Manager, Special Projects

Carnival Corporation•Miami, FL

1d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Manager, Special Projects manages the planning and execution of fleet technical, environmental, safety, and energy-saving projects. Working with company operations departments, shipboard senior management, contractors, shipyards, classification societies, and technical teams, the role ensures projects are completed safely, within approved budgets, and on agreed schedules. It works closely with Technical Operations Electrical and Automation to ensure proper engineering and integration with other fleet initiatives, and manages onboard Fleet Project Managers whose team size varies according to project needs. The role supports electrical engineering and development of fleet energy-reduction, safety, and environmental projects in coordination with corporate strategies. It collaborates with company brands and Carnival Corporate teams to improve efficiency and streamline processes, and engages shipboard personnel early to support understanding and adoption of sustainability initiatives. The Manager takes assigned projects from concept through planning, funding, engineering, procurement, installation, commissioning, training, and handover. Responsibilities include selecting vendors and stakeholders, defining scopes of work, controlling project spending, securing required resources, leading cross-functional teams, and contributing to research and development. Projects may have capital plan values up to approximately $2.0 million each. The position is classified as in-office: employees work from a designated Princess office Monday through Thursday and may work from home on Fridays. Travel is less than 25%, with shipboard travel likely. Work outside normal business hours or on weekends may occasionally be required. The role involves remaining stationary at a desk and/or computer for extended periods; reasonable adjustments will be offered.

Requirements

Associate degree in Engineering.
Bachelor's degree in Engineering.
Project management training or certification.
At least 5 years of experience in the cruise ship, naval, or offshore industry in technical and commercial leadership, marine operations, and project management.
Proficiency with business computer applications and project planning and management tools.
Understanding of project commercial cost analysis and negotiation.
Strong written and oral communication skills for presenting, negotiating, and resolving technical, interpersonal, and commercial matters.
Self-starter able and willing to participate in a mix of remote or home working and office visits for collaboration events.
Ability to multitask and work under pressure to meet agreed project and logistics deadlines.
Strong interpersonal and relationship-building skills; leads through empowerment.
Demonstrated leadership, decision-making, communication, and empowerment skills to work with shipboard and shoreside management, employees, shipyards, and vendors.
Ability to exhibit leadership through communication, empowerment, motivation, and perseverance, and to use empathy and negotiation to manage conflicting business priorities.
Occasional work beyond normal business hours or on weekends may be required.
Ability to remain stationary at a desk and/or computer for extended periods; reasonable adjustments will be offered.

Nice To Haves

Marine Electro-Technical Officer Certification – Class 1.
Marine Engineer Certification – Class 1.
PMP Certificate.
Background in the maritime industry and electro-technical engineering, with experience in both seagoing and shoreside managerial roles.

Responsibilities

Support the development and management of projects and project personnel in alignment with company and regulatory requirements.
Lead and contribute to project planning, definition, and execution, ensuring compliance with company policies, procedures, maritime legislation, flag-state requirements, and classification society requirements.
Provide oversight and guidance to project team members, set expectations, monitor performance, and ensure work is carried out safely, efficiently, and to quality standards.
Monitor project progress and action plans, and provide regular updates to senior management.
Track schedules, budgets, risks, and deliverables across concurrent projects; prepare progress reports, dashboards, and variance analyses and recommend corrective actions.
Coordinate suppliers, contractors, shipyards, and multidisciplinary departments ashore and onboard; ensure stakeholders understand project scope, technical requirements, timelines, and deliverables, and drive issue resolution.
Prepare, review, and compile regulatory documents, engineering drawings, and technical plans for classification society submission; follow up on comments and revisions to secure plan approval.
Assess project risks, technical challenges, and stakeholder feedback; provide recommendations and maintain effective communication to resolve issues and preserve project continuity and compliance.
Conduct onboard surveys, inspections, and condition assessments; attend dry-dock periods as required, oversee work, verify specifications, and coordinate corrective actions.
Collaborate with technical and operational counterparts across corporate brands to evaluate technologies and project concepts, identify efficiencies, standardize best practices, and develop cost-saving or value-generating solutions.
Coordinate with shipboard management, shipyards, contractors, and classification representatives to ensure project solutions are technically sound, operationally feasible, safely implemented, and integrated into shipboard operations.
Lead electrical engineering processes and project design from development through installation, commissioning, and onboard operations; ensure projects align with brand strategies and vision.
Support development of team procedures and processes and research new emissions-reduction, environmental, and sustainability initiatives with internal teams and external suppliers, contractors, and consultants.
Own assigned projects from conceptual design through execution, including planning, funding requests, vendor selection, scopes of work, subcontracting, cost control, procurement, logistics, installation, commissioning, training, and handover.
Define project resource requirements and request personnel and skills needed; build and manage cross-functional teams, including shipboard personnel and dotted-line contributors, through project completion.
Contribute technical and practical input to team research and development activities.
Participate in a mix of remote or home working and office collaboration, and travel as required, including likely shipboard travel.