, tour operator, or other travel partner alone does NOT meet this requirement
• Cruise industry sales leadership experience working directly for a cruise line IS REQUIRED
• Experience in premium, luxury, small-ship, expedition, or destination-focused cruising is particularly valuable
• Experience leading direct sales, trade/agency distribution, and group sales is required
• An existing, extensive, and recognizable network of relationships with travel agencies, host agencies, consortia, and major cruise distribution partners throughout the United States is required; Canadian relationships are preferred
• Bachelor’s degree in business administration or sales required

OTHER

Post-offer/pre-employment criteria must be satisfied to complete a successful hiring process. This may include, but may not be limited to, drug and/or alcohol screening, physical or other health assessment, background screening, Culture Index surveys, and other assessments deemed necessary by the Company for the position. This job posting is intended to describe the general requirements of the position. It is not a complete statement of all duties, responsibilities, or requirements. Other duties may be assigned as necessary to support the operations of the department. Victory Cruise Lines is proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity employer. All applicant information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines. Candidates must have the legal right to work in the United States.