Project Manager (Ship Development) jobs in United States
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Royal Caribbean Group · 14 hours ago

Project Manager (Ship Development)

Royal Caribbean Group is a leader in the vacation industry with global brands, and they are seeking a Project Manager for Ship Development. This role involves overseeing the delivery of shipboard and destination experiences, ensuring alignment with brand vision and operational feasibility while managing cross-functional teams and external partners.

Travel
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H1B Sponsor Likelynote

Responsibilities

Collaborate with key stakeholders to define project scope, design intent, and overall goals, serving as the primary conduit for project information and updates
Establish clear communication channels across internal teams including New Build, Site Office, Supply Chain, Operations, Design, Marketing, Legal, Risk, Revenue and external partners such as shipyards, and vendors
Oversee and coordinate back of house detailed design reviews, mock-up inspections, and material pre-checks to manage cost – effectiveness, ensure quality, compliance, and operational flow
Support pre-contract negotiations, research & development, and prototype projects, preparing specifications and guiding innovative concepts to ensure they remain on budget
Drives Practicality process for the brand in collaboration with New Build
Ownership of Owner Supply forecast and budget
Support back of house design phases for technical and crew, ensuring alignment with brand standards, technical specifications, and regulatory requirements, including SOLAS and IMO standards
Establish, own and maintain, a strong relationship with the shipyard and outfitters
Manage the outfitting activities on-site, coordinating with architects, designers, and yard management to deliver interior, exterior, and back-of-house designs in accordance with project milestones
Control and coordinate modifications, ensuring they meet design intent, budget, and schedule constraints
Lead design intent reviews, material approvals, and transition coordination, maintaining consistency and quality across all outfitting elements
Coordinates owner’s progress and completion in cooperation with the Owner’s Work team
Conduct regular site visits, monitoring progress, quality, and safety during the build process, from initial construction through vessel commissioning
Lead inspections, mock-up reviews, and first-in-production assessments of public spaces and guest accommodations, ensuring design standards
Lead the Development and progress of Special Projects
Oversee the resolution of design issues, change requests, and technical challenges promptly to prevent delays
Track progress against schedules, critical milestones, and budgets, focusing on maintaining high standards of quality and safety
Manage risk assessments, and develop mitigation strategies for potential issues, escalating concerns as needed
Facilitate design and build reviews, ensuring all work aligns with contractual, safety, and regulatory standards
Lead and mentor site office teams, outfitting superintendents, and consultants, fostering a culture of quality, safety, and collaboration
Coordinate with shipyard leadership and the Design Manager/Director, ensuring seamless communication and issue resolution
Collaborate continuously with cross-disciplinary teams to address design, technical, and operational challenges
Oversee end-to-end delivery of shipboard and destination experiences—ensuring launches are on time, on brand, and operationally sound
Lead all readiness efforts, including SOPs, staffing, training, and inventory planning for pilots and full-scale activation
Own relationships with all back-of-house stakeholders (e.g., Hotel Ops, Supply Chain, Newbuild, Technical, Marine) to ensure alignment, feasibility, and execution support
Proactively identify and resolve delivery barriers through cross-functional coordination and scenario planning
Manage delivery risks (e.g., delays, vendor gaps, cost pressures) with clear mitigation strategies
Establish and uphold standardized launch playbooks, checklists, and readiness templates to drive consistency and scalability
Validate that all physical and digital components (e.g., FFE, signage, installations) are complete, tested, and signed off
Conduct final walk-throughs and punch list reviews to confirm operational readiness
Lead post-launch closure of open items and integrate learnings into future initiatives
Ensure launch readiness through finalized SOPs, training, staffing plans, and service protocols
Oversee crew enablement to ensure seamless delivery of guest experiences
Oversee punch list resolution, warranty claims, and asset disposition activities
Support operational teams during vessel start-up, crew training, and initial service phases, ensuring vessels meet operational and safety standards
Gather and document lessons learned to improve future projects and processes
Leads the kick-off for repairs and revitalizations when the ships need repair

Qualification

Detailed Design CoordinationOperational ReadinessProject ManagementAsanaMicrosoft ProjectPMP CertificationLean Six SigmaStakeholder ManagementLeadershipCommunication

Required

Bachelor's degree in business, Project Management, Hospitality Management, Product Development, or a related field
Minimum of 5 years supporting shipbuilding, ship revitalization, or large-scale marine projects, with proven expertise in detailed design coordination and outfitting
Proven leadership in complex cross-functional environments; experience delivering high-impact physical products (e.g., ships, destinations, hotel/resort activations)
Experience supporting or presenting to C-suite stakeholders
Deep understanding of operational readiness principles including SOPs, GTM planning, procurement, and stakeholder communications
Experience with tools such as Asana, Smartsheet, Microsoft Project, and enterprise reporting platforms
Ability to travel up to 30% of the time

Preferred

MBA or advanced degree preferred
Professional certifications in project management (e.g. PMP, PgMP) or process improvement (Lean Six Sigma) are a plus

Benefits

Competitive compensation and benefits package
Excellent career development opportunities

Company

Royal Caribbean Group

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Royal Caribbean Group is a cruise vacation company with a global fleet of 63 ships traveling around the world.

H1B Sponsorship

Royal Caribbean Group has a track record of offering H1B sponsorships. Please note that this does not guarantee sponsorship for this specific role. Below presents additional info for your reference. (Data Powered by US Department of Labor)
Distribution of Different Job Fields Receiving Sponsorship
Represents job field similar to this job
Trends of Total Sponsorships
2025 (36)
2024 (19)
2023 (12)
2022 (14)
2021 (4)
2020 (14)

Funding

Current Stage
Public Company
Total Funding
$15.43B
Key Investors
RCI HoldingsMorgan Stanley
2025-09-22Post Ipo Debt· $1.5B
2025-05-14Post Ipo Debt· $2.28B
2024-09-16Post Ipo Debt· $1.5B

Leadership Team

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Jason Liberty
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
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Matt Denesuk
SVP, Chief AI Officer
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Company data provided by crunchbase