Principal, Corporate Strategy

Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd•Miami, FL

3d•Onsite

About The Position

The Principal, Corporate Strategy is a senior leadership role in Royal Caribbean Group’s New Build Team, based onsite in Miami, Florida. The role shapes new ship programs in their earliest stages, before contracts are signed, by aligning brand vision, operational feasibility, and long-term business objectives. Working with brand teams, technical experts, shipyards, and corporate strategy teams, the Principal develops project business cases, guides design concept development, and establishes the project’s business and operating processes. The position launches new programs by building project organizations, defining charters and ways of working, enabling design and investment decisions, and progressing work through critical milestones and quality gates. The Principal also serves as general manager for a newbuilding project, overseeing daily operations and coordinating strategy, costing and financial management, program management, and commercial negotiations. The role leads a high-performing team, manages strategic initiatives and executive reviews, improves processes, and mentors direct reports. It acts as a key link between project disciplines and brand and corporate leadership.

Requirements

MBA or equivalent advanced business degree from a top-tier institution.
10–15 years of experience in strategy, ideally at a leading consulting firm or in a corporate strategy function.
Strong financial acumen, including quantitative analysis and ROI modeling.
Proven ability to apply structured problem-solving frameworks and develop actionable solutions.
Demonstrated success delivering executive-level presentations and translating insights into execution.
Ability to manage multiple priorities in a dynamic, fast-paced environment.
Track record of high performance, evidenced by reviews, recognition, and results.
Exceptional strategic thinking and analytical capabilities, including synthesizing complex data into clear, actionable insights.
Strong communication and influencing skills, with confidence engaging senior stakeholders.
Ability to learn quickly and connect diverse information sources to business strategy.
Deep understanding of value creation in the cruise industry and familiarity with key corporate data.
High integrity and discretion in handling confidential information.

Nice To Haves

Experience in the cruise or broader vacation industry.
Familiarity with Hyperion Studio, Essbase, SAS, or R.
Experience with M&A or equity analysis.

Responsibilities

Lead Miami-based operations for a new program under development.
Lead a cross-functional team of leaders across a matrix organization, including direct and indirect reports.
Develop project governance and charters that establish clear roles, responsibilities, and operating practices for a new program.
Monitor project health and key processes across design, technical development, financial management, and risk management.
Prepare and deliver regular written and oral project updates and presentations to executive leadership and the C-suite, capturing status, enabling decisions, and managing risks.
Oversee project financial processes and budget frameworks.
Lead risk management across all project disciplines.
Serve as the link between the project and the corporation, including Brand and Group executive leadership.
Guide commercial development, including business-case alignment and contract negotiations with the shipyard.
Develop project strategies and initiatives.
Build relationships and communicate regularly with executive stakeholders and brand customers, including VPs, SVPs, and EVPs.
Provide mentorship and daily leadership to a dedicated project core team.
Develop project business cases with corporate and brand strategy teams.
Drive ship design concept development and establish project business and operational processes.
Build the project organization and define its charter and ways of working.
Enable design and investment decisions and drive progress toward critical milestones and quality gates.
Manage high-impact initiatives, including strategic and executive reviews and continuous process improvements.
Coordinate project strategy, costing and financial functions, program management, and commercial negotiations.