The AVP, CAM Operations serves as the leader of the Workforce Strategy & Movement organization inclusive of Workforce Planning/Scheduling, Travel & Logistics and Crew Government Affairs. As part of the HR organization, this leadership role has global responsibility over Crew Acquisition Movement (CAM) budget and improvement initiatives across a variety of areas that support the global movement of a workforce of 95k+ employees. The individual provides strategy, vision, leadership, and technical expertise in creating and executing processes to achieve the growth of our employee count and to assure the ongoing success of our brands. In addition, this role will strategically manage and optimize all processes supporting the employee life cycle. This role will require proven leadership skills, contextual business acumen, and creative flair to resolve business challenges for the brands operations when it relates to Crew Acquisition Movement. Understanding the value of data as an enabler of better business decisions is a crucial competency. The leader will maximize that knowledge by combining it with adept organizational navigation skills, the ability to manage relationships and a penchant for delivering compelling insights that inspire actions and drive performance and financial results. This role has responsibility for over $250M spend in CAM.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities
- Work with internal and external stakeholders to shape strategic priorities, execute the department's goals, and successfully resolve challenges.
- Acts as a strategic partner who builds and fosters end-to-end workforce planning solutions and forges relationships between the different business units involved in the overall planning of the workforce.
- Works closely with leaders across HR and Brands to identify staffing needs, define partnership opportunities, and bring internal process thinking and brand insights to set context and vision.
- Develops and executes a holistic CAM strategy to manage a CAM budget of $250M and develop goals reflecting continued improvement in cost efficiency and employee experience.
- Collaborates with the scheduling and finance leaders to develop an annual operating forecast with risk and opportunity distinction.
- Collaborates cross-functionally to ensure operating spend is aligned with forecast and projection to advance department strategic priorities.
- Assures the optimization of processes with the inclusion of technological enhancements that may be available at any given time and could bring significant benefits to operations and the crew experience. In this context, the leader is constantly engaged in cross‑functional networks with the brands and other corporate teams to assure that any available opportunities on the horizon are promptly fostered.
- Provides direction to the team in the pre‑planning operational set‑up and finances for ports prior to the start of each itinerary to maximize the employee experience and reduce financial impact.
- Develops and implements cost‑effective processes for the mobilization of employees embarking or disembarking the vessels.
- Leads all aspects of port‑related customs, port authority and vendor relationships for Crew Acquisition Movements including the analysis of competitive bids, financial analysis, negotiation, contracting, operations planning, reporting, invoice approval, training and quality assurance. Includes services for hotel, transportation, visas, safeguarding and port agent services for crew movement on behalf of HR Transformation & Operations.
- Leads the overall crew air travel experience which includes the setting up of the systems designated to shop and re‑shop air tickets related to the crew movements. The major focus is maintained in the analysis of routes and cost efficiencies that can be identified and by engaging in continuous improvement of airline contracts and relationship management.
- Manages government relations with the respective partners in India and the Philippines, fostering long‑term ties that mirror the business strength of RCI and CEL/SS operations in the respective units.
- Establishes sound processes and monitors operations to optimize resources in crew logistics (including travel emergencies and last‑minute crew movement needs) and general HR employee services (transactional HR activities except those performed onboard due to their nature).
- Ensures compliance with all relevant regulations (MLC, STCW, Immigration, etc.) in all aspects of the operation under the AVP’s area of responsibility.
- Cultivates and leads the management of relationships with government dignitaries, embassies, and all foreign consulates in relation to global processing of visa, immigration formalities and work permits.
- Maintains open and direct engagement with senior leadership to resolve conflicts and embed financial advice into relevant operating and business decisions while advancing business strategic priorities.
- Analyzes and monitors industry benchmarks, market trends and best practices for turnaround operations and identifies opportunities to fulfill and influence corporate strategy and cost‑saving opportunities.
- Manages external vendor deliverables to ensure requirements, timelines and expectations for the employee and operations are being met.
- Develops an integrated strategic plan that continually improves the cost, quality and experience of the crew acquisition and movement.
- Reviews and analyzes internal and external audit and inspection reports and disseminates information for follow‑up and continuous improvement.
- Frequently reviews business processes and new available resources to eliminate redundancies, unnecessary costs and to improve and streamline operations.
- Constantly performs strategic planning and process improvement reviews to guarantee the alignment of department performance to the overall organizational goals.
- Provides leadership and guidance, and ensures the overall effectiveness of department processes and procedures are met from a service and financial standpoint.
- Sets KPIs for the operational team and ensures monitoring processes to cultivate and maintain accountability within the teams toward the targets.
- Provides strategic leadership in the definition and execution of imminent emergency recovery plans that may be needed to face unexpected events, specifically organizing and deploying a contingent plan for crew movement and its logistical arrangements in unexpected situations that may occur and affect the regular movement of the crew such as natural disasters, incidents and/or any unforeseeable circumstances.
- Advise the VP and HR Ops leadership team on both strategic and tactical matters as needed.
Financial Responsibilities
Budget of $250M
Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree (or international equivalent) from an accredited university or college in Human Resources, Business Administration, Finance, Psychology or related field is required, or 15 years senior management experience in the cruise line or travel industry in human resources or an operational role.
- Minimum 15+ years of relevant operations, vendor management and procurement experience.
- 5+ years of experience in internal management roles.
- Previous experience leading one or more domestic and international departments of 150+ employees.
- Previous international exposure and openness to and awareness of diversity across cultures and markets with a propensity and ability to synthesize across this diversity. Understand and respect other cultures and practices.
- Must have the strategic capability to devise short‑ and long‑term finance strategies, balanced by operational capability to implement them.
- Strong leadership, problem‑solving and project management skills to provide support to senior leaders in meeting strategic objectives.
- Strong leadership skills with the ability to lead cohesive and productive teams. Proven leader with high energy, confidence and a demonstrated ability to influence others.
- Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to communicate with all levels of senior management through diplomacy and tact to achieve strategic initiatives.
- Proven track record of leveraging data to identify trends, summarizing key findings for senior leadership in clear, concise, and visually appealing slides (or other communication formats).
- Ability to read, analyze and interpret general business periodicals, professional journals, technical procedures, or governmental regulations.
- Demonstrated ability to both create and adapt to change by being forward‑thinking.
- Global exposure to different countries, vendors, agents and government dignitaries.
- Excellent oral and written communication skills.