Sr. Design Associate

Position Summary

The Sr. Associate, Architectural Design supports the development and coordination of architectural design work for newbuild, revitalization, or refurbishment projects. This role supports the management and guidance of design by coordinating and sharing best practices effectively across external architectural, interior design, and consultancy firms worldwide, and guiding the design they provide. Collaborates with brand representatives, external design firms, shipyards, and outfitters worldwide to meet the design intent while maintaining the budget and meeting brand aspirations.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Supports the management and development of end-to-end ship design elements (e.g., placement of steel, fabric design) across multi-year timelines to meet the design intent.
• Organizes and guides internal and external stakeholders through the ship design process while fostering positive working relationships and establishing collective trust.
• Guides and maintains the design intent, ensuring it is evident, realistic, and communicated clearly at every stage of the design process. Shapes and influences the design with a strong understanding of guest & crew experiences, ship operations, and cost boundaries.
• Owns the integration of complex maritime technology, fire codes, and safety regulations into a functional, aesthetically pleasing design.
• Owns the creation of presentations and reports for executive business decisions in architecture and interior design, leading the production of materials from advanced 3D digital drawings to detailed work in Revit or AutoCAD.
• Understands and incorporates the complexities of reference ships, comparison studies, design guidelines, and contract references to aid the development of high-quality ship design within budget.
• Understands the importance of balancing cost complexity, managing costs effectively, and staying cost-conscious in all work activities.
• Supports practicality, operational, and accessibility reviews under direction of senior team members.
• Learns and applies Royal Caribbean Group design standards, drawing conventions, and documentation requirements.
• Demonstrates a proactive mindset by seeking learning opportunities, asking thoughtful questions, and incorporating feedback into work.
• Demonstrates creative, outside-the-box thinking while consistently maintaining a strong focus on cost-effective solutions and budget constraints.
• Maintains organization of files, drawings, and reference materials to support efficient team collaboration.
• Acts as a representative of the Royal Caribbean Group and demonstrates our values in a competent, professional manner.
• Ability to travel internationally or domestically up to 15% of the time.

Qualifications, Knowledge and Skills

• Minimum of 5 years of design industry experience required. Minimum of 2 years managing large-scale projects.
• Bachelor’s degree in Architecture, Interior Design, or a related field (or equivalent experience).
• Cruise ship newbuild or revitalization design experience preferred.
• Proficient in Revit, AutoCAD, Bluebeam, and Microsoft Suite. Working knowledge of Adobe Creative Suite, Illustrator, 3D modeling (V-Ray/Rhino/Sketch-Up/N-scape), and AI tools (Veras, Midjourney, etc.) is a plus.
• Strong communication skills: Communicates effectively with project teams and sponsors, utilizing strong written, verbal, and visual skills to ensure clarity and collaboration.
• Demonstrates a willingness to learn, adaptability, and openness to feedback in a fast-paced environment.
• Possesses a strong grasp of time management and prioritization, with guidance from supervisors, and demonstrates an unwavering ability to stay focused.
• Thrives in a nebulous environment, efficiently managing multiple projects and tasks across diverse teams while adapting to changing priorities.
• Displays proactiveness by anticipating challenges, taking initiative, and seeking opportunities to improve project outcomes.
• Excels in teamwork by embracing learning opportunities, working independently and collaboratively in a multidisciplinary environment, and displaying exceptional organizational and adaptability skills.
• Represents the department with professionalism, motivation, efficiency, and organization, consistently maintaining a high standard of work.
• Ability to travel internationally or domestically up to 15% of the time.