Senior Manager, Brand Content

Holland America Line has been exploring the world since 1873. Our ships offer innovative features and enriching experiences focused on destination exploration and personalized travel, inviting guests to savor the journey. 

The Senior Brand Content Manager at Holland America Line is responsible for designing, scaling, and activating the brand’s content systems to ensure cohesive, consistent, and high‑impact storytelling across guest touchpoints. This role translates brand narrative and long‑term strategic priorities into repeatable, insight‑driven content frameworks that can be efficiently activated across social media, onboard experiences, sales enablement, integrated campaigns, and partnerships. The Senior Brand Content Manager owns the development and evolution of core brand content architecture and ownable brand IP, establishing standards that guide how stories are structured, reused, and optimized over time. Working closely with Creative Services, Integrated Marketing, PR, Social, Partnerships, and agency partners, this role ensures content systems are effectively activated and aligned to brand and business objectives. The position plays a critical role in identifying gaps, inefficiencies, or risks in brand storytelling execution and resolving them independently. This role also champions the use of emerging technologies, including AI, to improve scalability, accelerate production, and enhance storytelling effectiveness. The ideal candidate brings deep expertise in brand storytelling and content systems, along with strong judgment and the ability to operate confidently in ambiguity. Success in this role enables teams to execute brand storytelling more consistently, efficiently, and at a higher standard across the organization.

Here’s a summary of what Holland America Line is looking for. Is this you? 

Responsibilities:

• Brand Content Architecture & System Design: Own the design, documentation, and ongoing evolution of Holland America Line’s brand content systems to enable consistent storytelling at scale. Translate high‑level brand strategy into structured, reusable content frameworks that guide how stories are built, deployed, and refreshed over time. Define and maintain standards for narrative structure, tone, modularity, and reuse channels and guest touchpoints. Establish clear criteria for what constitutes ownable brand IP versus campaign‑specific or one‑off content. Ensure content systems are adaptable across regions, platforms, and formats while preserving brand integrity. Integrate measurement frameworks that allow teams to evaluate effectiveness and inform iteration. Proactively identify opportunities to simplify, streamline, or strengthen existing content structures. Partner with Brand leadership to ensure systems remain aligned with evolving enterprise priorities. Champion the thoughtful integration of emerging technologies, including AI, to improve scalability and longevity of brand content systems.

• Brand Content Activation & Cross‑Functional Execution: Lead the activation of brand content systems across social media, onboard experiences, sales enablement, and integrated marketing campaigns. Partner closely with Creative Services, Integrated Marketing, PR, Social, Itinerary Planning, Revenue Operations, and agency teams to translate frameworks into executable plans. Guide execution from concept through delivery, ensuring work aligns with established standards, timelines, and performance expectations. Provide clarity and direction to teams operating within shared or matrixed ownership models. Anticipate executional risks, resource constraints, or misalignment and resolve them independently to maintain momentum. Ensure deliverables remain true to brand intent while accommodating operational realities. Leverage performance insights to refine activation approaches and improve impact. Balance near‑term execution needs with long‑term system integrity. Enable teams to execute efficiently without requiring constant oversight or rework.

• Partnership & Experiential Storytelling Enablement: Translate approved partnerships into cohesive brand storytelling that reinforces core narratives rather than functioning as standalone executions. Shape partnership activations into integrated experiences across marketing, onboard, and experiential touchpoints. Provide strategic guidance on how partners are incorporated into brand stories while protecting brand equity and guest trust. Own content planning, timelines, asset requirements, and approval processes related to partnership storytelling. Collaborate with internal stakeholders and external partners to ensure alignment on objectives, roles, and deliverables. Evaluate partnership content performance and identify opportunities to enhance storytelling depth and resonance. Ensure partnership content ladders up to broader brand systems and priorities. Address gaps or risks in partnership execution proactively. Enable consistent, high‑quality partnership storytelling without increasing operational complexity.

• Social Media Brand Storytelling Oversight: Provide strategic oversight for organic social media as a distribution and amplification channel for brand storytelling. Ensure brand content systems translate effectively to platform‑specific formats while maintaining narrative consistency. Guide how social content supports larger storytelling initiatives rather than operating independently. Review performance trends, audience insights, and platform dynamics to inform iteration and planning. Identify opportunities to test emerging formats, tools, or AI‑enabled capabilities to expand reach and engagement. Translate insights into clear recommendations that improve future content effectiveness. Partner with Social and Creative teams to align priorities and execution. Maintain a focus on quality, relevance, and brand voice across platforms. Support scalable social storytelling without assuming day‑to‑day channel ownership.

• Operational Leadership, Optimization & Influence: Operate as a trusted advisor within the brand organization, providing clarity, structure, and direction across complex initiatives. Identify inefficiencies, duplication, or gaps in how brand storytelling is executed and implement practical solutions. Apply sound judgment to balance creative ambition, performance goals, and available resources. Influence cross‑functional stakeholders through clear rationale, data‑informed recommendations, and executive‑ready communication. Support budget, vendor, and tool considerations related to content systems and activation. Guide teams through ambiguity by establishing priorities and decision frameworks. Model accountability, professionalism, and collaboration in all interactions. Encourage experimentation and continuous improvement while maintaining brand standards. Strengthen organizational capability by enabling others to execute brand storytelling more effectively.

Knowledge & Skills:

• Scope: The Senior Brand Content Manager operates within the Brand Marketing organization, supporting Holland America Line across shoreside teams and fleet‑related guest touchpoints. The role has broad reach across marketing, partnerships, onboard experiences, and sales enablement, influencing how brand stories are expressed across multiple channels and moments in the guest journey. Responsibilities span both ongoing brand platforms and priority initiatives, requiring coordination across internal teams and external partners. The role partners closely with Creative Services, Integrated Marketing, Public Relations, Social Media, Itinerary Planning, and Revenue Operations to align brand storytelling with guest experience and commercial priorities. The position functions in a matrixed environment where ownership is shared and clarity of direction is essential. Decisions made within this scope influence execution quality and organizational efficiency across multiple teams.

• Problem solving: This role addresses complex and often ambiguous challenges related to scaling brand storytelling across diverse teams, platforms, and timelines. Problem solving requires synthesizing brand priorities, performance insights, operational constraints, and stakeholder input to determine effective paths forward. The role anticipates risks such as misalignment, duplication, or inconsistent execution and intervenes proactively. Solutions often involve designing sustainable approaches rather than one‑time fixes. The position regularly balances competing priorities, resource limitations, and long‑term brand considerations. Challenges are rarely prescriptive and frequently require independent judgment. The role identifies patterns, gaps, or opportunities that may not be immediately visible to others. Effective problem solving ensures momentum is maintained without compromising brand standards.

• Impact: The Senior Brand Content Manager has a meaningful impact on how consistently and efficiently the organization delivers brand storytelling. By enabling structured and repeatable approaches, the role improves execution quality across multiple guest touchpoints. The position helps reduce fragmentation, rework, and inefficiencies across teams. Its influence strengthens alignment between brand expression and business priorities. Over time, the role contributes to higher standards within the brand content discipline. The impact extends across functions rather than being isolated within a single channel. Decisions made in this role shape how teams collaborate and operate. The cumulative effect supports stronger brand equity and more effective use of resources.

• Leadership: This role requires strong people leadership combined with the ability to lead through influence in a matrixed organization. The role partners closely with Creative Services, Integrated Marketing, Public Relations, Social Media, Itinerary Planning, and Revenue Operations to align stakeholders and resolve dependencies. Beyond direct management, the position guides cross‑functional teams and agency partners without formal authority. Leadership is demonstrated through sound judgment and thoughtful decision‑making. The role models accountability, professionalism, and collaboration across teams. Effective leadership in this position builds clarity, trust, and sustained momentum.         

Requirements 

• Bachelor’s degree in Marketing, Communications, Business, or a related field, or equivalent professional experience.

• Minimum of 8 years of professional experience in brand content, storytelling, marketing, media, or related disciplines within a consumer‑facing organization.

• Demonstrated experience working in a matrixed organizational environment with multiple stakeholders.

• Proven ability to operate independently with accountability for outcomes and decision‑making.

• Familiarity with workplace policies, procedures, and professional standards applicable to a corporate environment.

• Working knowledge of collaboration tools and platforms used to manage cross‑functional work and agency relationships.

• Demonstrated experience designing, implementing, or operationalizing brand content frameworks or systems that scale across multiple channels and touchpoints.

• Proven experience translating strategic brand direction into structured, actionable approaches that enable consistent execution.

• Experience partnering closely with cross‑functional teams such as Creative, Integrated Marketing, Social, Public Relations, and commercial or operational teams.

• Demonstrated ability to manage complex initiatives involving competing priorities, ambiguity, and interdependencies.

• Experience using data, insights, or performance indicators to inform decisions and optimize outcomes.

• Proven capability to identify inefficiencies or gaps and implement practical, sustainable solutions.

• Experience managing or influencing external partners, vendors, or agencies to deliver work aligned with brand and business objectives.

• Demonstrated people leadership experience, including coaching, prioritization, and performance support for direct reports or project team members.

Travel: Less than 25% with shipboard travel likely

Work Conditions: Work primarily in a climate-controlled environment with minimal safety/health hazard potential.

Physical Demands: Must be able to remain in a stationary position at a desk and/or computer for extended periods of time.

This position is classified as “in-office.”  As an in-office role, it requires employees to work from Holland America Line's office in Seattle Monday through Thursday each week. 

What You Can Expect  

• Cruise and Travel Privileges for You and Your Family 
• Health Benefits 
• 401(k)  
• Employee Stock Purchase Plan  
• Training & Professional Development 
• Tuition & Professional Certification Reimbursement 
• Base Salary Range: $88,100 to $119,000 The range is applicable for the labor market where the role is intended to be hired. Final base salary is directly related to each candidate’s qualifications and experience uniquely. 

Our Culture…Stronger Together 

Our highest responsibility and top priority is compliance, environmental protection and the health, safety and well-being of our guests, the people in the communities we touch and serve, and our shipboard and shoreside employees.  Please visit our site to learn more about our Culture Essentials, Corporate Vision Statement and our Core Values at: https://www.hollandamerica.com/en_US/our-company/mission-values.html 
 
Holland America is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, ancestry, color, family or medical care leave, gender identity or expression, genetic information, marital status, medical condition, national origin, physical or mental disability, political affiliation, protected veteran status, race, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected by applicable laws, regulations and ordinances. 

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)  

Holland America will provide reasonable accommodations with the application process, upon your request, as required to comply with applicable laws.  If you have a disability and require assistance in this application process, please contact [email protected] 
 

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