Sr Manager, Entertainment Operations

Job ID 10110317 Location Celebration, Florida, United States Business Disney Cruise Line Date posted Jan. 09, 2025

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Job Summary:

About the Role & Team

Every day at Disney Cruise Line we take pride in bringing the magic of Disney to life. We find joy in creating cherished memories and form genuine connections with our guests. We hold each other to the highest degree and always act responsibly while ensuring the safety of fellow crew and guests. United by our Disney values, we work toward excellence in all we do. As a part of our team, you can live and work in a diverse and inclusive environment amidst a professional and supportive community. If you are ready to create unforgettable experiences and grow as a person and as a professional, apply today!

Do you have a passion for leading teams that make a difference with our Guest and Crew experience? Do you empower others to deliver experiences that resonate for diverse Guests, including underrepresented audiences? Do you enjoy inspiring groups of people to bring entertainment experiences to life for all ages, including young children and ‘the young at heart’? Then, this may be the role for you.

As the Sr. Manager, Shipwide Entertainment and Character Operations for Disney Cruise Line, you will play an essential part in the day-to-day delivery of entertainment experiences by leading, collaborating and empowering leaders at Disney Cruise Line and other Disney Signature Experiences partners to deliver and sustain the best entertainment experiences in the world. You will provide operational leadership for all of Disney Cruise Line’s Shipwide Entertainment and Character operation teams and functions (ship and shore). Safety and security of our guests and crew is our first priority. With this in mind, you will develop, execute, and sustain the operational vision of Shipwide Entertainment and Character Operations, leveraging the overall strategic vision of Disney Cruise Line Entertainment. Your responsibility will be to translate and integrate the vision into strategic operating plans focused on innovation and continuous process improvements. Plans should drive enhanced Guest, Crew/Cast safety features, overall experience and financial results within Youth Activities, taking into account the current competitive environment and growing expectations of our fleet.

What You Will Do

Manage the shipwide entertainment and Character operations product and monitor for brand integrity and show quality, consistency of content and delivery, meeting safety and regulatory requirements, opportunities to refresh the product, operation and experience for our Guests, and the impact on staffing/product.
Serve as primary point of contact for onboard Assistant Cruise Directors to verify that they have the shore support they need to be effective and to create an exceptional, integrated Guest, Crew, and Cast experience.
As the primary change agent for Shipwide Entertainment and Character Operations, take calculated risks to integrate processes, remove barriers for your teams and align team performance goals. Influence key partners and Crew/Cast to ensure execution of the strategic plans.
Serve as functional subject matter expertise to shore and shipboard leadership.
Manage all financial profit and operating expenses including revenue generation, cost containment and resource optimization for Shipwide Entertainment and Character operations.
Oversee budgets, labor management, etc. Actively contribute to the preparation of the annual operating plan.
Drive innovation and optimization efforts as a leader and support the Disney Cruise Line Entertainment mindset to see to seamless and continuous Guest experiences.
Interpret and utilize metrics and operations indicators to measure, motivate and enhance performance for Shipwide Entertainment and Character operations.
Partner with HR on the selection, hiring, and retention of all onboard positions that interact with Adult and Family programming, including weekly reviews of staffing rotations as well as recruiting trips/trip support for key positions.
Maintain ongoing shipboard communication and respond immediately to urgent ship requests relating to Shipwide Entertainment and Character Operations.
Drive relationships with Synergy and Participant Marketing teams and effectively partner to create and implement opportunities to leverage these affiliations to elevate the onboard/island products.
Oversee execution and compliance of shipboard leadership for all forms, collateral materials, documentation, checklists, procedures, policies and policy changes. Provide research, documentation and communications support as necessary.
Ensure shipboard and shoreside teams have the necessary resources and materials to enable workstreams and delivery of shipboard/island product.
Serve as a representative of the Disney brand.
Foster a positive environment that builds community and trust by delivering on the Five Keys and modeling Disney Leadership Behaviors. Serve as a leader model of excellence.
Partner with appropriate shipboard and shoreside leaders to follow up on Guest issues and suggestions. Carefully review Guest Comment cards, GSM comment summaries, GSM results, Voyage Incident Reports. Research, resolve and communicate resolution.
For areas of responsibility, oversee documentation and updates of SMS guidance affecting safety and environmental matters, LOG guidance, and any other processes, policies, and procedures that affect the onboard/island product in accordance to internal and external audits or operational feedback.

Required Qualifications & Skills

Minimum 10 or more years’ experience in the entertainment, hospitality, or cruise industry operations experience is required.
Leadership experience including but not limited to coaching and mentoring skills that will inspire Crew at all levels.
Experience integrating the Entertainment experience in partnership with multiple lines of business.
Passion for character and show integrity that supports the Disney Brand.
Proven ability to initiate, organize, prioritize, take and provide direction, and complete multiple tasks in a timely manner.
Highly motivated self-starter able to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced work environment.
Proven ability to initiate, organize, prioritize, take and provide direction, and complete multiple tasks in a timely manner.
Successful ability to create & maintain effective relationships with key partners, vendors, contractors, and industry organizations.
Demonstrated strong verbal, written, presentation and public speaking skills with proven experience integrating with all levels of the organization
Knowledge of best practices and innovative industry and youth trends.
Demonstrated strong negotiation, delegation, and partnering skills.
Demonstrated problem solving and continuous improvement process skills.
Demonstrated strong coaching and mentoring skills.
Demonstrated ability to work in a team environment with strong interpersonal skills and positive demeanor.
Demonstrated ability to model Disney heritage, traditions and guidelines.
Ability to be flexible with work schedule inclusive of travel, weekends, and holidays.

Preferred Qualifications & Skills

Minimum 5 years cruise industry entertainment leadership experience.

Education

College degree or related schooling associated with entertainment, or related field of study.

#DCLPJ

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About Disney Cruise Line:

A leader in the cruise industry, Disney Cruise Line provides a setting where families can reconnect, adults can recharge and children can experience all the magic that Disney has to offer. Guests can sail out of ports around the world on exciting itineraries to the Caribbean, Bahamas, Alaska and Europe, among others. Aboard our growing fleet of ships and Disney’s island destinations in The Bahamas, our exceptional crew and cast members provide legendary Disney service and enchanting entertainment to our guests that only Disney can deliver.

About The Walt Disney Company:

The Walt Disney Company, together with its subsidiaries and affiliates, is a leading diversified international family entertainment and media enterprise that includes three core business segments: Disney Entertainment, ESPN, and Disney Experiences. From humble beginnings as a cartoon studio in the 1920s to its preeminent name in the entertainment industry today, Disney proudly continues its legacy of creating world-class stories and experiences for every member of the family. Disney’s stories, characters and experiences reach consumers and guests from every corner of the globe. With operations in more than 40 countries, our employees and cast members work together to create entertainment experiences that are both universally and locally cherished.

This position is with Magical Cruise Company, Limited, which is part of a business we call Disney Cruise Line.

Magical Cruise Company, Limited is an equal opportunity employer. Applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, ancestry, age, marital status, military or veteran status, medical condition, genetic information or disability, or any other basis prohibited by federal, state or local law. Disney champions a business environment where ideas and decisions from all people help us grow, innovate, create the best stories and be relevant in a constantly evolving world.

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Explore this Location Celebration, FL

The picture-perfect community of Celebration, 25 minutes southwest of Orlando, is a place like no other. Founded by The Walt Disney Company in the 1990s and named one of Forbes Magazine’s prettiest neighborhoods in America, Celebration features an idyllic downtown with architecture inspired by traditional Southern towns.