Associate Program Director, (Cruise), Smithsonian Journeys

Smithsonian Institution•Washington, DC

6d•$100,000 - $110,000•Onsite

About The Position

This position is part of the Smithsonian Travel group, reporting into the Vice President, Programming & Revenue Management. Working as a member of the Smithsonian Travel team, this person assists in the development and execution of a travel strategy designed to build Smithsonian Journeys business. The candidate shares ongoing responsibility with members of the Smithsonian Travel team for preparing, monitoring, and achieving the annual budget for their assigned product portfolio, and for making recommendations to strengthen Smithsonian Travel’s overall program standards.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree (B.A. or B.S.) with MBA preferred
10–15 years of experience in the travel industry, with strong preference for experience in the cruise sector.
Minimum of 7+ years of working experience working with high‑profile travel or hospitality brands, including demonstrated leadership and P&L responsibility.
Proven success in managing travel programs and products, ideally including cruise programs.
Experience in travel product development, including itinerary design, vendor sourcing, or trip development.
Strong budgeting, financial analysis, and financial management skills.
Ability to build and maintain strong relationships with cruise lines, tour operators, destination management companies, and internal Smithsonian stakeholders.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
Strong negotiation skills with experience managing complex vendor agreements.
Highly organized with the ability to manage multiple major projects simultaneously in a fast‑paced environment.

Responsibilities

Manage a diverse portfolio of international and domestic cruises, including product design, pricing strategy, inventory management, quality control, and competitive positioning.
Oversee the full lifecycle of select cruise products, ensuring they meet strategic goals and align with organizational priorities.
Monitor trip performance, sales trends, and market conditions to optimize departures, allocations, and product mix for maximum revenue and guest satisfaction.
Collaborate with and support fellow programming team members with the development and management of cruise and land programs.
Responsible for achieving or exceeding financial targets for a select portfolio of cruise products, including gross revenue, operating margin, and fill rate.
Identify opportunities to enhance financial performance by adjusting inventory, modifying itineraries, or creating new departures when warranted.
Manage relationships with a portfolio of cruise lines, tour operators, airlines, and destination management companies.
Serve as a primary point of contact between select cruise partners and Smithsonian Journeys to ensure service quality, operational alignment, and contractual compliance.
Address performance issues and follow up with providers on improvements based on evaluations and feedback.
Direct all aspects of the cruise and tour proposal process—soliciting proposals, reviewing submissions, assessing quality/value, and recommending selections.
Develop and refine cruise itineraries, pricing structures, departure schedules, and agreement compliance.
Identify opportunities to integrate educational or mission‑driven programming into cruise itineraries, enhancing the guest experience and aligning with Smithsonian values.
Conduct competitive analyses to benchmark cruise programs against industry offerings and identify areas for improvement or differentiation.
Evaluate marketplace trends, consumer preferences, and competitor activity to support strategic decision‑making.
Review and approve all pre‑trip materials and communications generated by travel service providers.
Manage trip quality by analyzing customer evaluations, staff feedback, and industry developments; use insights to recommend and implement enhancements.
Partner with the Marketing team to shape branding, messaging, promotional strategies, and sales initiatives for cruise offerings.
Support development and review of marketing collateral to ensure accuracy and alignment with product design and target audiences.