This position is on – site in Basel Switzerland
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The Royal Caribbean Group’s Celebrity Cruises Entertainment Team has an exciting career opportunity for a full-time Senior Lead Entertainment Operations reporting to the VP Entertainment
Position Summary
Reporting to the VP Entertainment for Celebrity Cruises the Senior Lead Entertainment Operations – River plays a pivotal role in shaping and operationalizing the entertainment vision for our River Cruise portfolio This is a unique opportunity to help build and define a new facet of the Celebrity Cruises experience—where innovation agility and creativity are essential Based in Basel Switzerland and working in close partnership with the Miami headquarters this leader will drive the evolution of entertainment and programming across the river fleet—balancing strategic direction with hands-on execution
The role requires an entrepreneurial mindset: someone who thrives in ambiguity embraces discovery rethinking the norm and is energized by building new frameworks partnerships and guest experiences from the ground up through alignment with key stakeholders and strategic partners This position will contribute not only to the delivery of exceptional destination-driven entertainment that spans across foundational itinerary based and signature event activations but also to the ongoing refinement of strategy operating models and best practices as the business continues to scale This position will work closely with Product Development in Miami as well as any Product Development Partners in Basel to refine the strategy and review opportunities to adjust the product as we capture learnings enter new destinations and manage partnerships
Essential Duties and Responsibilities
Oversee the implementation and ongoing execution of entertainment programming across the river fleet
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Support the ongoing development and evolution of Celebrity River entertainment programming in partnership with Product Development and key stakeholders-
Evaluate guest feedback operational results- and destination opportunities to enhance programming and guest engagement
Proactively identify emerging trends talent and creative concepts and present recommendations to leadership-
Adapt entertainment best practices to the river environment while maintaining alignment with Celebrity brand standards-
Collaborate with vendors and cross-functional teams to curate experiences reflecting local culture and regional authenticity-
Develop and maintain entertainment operating standards processes program assets and supporting documentation-
Manage entertainment-related SOPs program materials audits and vessel support initiatives-
Serve as the primary shoreside contact for operational issues contingency planning and entertainment service recovery-
Ensure Cruise Directors and shipboard teams are trained supported and operating in alignment with established standards and expectations-
Oversee Cruise Director delivery of activity programming in partnership with the Activities team-
Coordinate the day-to-day live music operation including recruitment support agency coordination scheduling deployment and performance oversight-
Lead the curation and execution of shipboard background music in collaboration with Product Development Broadcast Live Music and external partners-
Support onboard entertainment media delivery including television content films digital signage promotional assets and special event broadcasts ensuring a consistent and high quality guest experience-
Support forecasting and management of entertainment-related budgets including talent travel vendor broadcast and operational expenses-
Establish and monitor performance metrics to evaluate program effectiveness and guest satisfaction-
Use data-driven insights to identify opportunities for operational improvement and program optimization-
Partner with Entertainment Hotel Operations Food & Beverage Onboard Revenue Product Development Marketing Legal Finance and other stakeholders to support integrated guest experiences-
Collaborate with Miami and Basel teams to ensure alignment of strategy execution and operational standards across the fleet-
Contribute to the development of scalable organizational practices and support future team growth as the river business expands-
- Embrace a test-and-learn approach to continuously improve the guest experience and operations
Performs other duties as required This job description in no way states or implies that these are the only duties to be performed by the employee occupying this position Employees will be required to perform any other job-related duties assigned by their supervisor or management
Qualifications & Education
Proven experience in entertainment operations programming or talent management within ocean/river cruise hospitality
- or adjacent industries
Demonstrated ability to build or scale programs processes- or experiences in evolving environments
Strong commercial and creative acumen- with a deep understanding of guest experience
Established network or familiarity with talent sourcing agencies- and entertainment trends— particularly within European markets
Exceptional stakeholder management and communication skills- with the ability to influence across functions and levels
- Analytical mindset with the ability to translate insights into action
- Bachelor’s degree in a related field or equivalent professional experience
Working knowledge of German is preferred along with proficiency in one or more of the following languages: French Portuguese Dutch Hungarian Romanian Bulgarian- or Serbian
Financial & Quantitative Responsibilities
Responsible for forecasting and managing entertainment programming budgets including talent travel broadcast and operational costs
Internal / External Relationships
Internal
Entertainment (Live Music Headliners Enrichment Broadcast Technical Theatrical Production) Hotel Operations Onboard Revenue Food & Beverage Marketing Product Development Legal Finance HR Groups & Charters Newbuild & Refurbishment Shipboard Personnel
External
Talent agencies performers production partners content creators entertainment vendors festival organizers and strategic partners
Working Conditions
Based in Basel with regular collaboration across global time zones This role requires 25-30% international travel and time onboard vessels as well as engagement with industry partners and talent markets
The physical demands described here are representative of those requirements employees must meet to perform the essential functions of this job with or without reasonable accommodations While performing job functions the employee is regularly required to sit stand write review and type reports compile data operate a pc communicate listen and assess information
The employee may move about the office complex may travel to other office locations and may lift push pull or move 10 - 15 pounds Visual requirements include distant close and color vision and ability to adjust focus
We know there's a lot to consider As you go through the application process our recruiters will be glad to provide guidance and more relevant details to answer any additional questions Thank you again for your interest in Royal Caribbean Group
It is the policy of the Company to ensure equal employment and promotion opportunity to qualified candidates without discrimination or harassment on the basis of race color religion sex age national origin disability sexual orientation sexuality gender identity or expression marital status or any other characteristic protected by law Royal Caribbean Group and each of its subsidiaries prohibit and will not tolerate discrimination or harassment
