Director, Architecture and Design
Royal Caribbean Group · Miami
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Position Summary:
Based in Miami, Florida, the Director, Entertainment Technology OR Sound, Light, Video & Rigging (SLVR) provides enterprise level leadership for entertainment technology strategy, governance, and organizational alignment across Royal Caribbean Group’s newbuild and revitalization programs. This role serves as the single point of accountability and subject matter expert for SLVR direction, design, standards, contract alignment, and long-term investment planning.
The Director is responsible for aligning Newbuild, Brand, Product Development, and Operations stakeholders; advocating for technology‑driven guest experience ambitions; and ensuring SLVR systems are scalable, compliant, operationally stable, and aligned with marine and regulatory requirements. This role operates above individual project execution, delegating delivery to managers and teams while retaining ownership of strategy, governance, and portfolio outcomes.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities:
- Define and maintain the long‑term strategic direction for Newbuild and Revitalization entertainment technology, including sound, architectural and theatrical lighting, video, rigging, entertainment networks, broadcast, and other integrated systems, establishing roadmaps that balance guest experience ambition, innovation, environmental responsibility, operational stability, and lifecycle sustainability while ensuring compliance with marine regulations and standards such as IMO, SOLAS, and applicable classification societies.
- Coordinate, develop, and advocate for SLVR initiatives in close collaboration with Product Development, Brand, and Newbuild organizations, acting as the senior SLVR liaison to Brand Operations, Entertainment, Technical, Marine, IT, and executive stakeholders to ensure alignment with brand standards, design intent, operational expectations, policies, and long‑term maintainability, and cross‑organizational alignment.
- Own enterprise‑level oversight of the SLVR portfolio across multiple ship classes, brands, and delivery timelines, including governance of early‑stage feasibility, concept, and white‑paper initiatives; forecast future SLVR program and technology investments including staying up to date with latest technological trends in the industry.
- Serve as the subject matter expert for shipyard contract development, review, and interpretation as it relates to SLVR and architectural lighting, ensuring requirements are clearly defined, contractually enforceable, and consistently applied across ship classes and shipyards
- Provide strategic direction for consultant and integrator sourcing, engagement models, scopes of work, proposal requests, and technical evaluation criteria, in partnership with Legal, Finance, and Procurement, to mitigate contractual risk and protect technical and operational intent.
- Build, lead, and mature the SLVR organization by managing and guiding teams responsible for delivery across multiple ship classes, brands, and revitalization programs; establishing clear accountability across strategy, governance, design leadership, and delivery; overseeing workforce planning and capability development.
- Act as a visible brand ambassador for Royal Caribbean Group’s SLVR vision, establishing industry presence, credibility, and influence, representing the organization at industry trade shows, technical forums, and strategic partner engagements, and advocating for specific entertainment technology needs with manufacturers, integrators, and key vendors.
- Own SLVR standards, specifications, and governance frameworks across the full ship lifecycle, ensuring quality, safety, reliability, environmental considerations, and architectural lighting integrations are embedded in all decisions.
- Owner of lifecycle planning that supports operational readiness, training, repeatability, total cost of ownership, and alignment with evolving brand policies and guest experience expectations.
- 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 & Education:
- Minimum 12 –15 years of experience in cruise shipboard and shore-side experience and/or themed entertainment design, development, and delivery, with significant focus on newbuild and/or large‑scale revitalization programs.
- A minimum of five years’ experience in developing schedules, designs, specifications, drawings, and the ability to implement them into an architectural design.
- Demonstrated leadership in enterprise‑level SLVR and/or LES strategy, governance, and multi‑ship portfolio oversight.
- Extensive experience working within shipyard environments and navigating complex contractual, technical, and regulatory frameworks.
- Strong working knowledge of marine regulations and standards, including IMO, SOLAS, and applicable classification society requirements.
- Proven ability to align creative ambition, technical feasibility, operational sustainability, and financial stewardship across multiple stakeholders.
- Exceptional executive‑level communication, negotiation, and stakeholder‑management skills, with experience representing technical disciplines at senior leadership levels.
- Degree in a technical, engineering, entertainment, or related discipline field required.
Knowledge & Skills:
- Deep knowledge of entertainment technology systems and integration within cruise and themed entertainment environments, including sound, lighting (architectural and theatrical), video, rigging, broadcast, control, and networked systems.
- Strong understanding of marine and cruise vessel regulatory and quality frameworks, including ISO 9001, ISO 14001, and applicable marine operational requirements.
- Proven ability to lead complex, multi‑stakeholder initiatives in fast‑paced environments with competing priorities, exercising sound independent judgment and decision‑making.
- Demonstrated strategic and analytical thinking, with the ability to solve complex technical, organizational, and financial challenges while balancing innovation, risk, lifecycle sustainability, and operational stability.
- Exceptional interpersonal skills, with the ability to work effectively within multicultural, cross‑functional environments and influence at all levels of the organization.
- Strong financial acumen, including experience managing and prioritizing multi‑million‑dollar budgets, analyzing financial data, and aligning investment decisions with organizational goals.
- Excellent written, verbal, and presentation skills, including the ability to deliver clear, compelling, and executive‑level presentations to senior leadership.
- Recognized industry expertise within the cruise and entertainment sector, with familiarity with current entertainment, recreation, and leisure trends.
- Proficient in standard business and design tools, including Microsoft Office applications (Outlook, Excel, Word, PowerPoint) and industry‑relevant design software (e.g., AutoCAD, SketchUp), with the ability to leverage technical tools for leadership, review, and decision‑making rather than day‑to‑day production
- Executive oversight of SLVR portfolios spanning multiple ship classes and brands.
- Governance and advocacy for capital investments, including: Newbuild and revitalization SLVR programs, white paper initiatives up to $100M per ship, existing multi class newbuild portfolio
- Long‑range forecasting of SLVR capital needs and support of Finance in establishing realistic, defensible budgets built from reference vessels and ambition scaling.
- Accountability for aligning SLVR ambition, scope, and investment with organizational priorities.
Physical Demands
- While performing the duties of this job, the employee is occasionally required to walk, sit, reach with hands and arms, talk, and hear. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, color vision, and ability to adjust focus.
Work Environment
- The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those employees’ encounters while performing the essential functions of the job. The work environment is inside the office.