Senior Manager, New Build Project Integration (Disney Cruise Line)

About the Role & Team

The Senior Manager New Build Project Integration leads the operational project scheduling and program development team for Disney Cruise Line’s (DCL) new ship building and will act as the key integrator to Walt Disney Imagineering (WDI) project teams to ensure strategic alignment between executive leadership, operations, and key partners in commercial, finance, human resources, technology, public relations and affairs teams. 

You and your team get involved from day 1 of the ship lifecycle. In this role you will be responsible for driving strategic and critical path decision making and will lead internal communications on project scope, schedule, and operational readiness.

You will be tasked with ensuring that processes are effective and efficient and will support DCL Operations and WDI project management teams to achieve project objectives and facilitate successful project completion.

This role will require you to be onsite in our London office 4 days a week with occasional travel to shipyards in Germany and DCL and WDI teams in Florida.

What You Will Do

• Management of the DCL new build project team (you will have project integration managers based in Germany, USA and the UK and a program analyst reporting into you). You lead the team  day-to-day. setting tasks and priorities, ensure consistency across projects and support your team in their professional development.

• Responsible for developing and managing project plans for our new ship building activities and reporting at all project stages – from defining milestones and critical paths to developing dependency plans across all new build sub-projects to ensure schedules, resources, risks, and issues are managed appropriately.

• Managing project objectives so the approved scope of work, including scope changes, remain within the established financial parameters and deviations are appropriately communicated and approved

• Accountable for coordinating collaborator tasks and managing deliverables providing deadlines and tracking and reporting on progress.

• Lead project contingency planning across DCL departments.

• Accountable for the delivery of the ship program throughout the entire ship lifecycle, from high level space boxology to detailed operational definition, culminating in the production of a final program book.

• Production, management and updating of the program book, which includes functional and creative design and operational details of all public, crew and stateroom spaces as well as typical ‘day in the life onboard’ scenarios.

• Ensures the program requirements are implemented into the General Arrangement planning and design development, acting as the key liaison between DCL operations and WDI project teams during each stage of the design and build process.

• Provides WDI project team with detailed operational analysis and practical evaluations of the design, and timely decisions from operations teams as well as conflict management.

• Lead and consolidate Owner Furnished Equipment (OFE) requirements for initial program and budget development.

• Lead and handle DCL operational in to service readiness planning. Accountable for providing planning and communication support for the following pre-launch activities; OFE loading, vessel commissioning team set up, crew training and costuming, logistics arrangements for crew and business traveller embarkation, handover of vessel into operation, inaugural space utilisation and broadcast support.

• Partner with Safety, Security and Environmental Compliance teams to ensure that projects comply with relevant regulations and company goals.

• Lead weekly project updates and supervise and contribute to project documentation.

• Lead the preparation of business cases, ‘needs assessments’, project analytics to assist decision making regarding future expansion.

• Review, improve and implement business processes within new build projects and ensure consistency across all new build projects.

• Support the integration and project management of Dry Dock programs as required.

Required Qualifications & Skills

• Validated successful delivery leading the project management of large hospitality newbuild or refurbishment projects; operational experience supporting PMO activities for cruise line newbuilding or dry-docking projects preferred.

• PMP qualification with significant experience acting as a project lead.

• Experience supporting ‘operational readiness’ into service delivery of new construction projects.

• Senior leadership experience leading a team and influencing functional specialists and cross-functional teams – defining priorities, clear roles and responsibilities and guiding project managers at different stages of their individual projects.

• Confident in coordinating collaborators, resolving issues, finding solutions as well as being accountable for the team prioritising their workload.

• Highly motivated self-starter able to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced work environment.

• Demonstrated strong verbal, written, presentation and public speaking skills.

• Shown ability to initiate, organise, prioritise, take and provide direction, and complete multiple tasks in a timely manner.

• Demonstrated ability to model Disney heritage, traditions and guidelines.

• Ability to be flexible with work schedule, including weekends and holidays if needed and to travel abroad for meetings.

• Ability to undertake supervisory work at shipyards, ship building or vendor construction sites.

The Perks

• 25 days annual leave

• Private medical insurance & dental care

• Free Park Entry: You will have the opportunity to enter any of our parks with your family and friends for free

• Disney Discounts: you are entitled to discounts on designated Disney products, resort F&B and ticketing

• Excellent parental and guardian leave

• Employee Resource Groups – WOMEN @ Disney, Disney DIVERSITY, Disney PRIDE, ENABLED, and our Mental Health & Wellbeing Group, TRUST.

The Walt Disney Company is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We strive to be a diverse workforce that is representative of our audiences, and where all can thrive and belong. Disney is committed to forming a team that includes and respects a variety of voices, identities, backgrounds, experiences and perspectives.

We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided the necessary accommodations to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive all benefits of employment. Please contact us to request accommodation.