Senior Manager, Hotel Operations

We're looking for a Senior Manager Hotel Operations (SMHO) to join our team to lead and coordinate a collective approach to ensure delivery of the best premium vacations to our guests in the APAC region.

Operating across a matrix network of shoreside business areas this role will deliver an integrated approach to the guest experience, supporting the ships in AUS/ NZ/ Asia on the day-to-day operational needs whilst better connecting ship and shoreside initiatives. The Senior Manager demonstrates innovative thinking, drives changes, and achieves a positive impact on the key result areas through effective management and influential leadership. 

This person has a pro-active approach, engages with multiple teams, and assists the Senior Director of Hotel Operations to drive the overall quality and execution of all aspects of Hotel Operations, and the onboard and shoreside guest experience..  The SMHO will  liaise closely with and lead coordination of internal teams in Port Ops, GPS (ground handlers), local port agents, supply chain, and tour operators and the in-market shoreside teams to ensure delivery of an elevated Celebrity Way hospitality and the best guest vacation experience, responsibly.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

1. Ensures assigned ships are operated safely, effectively, and efficiently and that they meet or exceed all key targets for guest satisfaction, expense management, onboard revenue, crew satisfaction, injury prevention, internal and external regulatory compliance.

2. Continually examines existing opportunities and defines through analysis of guest feedback and other established metrics. Provides leadership, training, and guidance to shipboard teams to minimize and/or eliminate guest issues through effective root cause analysis and problem resolution, enabling fleetwide best practice sharing.

3. Conducts on site ship and port/destination visits to assess the onboard and shoreside operations and provides guidance and recommendations on opportunities to improve guest experience and ship’s performance.

4. Secures compliance with company’s brand quality and operational standards.

5. Guides and supports the shipboard hotel operation teams to deliver an elevated guest vacation experience in accordance with Celebrity Way brand promise and standards.

6. Assists with developing management reporting and tools required to monitor the fleet and Hotel Directors’ performance in the areas of guest satisfaction and other BSC KPIs.

7. Tracks individual ships’ performance and reviews and analyzes Medallia and Guest Experience data. Provides all necessary support and tools to the Shipboard teams to assist them in achieving their set targets across all areas of the operation.

8. Collaborates with shoreside functional areas leaders regarding ships’ preparation for new seasons to ensure the product is customized within new market requirements, demographic needs, and brand essential guidelines.

9. Manages and monitors the AUS/NZ/ASIA fleet performance from an overall perspective, ensuring the day-to-day support for the shipboard teams including support from the various shore side functional teams and managing situations that require immediate support from the various cross functional supports. (i.e crisis management, purchasing, etc.)

10. Liaise very closely with Port Ops, GPS (ground handlers), local port agents, supply chain, and tour operators to ensure flawless product execution.

11. Works closely with the Hotel Directors and Human Resources Directors to ensure The Celebrity Way brand standards and service culture drives the behavior of all crew on board

12. Performs other duties as required.  This job description in no way states or implies that these are the only duties to be performed by the employee occupying this position.  Employees will be required to perform any other job-related duties assigned by their supervisor or management.

Qualifications:

1. Bachelor’s degree from a Hospitality / Business university preferred

2. Minimum of 5+ years related experience within hotels, resorts, or cruise lines with proven managerial experience to direct managers and staff.

3. Excellent leadership, interpersonal, customer service and organizational skills to communicate confidently and effectively in a considerate, professional, and positive manner with all levels of management, business partners and shipboard employees.

4. Must be a passionate and inspirational leader who possesses strong self-initiative and an ability to hold themselves and other accountable in always delivering key results.

5. Working knowledge of computers, internet and the ability to navigate within a variety of business-related software packages.

Knowledge and Skills:

1. Demonstrates a passion for service, requiring a strong commitment to the delivery of a superior customer experience. Possesses knowledge of the internal and external customers globally and understands the implications of cultural differences for service requirements. Creates and fosters an atmosphere that invites ownership of the customer experience at all levels, ensuring that new ideas for the creation of customer value are cultivated and celebrated.

2. Uses critical thinking, logic, and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.

3. Detailed understanding of shipboard Hotel Operations, ability to work in a fast-paced environment with multiple priorities and crisis management skills.

4. Proven track record of driving high performance and achieving results. Has a disciplined and focused approach to providing support and monitoring performance as to quickly identify unfavorable performance trends. Has the operational experience to assist the shipboard management team in identifying the root cause and developing the appropriate corrective action plan.

5. Assists the shipboard Hotel Directors in promoting a culture and innovation encouraging challenging the status quo and supporting fresh perspectives and new ideas while holding accountability for the right results. Communicates excitement and enthusiasm creating a positive working environment for the fleet.

6. Sets the standards for ethical behavior by promoting and modeling the principle and values that are central to Celebrity Cruises daily. Has an intense of right and wrong and will not compromise those values to achieve desired results. Holds the teams accountable for the same ethical standards.

7. Strong influential leadership skills.  The majority of relationships required to deliver the role are peer to peer, aptitude and comfort with a leadership styke achieved through influence is critical.