Senior Lead, Entertainment Operations

Join Our Dynamic Team

The Celebrity Cruises Entertainment Team within the Royal Caribbean Group is seeking an ambitious and innovative individual to take on a pivotal role in enhancing our River Cruise entertainment portfolio. Based in the cultural hub of Basel, this position requires frequent collaboration across global time zones, along with a commitment to international travel and active engagement with industry partners and talent markets.

Position Overview

In this role, you will work closely with the VP of Entertainment to design and implement a visionary entertainment strategy for our River Cruise offerings. This unique opportunity invites creativity, agility, and an entrepreneurial spirit to cultivate exceptional guest experiences while maintaining alignment with our brand values. You will drive the evolution of programming across our river fleet, balancing strategic vision with hands-on execution.

Key Responsibilities

• Oversee the implementation and ongoing execution of entertainment programming across the river fleet.
• Collaborate with Product Development and key stakeholders to enhance Celebrity River entertainment offerings.
• Utilize guest feedback and operational data to refine programming and engagement opportunities.
• Identify trends in talent and entertainment, presenting actionable recommendations to leadership.
• Adapt best practices specific to the river cruise environment, ensuring adherence to Celebrity brand standards.
• Engage with vendors and cross-functional teams to curate culturally authentic experiences.
• Manage entertainment-related processes, documentation, and audits.
• Act as the primary contact for operational issues and contingency planning.
• Support training and operational alignment for cruise directors and shipboard teams.
• Oversee live music operations, including recruitment, scheduling, and performance management.
• Lead the creation and execution of shipboard background music in collaboration with key departments.
• Ensure high-quality delivery of onboard media assets and special event broadcasts.
• Support budget forecasting for entertainment-related expenses.
• Establish metrics to assess program effectiveness and guest satisfaction.
• Collaborate with various departments to integrate guest experiences seamlessly.
• Contribute to scalable practices as the river business continues to grow.
• Adopt a test-and-learn approach for continuous improvement in operations and guest experiences.

Qualifications and Skills

• Proven experience in entertainment operations or talent management within cruise, hospitality, or related industries.
• Demonstrated ability to build or scale programs and processes in evolving environments.
• Strong commercial and creative acumen with a deep understanding of guest experience.
• Established network within talent sourcing and entertainment trends, especially in European markets.
• Exceptional communication skills with the ability to influence across functions.
• Analytical mindset to turn insights into actionable outcomes.
• A Bachelor’s degree in a related field or equivalent professional experience.
• Working knowledge of German is preferred, with proficiency in additional languages a plus.

Become a part of our team and help shape memorable entertainment experiences for our guests on board our river cruises!