Manager, Fleet IT & Cyber Security

Margaritaville at Sea • Orlando, FL

10d • Onsite

About The Position

The Manager, Fleet IT & Cyber Security is the single point of accountability for information technology and cyber security across Margaritaville at Sea’s fleet. This hands-on leadership role keeps shipboard systems operational, secure, and audit-ready. The position is part of MVAS IT and based in the Orlando office, but is primarily a travelling role, with 75–85% travel and most working time spent at the homeports and aboard the vessels. The role leads IT across all three vessels. Shipboard IT officers report solid-line to their vessel’s Master and dotted-line to this position. The manager coordinates with the ship manager (AE CMI), Masters, the Company Security Officer, and the Legal and Administration department.

The role provides dotted-line leadership to shipboard IT officers, setting technical standards and priorities, supporting their development, and ensuring they have the tools and access needed. It oversees day-to-day shipboard IT support, connectivity, fleet cyber security, incident response, vendor management, budgeting, project delivery, asset records, and compliance with company and maritime requirements. It also requires regular in-person turnaround-day visits to the vessels in Palm Beach, Tampa, and Miami, along with availability outside normal business hours for fleet incidents.

The position requires a bachelor’s degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, Cyber Security, or a related field, or equivalent experience; at least five years in IT operations and security, including at least three years leading IT for multi-site, remote, or 24/7 operations; strong technical knowledge; and demonstrated incident-response experience. Preferred qualifications include maritime, cruise, offshore, or hospitality IT experience; familiarity with maritime cyber guidance; relevant certifications; and experience with PCI DSS environments and guest-facing hospitality systems.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, Cyber Security, or a related field, or equivalent experience.
• At least 5 years of experience in IT operations and security.
• At least 3 years leading IT for multi-site, remote, or 24/7 operations.
• Strong working knowledge of networking, firewalls, endpoint security, Microsoft 365/Azure AD, backup and recovery, and remote-site connectivity.
• Demonstrated incident response experience and ability to work calmly under pressure.
• Experience owning an IT budget and managing vendors.
• Valid U.S. driver’s license.
• Willingness to travel 75–85% of the time between Orlando, West Palm Beach, Tampa, and Miami, including early-morning turnaround days, overnight stays, and weekends.
• Ability to obtain a TWIC card for access to port facilities.
• Availability outside normal business hours to respond to fleet incidents.
• Ability to walk long distances, climb stairs and ladders, and work in technical spaces during ship visits.

Nice To Haves

• Maritime, cruise, offshore, or hospitality IT experience.
• Familiarity with IMO cyber guidance, the BIMCO Guidelines on Cyber Security Onboard Ships, and IACS UR E26/E27.
• Certifications such as CISSP, CISM, CompTIA Security+, or ITIL.
• Experience with PCI DSS environments and guest-facing hospitality systems.

Responsibilities

• Provide dotted-line leadership to shipboard IT officers, set technical standards and priorities, hold regular touchpoints, contribute to performance reviews, and support hiring, training, development, and rotations.
• Ensure shipboard IT officers have the tools, spares, and access needed to perform their work; coach the fleet IT team and reinforce company culture, policies, and audit compliance.
• Report monthly to the VP, IT and Technology, and senior leadership on fleet IT performance, cyber risk, incidents, audit findings, and budget.
• Keep Masters, the Company Security Officer, Legal, and the ship manager informed of relevant matters, and address issues and risks promptly.
• Select and manage IT, connectivity, and security vendors and service providers; monitor service levels, deliverables, and timelines; ensure active contracts reviewed by Legal; and validate invoices for timely payment.
• Own the fleet IT budget, including annual budget development, spending and forecast tracking, variance explanations, and equipment lifecycle replacement planning; follow purchasing, invoicing, and financial policies.
• Plan and lead fleet IT projects, including upgrades, dry docks, and new-ship entry into service; define scope, priorities, and resources and deliver projects on time and within budget.
• Ensure shipboard systems meet company security policies and maritime cyber requirements, and incorporate security into installations, changes, and vendor connections.
• Interface daily with vessel IT officers and senior officers; triage, track, resolve, and close issues; and monitor shipboard systems, networks, and satellite/LEO and port Wi-Fi connectivity.
• Chair a weekly fleet IT and cyber call with vessels and shoreside stakeholders, issue action items, and follow up on them.
• Set and enforce fleet IT standards so all three ships use consistent configurations, procedures, and controls.
• Manage fleet cyber security, including monitoring, vulnerability management, patching, access control, backups, and incident response.
• Maintain vessel cyber risk management elements in each Safety Management System in accordance with IMO Resolution MSC.428(98) and IMO MSC-FAL.1/Circ.3 guidance, and support ISM, flag, and class audits.
• Lead responses to shipboard cyber incidents, coordinate with the Company Security Officer, Legal, and outside providers, and preserve evidence.
• Protect guest and crew data and onboard payment systems, supporting privacy and PCI DSS obligations; deliver cyber awareness training and drills for shipboard crew and officers.
• Conduct regular in-person turnaround-day visits to Paradise at Port of Palm Beach, Islander at Port Tampa Bay, and Beachcomber at PortMiami; inspect equipment and technical spaces, verify controls, reconcile inventory, support installations and upgrades, and meet with the IT officer and Master.
• Document ship visits, findings, corrective actions, and owners.
• Maintain a complete, current vessel-by-vessel log of IT equipment and software licenses, including location, serial number, condition, warranty, and lifecycle date; control equipment movement, replacement, and secure disposal, including data-wiping retired devices.
• Maintain records of changes, incidents, and maintenance to keep the fleet audit-ready.
• Resolve IT incidents promptly, identify and fix recurring issues, perform root-cause analysis on priority incidents, and implement corrective actions to prevent recurrence.
• Maintain and update fleet IT and cyber security policies and procedures; evaluate tools, vendors, and practices against industry standards and introduce improvements that increase reliability and reduce cost.
• Support an ethical and compliant culture through integrity, honesty, respectful treatment, and speaking up about misconduct or concerns.

Benefits

• Cost-effective medical, dental, and vision plans.
• Employee Assistance Program and other mental health resources.
• Company-paid term life insurance and disability coverage.
• 401(k) plan with company match.
• Monthly car allowance and reimbursement of reasonable business travel expenses for this role.
• 10 company-wide holidays and 2 floating holidays.
• 15 days of vacation per year.
• Complimentary stand-by cruises, employee discounts on confirmed cruises, and special rates for family and friends.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Manager