Senior Analyst, Expedition Operations

About the job

Journey with us! Combine your career goals and sense of adventure by joining our incredible team of employees at Royal Caribbean Group. We are proud to offer a competitive compensation and benefits package, and excellent career development opportunities, each offering unique ways to explore the world.

We are proud to be the vacation-industry leader with global brands — including Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises and Silversea Cruises — the most innovative fleet and private destinations, and the best people. Together, we are dedicated to turning the vacation of a lifetime into a lifetime of vacations for our guests.

This position will be working onsite from Miami.

Position Summary:

The Lead, Expedition Learning & Development leads the planning, governance, and delivery of expedition learning, development, gear, uniform, technology, and operational equipment programs that support safe, effective, and consistent field operations across the expedition fleet. This role applies strong PMO discipline to program calendars, milestones, risks, dependencies, budgets, and stakeholder accountability; builds dashboards and reporting for senior and executive leadership; and shapes practical, scalable training and field-readiness programs for remote operating environments.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

Program Leadership, Learning and Development

• Own and manage program calendars, critical timelines, milestones, risks, and dependencies to ensure work is delivered on time, within scope, and with clear accountability.

• Identify training, development, equipment, and operational-readiness needs by analyzing performance data, field feedback, supplier performance, business priorities, and expedition program requirements.

• Partner with the Senior Manager and expedition leadership to develop and improve training strategies, field-readiness programs, gear standards, and operational-support processes.

• Evaluate outcomes, capture lessons learned, and implement practical enhancements that improve effectiveness, safety, and consistency.

• Facilitate training sessions, webinars, and presentations as needed, representing the brand with professionalism, operational credibility, and confidence.

• Support strategic initiatives such as RCG DLS integration and development, leadership training programs, and set-piece training events.

Events, Logistics and Execution Support

• Manage training-related events and logistics, including timelines, stakeholder coordination, global vendor sourcing and contract negotiations, and supply ordering.

• Work with the Senior Field Staff Trainer to ensure seamless execution of in-person and onboard training programs.

• Travel to various destinations and assist with onsite logistics when necessary.

• Provide day-to-day operational coordination by tracking deliverables, monitoring deadlines, and ensuring follow-through.

• Support distribution and coordination of work across the team, ensuring balanced workloads and alignment with priorities.

• Ensure required forms, reports, and documentation are completed consistently and accurately.

Fleet Expedition Gear, Uniforms and Equipment Management

• Lead fleet-wide strategy and management for expedition gear, uniforms, technology, medical-response supplies, and operational equipment across three expedition vessels, ensuring inventory supports safety, field performance, guest experience, and deployment schedules.

• Develop and maintain a long-term gear and uniform strategy, including product standards, replacement cycles, supplier roadmaps, innovation opportunities, and capital or operating budget requirements.

• Ensure expedition staff are protected with appropriate outdoor gear and have access to practical field tools and operational technology.

• Build and maintain inventory dashboards, fleet tracking tools, and reporting models covering stock levels, usage trends, order status, delivery timelines, shortages, budget impact, and replenishment needs.

• Coordinate with shipboard personnel and expedition leadership to assess inventory levels, equipment condition, product performance, fit, durability, and operational suitability.

• Forecast demand and manage ordering cycles to support seasonal deployments, dry docks, new programs, and vessel-specific operational requirements.

• Partner with Procurement, Logistics, Finance, Medical, IT, and shipboard teams on purchase orders, supplier readiness, shipment tracking, invoice flow, technology needs, and delivery of goods to each vessel.

• Lead product review, testing, and selection for new or redesigned uniforms, expedition gear, and operational equipment, including supplier mockups, staff feedback, cost analysis, and executive review.

• Evaluate supplier performance and alternatives to improve safety, quality, consistency, availability, sustainability, cost control, and operational effectiveness.

• Identify supply-chain, inventory, product-quality, budget, and field-readiness risks and develop mitigation plans to support uninterrupted operations.

Stakeholder Collaboration and Communications

• Collaborate with the Recruitment and Field Staffing Team to provide new-hire onboarding support.

• Manage the strategic partner relationship with the Polar Tourism Guides Association.

• Partner with the Senior Manager to draft and coordinate clear, consistent training communications.

• Collaborate with Marketing, Communications, Creative, and external vendors to develop and execute materials and content.

• Coordinate development of training materials aligned with brand and RCG standards.

• Coordinate creation and publication of the Silver Seafarer newsletter according to the defined schedule.

Data, Reporting, Budget and Resource Management

• Design, build, and maintain dashboards and tracking tools that consolidate training, readiness, inventory, equipment, supplier, budget, and operational-performance data into clear, usable reporting.

• Track and report training attendance, completion rates, engagement, survey results, staff readiness, gear availability, equipment gaps, order status, supplier performance, and spend against budget.

• Use RCGU, Excel, Smartsheet, Power BI, and other platforms to provide accurate, timely, decision-ready information.

• Prepare regular senior- and executive-leadership updates summarizing progress, risks, trends, budget position, operational impact, and required decisions.

• Translate field feedback, data trends, and operational requirements into recommendations that improve training, gear standards, procurement planning, and expedition readiness.

• Manage and control budgets for training programs, expedition gear, uniforms, technology, operational equipment, supplier contracts, and related field-support needs.

• Develop annual and seasonal forecasts based on vessel deployment plans, staffing levels, ordering cycles, replacement schedules, supplier lead times, and new operational requirements.

• Track committed and actual spend, monitor variances, identify cost pressures early, and recommend corrective actions or trade-offs.

• Support vendor sourcing, contract discussions, pricing reviews, supplier-performance management, purchase orders, invoice processing, and supplier payments.

• Leverage Microsoft Copilot and other AI tools to improve tracking, reporting, content development, workflow efficiency, and decision support.

Qualifications, Knowledge and Skills:

• Bachelor’s degree required; a focus in Training, Organizational Development, Project Management, Business Administration, Hospitality, Tourism, or a related field is preferred.

• Minimum of five years of experience in learning and development, expedition operations, project management, logistics, procurement, program management, or a related operational field.

• Demonstrated experience managing cross-functional programs with multiple stakeholders, timelines, budgets, risks, and deliverables.

• Experience building dashboards, tracking tools, reporting routines, and executive-level updates using Excel, Smartsheet, Power BI, or similar platforms.

• Experience with budget tracking, forecasting, vendor coordination, purchase orders, invoice flow, and supplier management.

• Experience coordinating inventory management, procurement, logistics, supplier relationships, uniforms, outdoor gear, technology, or shipboard operational-supply programs is strongly preferred.

• Expedition cruising, adventure travel, field operations, polar operations, or remote-destination experience is strongly preferred.

• Approximately 15% travel required.

• Strong PMO capability, including structuring work, managing timelines, identifying risks, tracking dependencies, driving accountability, and maintaining momentum across complex initiatives.

• Deep working knowledge of training and development principles, expedition cruising, field operations, and the practical needs of expedition teams in remote environments.

• Strong analytical skills and the ability to turn field feedback, operational data, inventory trends, and budget performance into practical recommendations.

• Advanced Excel, PowerPoint, Smartsheet, and Power BI skills, including polished presentation development and management of large data sets.

• Strong knowledge of inventory planning, demand forecasting, ordering cycles, supplier management, logistics coordination, and budget tracking.

• Ability to evaluate outdoor gear, uniforms, operational equipment, technology, and medical-response products based on safety, field performance, durability, quality, availability, cost, and user feedback.

• Strong communication and stakeholder-management skills, with the ability to influence, align, and hold teams accountable while maintaining collaboration.

• Familiarity with learning-management systems and digital-learning tools, including RCGU, Rise 360, webinar platforms, Teams, and similar tools.

• Experience with Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign to support visually engaging training materials is preferred.

• Experience using Microsoft Copilot or similar AI tools to improve efficiency, automate processes, build content, and support reporting.

• Strong attention to detail, accountability, urgency, and follow-through.

We know there’s a lot to consider. As you go through the application process, our recruiters will be glad to provide guidance and more relevant details to answer any additional questions. Thank you again for your interest in Royal Caribbean Group. We hope to see you onboard soon!

No immigration sponsorship is offered.

Agency and Third-Party Submissions: Please note this is a direct search by the Company, and applications through agencies and other third parties will not be accepted, nor will fees be paid for unsolicited resumes. Any unsolicited resumes will be considered the Company’s property.

It is the policy of the Company to ensure equal employment and promotion opportunity to qualified candidates without discrimination or harassment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, sexuality, gender identity or expression, marital status, or any other characteristic protected by law. Royal Caribbean Group and each of its subsidiaries prohibit and will not tolerate discrimination or harassment.