Senior Manager, Onboard Marketing

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 Manager, Onboard Marketing is responsible for leading the strategy, governance, and execution of guest-facing communications and marketing initiatives across the Holland America Line fleet. This role oversees the development and implementation of printed and digital communications that enhance the guest experience, strengthen brand consistency, and support business objectives. The Senior Manager leads onboard marketing resources and establishes standards, processes, and priorities that ensure effective execution across multiple vessels. Working closely with Shipboard Operations, Guest Experience, Revenue, Sales, and Marketing teams, this role aligns messaging and promotional strategies throughout the guest journey. The position identifies opportunities to increase guest engagement, drive onboard revenue, and improve communication effectiveness through multiple onboard and pre-cruise channels. This role analyzes guest feedback, business performance, and market trends to develop innovative marketing solutions that support fleet objectives. The Senior Manager provides leadership, coaching, and direction to onboard marketing teams while ensuring consistent delivery of brand standards and marketing programs. The ideal candidate possesses strong leadership, stakeholder management, strategic planning, and operational execution skills, along with experience leading complex cross-functional initiatives within hospitality, travel, leisure, or consumer-focused environments.

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

Responsibilities: 

Fleet Communications & Brand Experience Leadership

• Lead the strategy, governance, and execution of all guest-facing communications across the Holland America Line fleet, ensuring consistency, accuracy, and alignment with brand standards. Establish communication frameworks that support a seamless guest experience across all voyage touchpoints, including printed materials, digital channels, signage, collateral, menus, and onboard publications. Define priorities, processes, and quality standards that enable consistent execution across multiple vessels. Partner with shipboard and shoreside stakeholders to evaluate communication effectiveness and identify opportunities for enhancement. Ensure messaging supports operational objectives while strengthening guest engagement throughout the cruise journey. Monitor emerging trends, guest expectations, and business needs to continuously evolve communication strategies. Drive accountability for communication excellence across all onboard guest touchpoints.

Onboard Marketing Team Leadership & Development

• Provide leadership, direction, and oversight for onboard marketing personnel across the fleet, including responsibility for workforce planning, hiring, onboarding, training, coaching, performance management, and succession planning. Establish clear expectations and operational standards that promote accountability and high performance. Ensure continuous onboard coverage and effective resource allocation to support fleet requirements and business priorities. Foster a culture of collaboration, innovation, learning, and continuous improvement among onboard teams. Develop team capabilities through ongoing feedback, mentoring, and professional development opportunities. Partner with shipboard leadership to address operational challenges and ensure alignment with organizational goals. Create an environment where team members are empowered to deliver exceptional results and contribute to business success.

Guest Journey & Cross-Functional Marketing Integration

• Partner with Sales, Marketing, Guest Experience, Revenue, and Shipboard Operations teams to ensure alignment between pre-cruise communications and the onboard guest experience. Develop integrated communication strategies that support guest engagement throughout the customer journey, from booking through disembarkation. Identify and resolve communication gaps that impact the guest experience or operational execution. Serve as a key liaison between shipboard and shoreside teams to ensure consistency of messaging and priorities. Collaborate with stakeholders to launch new programs, campaigns, and initiatives that support business objectives. Drive cross-functional decision-making and effective execution of marketing priorities across the fleet. Ensure communications reflect evolving guest needs and organizational goals.

Revenue Growth & Commercial Marketing Strategy

• Lead the development and implementation of onboard marketing initiatives that enhance guest participation and support revenue growth objectives. Partner with Revenue and commercial teams to identify opportunities to promote onboard products, services, and experiences through targeted communication channels. Evaluate the effectiveness of marketing programs using guest feedback, operational data, and business performance metrics. Recommend strategies that improve visibility, engagement, and conversion across key revenue-generating areas. Prioritize initiatives that maximize business value while maintaining a positive guest experience. Support the successful deployment of promotional campaigns across multiple vessels. Ensure marketing efforts align with both commercial goals and brand expectations.

Innovation, Performance & Continuous Improvement

• Leverage guest insights, operational feedback, and business data to identify opportunities that enhance communication effectiveness and improve the overall guest experience. Lead the evaluation, development, and implementation of new tools, processes, and marketing approaches that support strategic objectives. Establish performance measures and reporting mechanisms to assess program effectiveness and inform decision-making. Collaborate with internal stakeholders to pilot, refine, and scale innovative solutions across the fleet. Drive continuous improvement efforts that increase operational efficiency, guest satisfaction, and business performance. Anticipate changing market conditions and evolving guest expectations to ensure organizational readiness. Champion best practices and a culture of innovation throughout the onboard marketing function.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities:

• Scope: The Senior Manager, Onboard Marketing is responsible for the strategic direction, governance, and execution of onboard marketing and guest communications across the Holland America Line fleet. The role operates across both shipboard and shoreside environments, serving as a key link between Marketing, Sales, Guest Experience, Revenue, and Operations teams. This position oversees guest-facing communication channels that influence the guest journey from pre-cruise planning through disembarkation. The role establishes fleet-wide standards, processes, and priorities to ensure consistent execution across multiple vessels. In addition, the position is responsible for the operational effectiveness and deployment of onboard marketing resources throughout the fleet. The role supports enterprise objectives by aligning communication strategies with brand, guest experience, and commercial priorities. Success requires balancing operational needs, guest expectations, and business goals across a geographically dispersed environment. The position impacts both daily onboard execution and long-term marketing strategy across the fleet.

• Problem solving: This role requires the ability to evaluate complex and often competing business priorities across shipboard and shoreside functions. The Senior Manager analyzes guest feedback, business performance metrics, operational requirements, and market trends to identify opportunities and address challenges. The position must anticipate communication gaps, operational constraints, and evolving guest expectations that could impact business outcomes. Success requires synthesizing information from multiple stakeholders and developing solutions that balance guest experience, brand consistency, operational feasibility, and revenue objectives. The role regularly addresses issues that require sound judgment in the absence of established precedent. The incumbent must identify root causes of communication and execution challenges and implement sustainable improvements across the fleet. The position also evaluates new technologies, platforms, and marketing approaches to improve effectiveness and efficiency. Strong analytical, strategic thinking, and decision-making capabilities are essential to achieving desired results.

• Impact: This role has a significant impact on the guest experience, brand perception, and commercial performance of Holland America Line. The Senior Manager establishes and maintains standards that govern guest-facing communications across the fleet, ensuring consistency and quality throughout the customer journey. Decisions made within this role influence guest engagement, satisfaction, and awareness of onboard products, services, and experiences. The position contributes to revenue growth through the development and execution of marketing initiatives that support commercial objectives. By aligning shipboard and shoreside priorities, the role improves organizational effectiveness and execution across multiple departments. The position drives continuous improvement efforts that enhance communication effectiveness and operational efficiency. Recommendations and strategies developed within this role help shape the future direction of onboard marketing programs. The role's influence extends across the fleet and contributes directly to broader business and brand objectives.

• Leadership: The Senior Manager, Onboard Marketing provides leadership, direction, and accountability for onboard marketing resources across the Holland America Line fleet. The role is responsible for workforce planning, recruitment, onboarding, performance management, coaching, and development of onboard marketing team members. The position establishes priorities, performance expectations, and operating standards that enable consistent execution across multiple vessels. The incumbent allocates resources to ensure effective fleet coverage and alignment with business objectives. Beyond direct leadership responsibilities, the role influences cross-functional teams and stakeholders to drive successful implementation of marketing initiatives and communication strategies. The position fosters a culture of collaboration, innovation, accountability, and continuous improvement. Strong leadership skills are required to guide teams operating in diverse and geographically dispersed environments. The role serves as a key advisor and subject matter expert, helping shape decisions that impact marketing performance, guest experience, and operational success.

Essential/Minimum qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Marketing, Business Administration, Communications, Hospitality Management, or a related field.

• 5+ years of progressively responsible experience in marketing, guest communications, hospitality, travel, cruise, tourism, or a related customer-focused industry.

• Demonstrated experience leading teams and managing people in a multi-site, operational, or complex business environment.

• Experience developing and executing integrated marketing, communications, or guest engagement strategies.

• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite and business systems used for communication, reporting, and performance analysis.

• Ability to travel domestically and internationally, including ship visits, as required

Essential Experience required:

• Experience leading marketing, communications, guest experience, or commercial programs across multiple locations, business units, or operational environments.

• Demonstrated success managing and developing professional teams, including hiring, onboarding, coaching, performance management, succession planning, and employee development.

• Experience establishing standards, processes, and operating procedures that drive consistency, efficiency, and quality across a broad organization.

• Proven ability to collaborate and influence stakeholders across multiple functions, including operations, sales, revenue, marketing, guest experience, and senior leadership teams.

• Experience utilizing guest feedback, business performance metrics, market trends, and operational data to develop strategies, solve complex business challenges, and improve results.

• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple priorities simultaneously while balancing guest experience, operational requirements, brand standards, and commercial objectives.

• Experience leading continuous improvement initiatives and driving organizational change through the implementation of new processes, technologies, programs, or business practices.

• Strong strategic planning, project management, communication, and decision-making skills with the ability to deliver results in a fast-paced, customer-centric environment.

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 a designated Holland America Line location in Seattle, WA Monday through Thursday each week. Employees may work from their homes on Fridays.  Candidates must be located in (or willing to relocate to) the Seattle area. 

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: $110,200-$148,800. 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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