Manager, Shipboard Learning & Development Operations

Essential Functions

• Operational Readiness & Quality Assurance
• Accountable for the operational readiness and quality of shipboard L&D activities, ensuring training delivery and supporting practices meet expected performance standards across the fleet.
• Ensures the quality and integrity of approved STCW training delivered by shipboard L&D Managers (e.g., Crowd Management, Crisis Management, Security Awareness Training), protecting the organization’s ability to certify crew through onboard Learning Resource Centers (LRCs).
• Reviews and provides input on design updates or enhancements to L&D-owned STCW courses, ensuring changes are executable and consistently applied in shipboard delivery.
• Promotes alignment on expectations, findings, and follow-through at the ship level by partnering with shipboard HRDs and Fleet HRDs.
• Maintains continuity of L&D execution during periods of inspection, operational change, or disruption.
• Fleet-Wide L&D Operational Process Implementation
• Accountable for the effectiveness and consistency of fleet-wide L&D operational processes, applying shipboard operational knowledge to ensure solutions are practical, scalable, and workable in live shipboard environments.
• Partners with shipboard HR teams (shoreside), shoreside L&D teams, and other stakeholders to translate operational needs and enterprise priorities into workable L&D processes and solutions.
• Operationalizes approved enterprise L&D programs across the fleet, ensuring clear expectations, aligned systems support, and consistent execution.
• Ensures process and program changes are embedded into day-to-day operations with sustained adoption and follow-through across vessels.
• Maintains consistency and quality of Learning Resource Center (LRC) operating procedures across the fleet to support effective training delivery and maintain readiness of Flag-approved Maritime Training Centers.
• Planning & Fleet Coordination
• Develops and maintains fleet-level training plans that translate enterprise requirements into realistic, executable approaches aligned to shipboard capacity, timing, and constraints.
• Provides operational oversight and clarity to Fleet L&D Managers to support consistent interpretation and application of training expectations across ships.
• Reinforces the shipboard L&D operating model, ensuring L&D Managers serve as onboard learning experts and primary points of contact, and that other onboard instructors are enabled to deliver training effectively.
• Coordinates operational training planning for special initiatives and projects (e.g., new builds, fleet introductions, major program launches), ensuring readiness and continuity.
• Addresses operational risks, constraints, and continuity needs by partnering with program owners and enabling teams.
• Shipboard L&D Talent & Capability Lifecycle
• Ensures consistent application of approved capability frameworks and professional standards for shipboard L&D roles.
• Ensures consistency, fairness, and transparency in the application of talent management processes across the shipboard L&D population, in partnership with Human Resources and Fleet L&D Managers.
• Supports assessment of readiness, performance, and development needs, translating capability expectations into observable behaviors and operational practice across ships.
• Maintains workforce readiness and continuity by monitoring capability gaps, performance risks, and succession needs, and ensuring appropriate actions are coordinated.
• Provides operational input and recommendations to support talent decisions, succession planning, and development prioritization.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• Scope: The Manager, Shipboard L&D Operations operates as a shoreside, manager-level role with fleet-wide functional accountability for the operational effectiveness, readiness, and consistency of shipboard Learning & Development execution.
• Problem solving: The role addresses complex, operationally nuanced problems arising in live shipboard environments, including the effective use and readiness of onboard Learning Resource Centers (LRCs) as the primary delivery mechanism for shipboard training and approved STCW courses.
• Impact: The role has fleet-wide impact on the effectiveness, consistency, and credibility of shipboard Learning & Development operations, including the quality and reliability of training delivered through onboard Learning Resource Centers (LRCs).
• Leadership: The role requires manager-level operational leadership within a matrixed shore–ship environment. While the role does not provide day-to-day supervision onboard, it holds functional leadership responsibility for Fleet L&D Managers and for the effectiveness of the shipboard L&D / TES workforce, including how Learning Resource Centers (LRCs) are positioned, supported, and utilized to deliver training.

Essential/Minimum qualifications

• Education: Bachelor’s degree or an equivalent combination of education and relevant shipboard operational experience.
• Experience: Prior shipboard experience is required, gained in one or more of the following: Shipboard Learning & Development operations, or Shipboard Human Resources operational roles, or Shipboard operational leadership roles (e.g., Hotel Operations), with demonstrated exposure to training delivery, people leadership, or workforce enablement in a live shipboard environment.
• Experience: Prior experience as a shipboard Learning & Development Manager (LDM), shipboard HR Director (HRD), or Fleet operational supervisor (e.g., Hotel Operations) with accountability for people leadership, training enablement, and execution of standards in a live shipboard environment.
• Experience: Translating enterprise or shoreside priorities into practical, executable solutions within Carnival’s shipboard context, balancing training requirements, workforce constraints, and operational realities.
• Experience: Proven experience supporting or leading Learning & Development operational execution, including training planning, delivery enablement, and operational follow-through across ships.
• Experience: Working effectively within Carnival’s matrixed shore–ship model, partnering with Fleet L&D Managers, shipboard HRDs, and shoreside stakeholders.
• Experience: Supporting training delivered through Learning Resource Centers (LRCs) or comparable onboard training facilities, including execution of regulatory training where applicable.
• Ability: Demonstrated ability to operate effectively in Carnival’s inspection-driven, safety-critical environment, maintaining continuity, quality, and consistency of execution.