Job Title: Lead, Product Development - Shore Excursions and Port of Call Experiences
The Lead, Product Development for Shore Excursions and Port of Call Experiences is responsible for designing tour experiences, pre and post packages, independent excursions, and other offerings that enhance the cruise vacations of guests traveling with Celebrity River Cruises. This role involves creating product recommendations and briefs with a strategic focus spanning 12 to 18 months ahead of the upcoming season or ship itinerary.
Furthermore, the Lead will assess current tours and experiences available at various ports of call or homeports to identify strengths and opportunities. Recommendations for product differentiation will be made to align with the brand’s long-term goals for guest satisfaction and revenue generation. A comprehensive understanding of the cruise and land competitive landscape, as well as the ability to identify future trends, is essential for success in this position.
In this role, you will explore both short and long-term opportunities, including pre/post-cruise travel and land vacation options. This will involve enhancing our tour offerings, along with hotel and transfer options. Additionally, opportunities may expand to include shopping experiences in port and destination-themed onboard activities.
Responsibilities & Ownership
- Develop goals based on thorough assessments, research, and site visits aimed at introducing innovative and distinctive experiences for the brand.
- Define scope for specific global regions, identify port calls, potential partnerships, and target customer segments to recommend short and long-term product opportunities.
- Collaborate closely with product owners and the management team to ensure effective execution and delivery in relation to shore excursions, cruise and land packages, and pre/post-cruise travel.
- Engage with various internal stakeholders, conduct research, and identify new opportunities while assessing the competitive landscape to drive long-term strategic product offerings.
- Implement the roadmap that includes identifying, prioritizing, structuring, and managing product goals for the relevant itineraries and regions.
- Develop robust long-term product recommendations and seek endorsement from departmental leadership.
- Create presentations and written documents on market research and competitive intelligence to inform the team’s strategic recommendations.
- Draft and present product briefs, guest experience briefs, and success criteria for tours, excursions, and packages.
- Work alongside the brand’s Destination Development, Revenue Management, and Deployment Strategy teams to promote long-term growth of destination experiences.
- Develop partnerships with new tour operators and partners in strategic regions and destinations.
- Conduct research audits, trend assessments, and SWOT analyses to identify opportunities.
- Draft product briefs that include go-to-market strategies for successful implementation across various brand stakeholders.
- Explore opportunities for enhancing onboard experiences during key itineraries or on select cruise ships.
- Include risk assessments in product strategies to ensure a comprehensive approach to recommendations.
- Serve as a brand representative during internal and external discussions, events, and projects.
- Operate with limited supervision, navigating complex environments to provide data-driven recommendations to management.
- Liaise with internal partners across various functions within the company such as Sales, Marketing, Revenue, and more.
- Support partnership discussions and negotiations with external service providers including tour operators, airlines, and hotels.
- Perform other duties as required; this job description does not encompass all duties that may be assigned by supervisors or management.
Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in tourism or a related field; a Master’s degree is a plus.
- 3-5 years of experience in the (River) cruise industry or destination product development.
- Proficient in English; additional languages are beneficial.
- Demonstrated success in fast-paced environments with tight timelines.
- Experience working within high-performing, multicultural teams.
- Strong background in project management, consumer insights, or strategy-focused roles preferred.
- Proven ability to develop and recommend executive-level product strategies.
- Willingness to travel up to 45-55% of the time.
Knowledge and Skills
- Exceptional interpersonal and communication skills, both verbal and written.
- Highly analytical with the ability to convert information into actionable strategies.
- Proactive with excellent problem-solving skills and adept at collaborating in group settings.
- Exemplary leadership skills, motivating teams and stakeholders to achieve performance goals.
- Organized and methodical in research, prioritization, and implementation.
- Strong attention to detail with effective process management capabilities.
- Exceptional project management skills with the capability to drive consensus among cross-functional teams.
- Ability to think strategically and address new, complex issues effectively.
- Outstanding storytelling skills that resonate across technical and business spheres, influencing stakeholders at all levels.
- Comfortable with ambiguity and able to work across global and matrixed organizations.
Apply online using the form below. Only applications matching the job profile will be considered.