About this role
POSITION OVERVIEW: The Director of Product Development (Basel) is the primary Product Development leader for River guest experiences, with additional oversight and project-based support across Destination Experiences and select Ocean initiatives as needed. Acting as a direct extension of the Miami-based Product Development organization, this role is accountable for ensuring that River onboard and destination experiences are delivered with operational excellence, brand consistency, and strict adherence to SOPs throughout their lifecycle—not only at launch, but in steady-state operation. This position owns Product Development leadership for: • River onboard experiences (primary priority) • River destination experiences and shore-based programming • Entertainment scheduling and experiential flow on River • Partnerships, activations, and experiential collaborations (River-first) • Seasonal programming and special events (River-led) While River is the clear priority, this role may support Ocean initiatives—including audits, launches, or targeted projects—where regional presence, operational expertise, or product continuity is required. The Director serves as the Product Development authority in-region, ensuring experiences perform as designed, scale operationally, and continuously improve—while acting as a trusted partner to Basel-based Operations during live execution and unanticipated disruption. The successful candidate will initially be based in Miami for a defined transition period to support onboarding and integration with the Product Development organization. Upon completion of the transition, the role requires relocation to Basel, Switzerland. LEADERSHIP ATTRIBUTES • River-First Product Leader: Deep ownership of River guest experience execution and excellence. • Operationally Embedded: Works directly with live operations to ensure experiences are delivered as designed. • Brand & Standards Steward: Protects brand intent, service standards, and SOP integrity. • Pragmatic Problem Solver: Navigates disruption without compromising the guest experience. PRODUCT OVERSIGHT • Serve as the Product Development owner for all existing River onboard and destination experiences. • Ensure River experiences – land and ship - are delivered in alignment with approved experience concepts, brand standards, and operating procedures. • Act as the primary escalation point for River product execution issues impacting the guest experience. • Partner closely with Miami-based Product Development leadership to align global product intent with regional operational realities. OPERATIONAL EXCELLENCE & SOP DELIVERY • Ensure consistent execution of SOPs across all River guest experiences. • Identify gaps between documented procedures and live execution; partner with Operations to drive corrective action. • Support operational teams in embedding product standards into day-to-day service delivery. • Champion standardization, repeatability, and continuous refinement across the River fleet. EXPERIENCE AUDIT & QUALITY ASSURANCE • Lead ongoing audits of River onboard and destination experiences, including: • Guest journey flow • Service delivery consistency • Brand alignment and experience quality • Evaluate performance against defined standards and guest expectations. • Capture insights and operational learnings and feed them into future product refinements and development efforts. SHIPYARD & TECHNICAL COLLABORATION • Partner with Shipyard teams to support design development workshops, reviews, and working sessions related to River projects. • Participate in mock-up reviews, sample evaluations, and prototype walk-throughs to validate guest experience intent, functionality, and operational feasibility.. • Support translation of shipyard learnings into actionable product and operational refinements. MARINE & REFURBISHMENT SUPPORT • Partner with Marine and Technical teams to support refurbishment and upgrade decisions impacting River guest experiences. • Provide Product Development guidance on trade-offs related to functionality, durability, guest impact, and brand integrity. • Participate in review of refurbishment scopes, materials, and sequencing to ensure minimal disruption to the guest experience. ENTERTAINMENT, PROGRAMMING & SPECIAL EVENTS • Provide Product Development oversight for River entertainment scheduling and experience flow. • Coordinate and lead the guest experience execution for seasonal programming and special events (e.g., holidays, themed sailings, regional activations). • Ensure programming aligns with brand storytelling, guest expectations, and operational capacity. • Partner with Entertainment, Marketing, and Operations to ensure cohesive and well-executed experiences. PARTNERSHIPS & ACTIVATIONS • Oversee execution of River-focused partnerships and experiential activations. • Ensure third-party experiences meet brand, service, and operational standards. • Serve as the Product Development liaison for resolving partner-related execution issues. • Support Ocean partnership initiatives on a project basis, as required. OPERATIONAL PARTNERSHIP & DISRUPTION SUPPORT • Act as a Product Development consultant and partner to Basel-based Operations, particularly for River, during unanticipated disruptions. • Support rapid decision-making related to schedule changes, staffing constraints, supply issues, or technical limitations. • Recommend temporary or permanent adjustments that protect the guest experience while enabling operational continuity. SECONDARY / AS-NEEDED SCOPE • Provide targeted support for Ocean initiatives, including: o Experience audits o Special projects or activations • Ensure Ocean-related work does not dilute River-first accountability. • Share River-led insights and best practices where applicable. LAUNCH & TRANSITION SUPPORT • Support launches and pilots for new River experiences as required. • Ensure new products transition seamlessly into steady-state operations. • Validate that brand standa