Director, HVAC-R Systems

Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd•Miami, FL

3d•Onsite

About The Position

Royal Caribbean Group’s Global Marine Operations Team is hiring a full-time Director, HVAC-R, based onsite in Miami, Florida. The Director sets technical and strategic direction for heating, ventilation, air-conditioning and refrigeration systems across the fleet, leading the teams that support them. The role is accountable for system performance, reliability, compliance, energy efficiency and lifecycle management, and directs major repairs, dry-dock scopes, modernization and retrofit programs. The Director leads technical HVAC managers and engineers, develops long-range fleet strategy, and manages a multi-million-dollar project and capital expenditure portfolio. The position reports to the SVP, Global Marine Operations. It includes leadership of the shore-side HVAC team and functional guidance for shipboard HVAC and refrigeration personnel across the fleet. The Director owns the fleet HVAC operating budget, spare-parts planning and long-term service agreements, and recommends annual budget plans. The role requires extensive international travel to shipyards and vessels. Applicants must be legally authorized to work where the role is based; the position is not eligible for immigration or work-visa sponsorship for applicants other than current employees.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Marine Engineering or a related discipline, or equivalent maritime qualifications.
20+ years of technical HVAC and refrigeration expertise in maritime, industrial or commercial settings.
15+ years leading and providing strategic direction to technical project teams and managing people, including recent senior management experience.
Proven record delivering large-scale HVAC projects and programs, including dry-dock, retrofit, modernization and capital projects, with full budget and schedule accountability.
Deep knowledge of large-scale chillers, air-handling units, provision and air-conditioning compressors, control systems and energy-efficient HVAC technologies.
Experience with fleet technical management, maintenance planning, and classification society and regulatory engagement, including IMO, SOLAS and MARPOL.
Strategic mindset, including the ability to define problems, analyze data, establish facts and draw valid conclusions.
Strong project and program management foundation, including risk, vendor and stakeholder management.
Excellent interpersonal, written and spoken English communication skills, with the ability to influence at all levels in a multicultural environment.
Proactive, organized and able to take initiative, with proven leadership of technical teams.
Working knowledge of Microsoft Word, Excel and email, and proficiency with condition-monitoring and fleet-management software.
Strong ability and willingness to travel extensively internationally to shipyards and vessels.
Legally authorized to work in the location where the position is based.

Nice To Haves

Advanced degree or MBA.
Certification in HVAC or refrigeration systems.
Project management certification, such as PMP.
Familiarity with maritime environmental and efficiency technologies.
Experience in HVAC and refrigeration on passenger ships.

Responsibilities

Define and execute a multi-year fleet HVAC strategy covering reliability, energy efficiency, obsolescence, lifecycle replacement and decarbonization goals.
Translate company priorities into HVAC roadmaps, KPIs and capital plans, and report progress to senior leadership.
Evaluate emerging HVAC and refrigeration technologies, lead pilot and test programs with ship personnel, and approve fleetwide adoption.
Serve as the senior subject-matter expert and escalation point for complex HVAC technical issues.
Lead, coach and develop HVAC managers, engineers and specialists; set objectives and manage performance.
Build succession plans and training pathways for shore-side HVAC staff and shipboard personnel, including promotion candidates for Chief Refrigeration Engineer.
Observe and evaluate shipboard HVAC work procedures to ensure quality and service standards.
Foster a proactive, accountable, safety-first culture across a multicultural, geographically distributed workforce.
Direct major HVAC repairs, upgrades, modernization, retrofit and capital projects, including dry-dock and revitalization scopes.
Own project governance for scope, schedule, budget, risk, resourcing and stakeholder reporting from concept through close-out and warranty follow-up.
Lead CAPEX and CAR projects, including multi-million-dollar HVAC system investments.
Support newbuild ship projects with system specifications, testing and warranty follow-up.
Oversee vendor selection, OEM relationships, long-term service agreements and contractor performance; review OEM technical bulletins and ensure fleetwide implementation of required actions.
Provide advanced technical guidance to Global Marine Technology, Ship Managers and senior onboard leadership, including first- and second-level support for HVAC and refrigeration systems.
Oversee HVAC machinery overhauls and repairs, including air-conditioning and provision compressors, chillers, heat exchangers, air handlers, and duct cleaning and repair.
Manage lifecycle strategies, obsolescence planning and reliability improvements; drive system uptime and energy savings.
Direct investigations of technical failures, define corrective and preventive actions, and communicate lessons learned fleetwide.
Maintain regular communication with senior stakeholders and respond promptly to feedback from the fleet.
Ensure vessels operate in accordance with applicable regulations and company policies, with attention to safety, security and environmental protection.
Work with classification societies and regulatory bodies to ensure compliance with IMO, SOLAS, MARPOL and class requirements.
Oversee ship visits, inspections and risk assessments; monitor conditions of class, audit findings and non-conformities to ensure timely closure.
Ensure audit follow-up and effective use of the MBQ onboard.
Prepare technical reports, performance analyses and efficiency recommendations for executive review.
Own the fleet HVAC operating budget, spare-parts planning and long-term service agreements, and make recommendations for annual budget planning.
Lead CAPEX and CAR projects with accountability for business cases, cost control and return on investment.