Experience Innovation Senior Manager

Job content

The Experience Innovation Senior Manager functions as an integral part of the Product Development team and is responsible for hypothesizing, researching, sizing, testing and analyzing data & customer behavior to identify short and long-term opportunities for the MSC Cruises brand. This role will use analysis to guide strategy by understanding gaps, performance and insights to create a portfolio of concepts that directly respond to consumer insights. These concepts will lead the strategy for experience innovation and shape the offering for the future of vacation experiences while driving incremental satisfaction & profitability for the brand. This role will significantly influence decision making related to resource allocation, product strategy, ship design, and customer experience.

• Bachelor’s degree required & MBA preferred
• 8-10 years business, consulting, product/brand marketing or operations experience with past management experience.
• 4-6 years of experience in the hospitality/travel/cruise industry
• Experience working with Architects/Designers/Creative & Innovation Consultants a plus
• The ideal candidate will possess a combination of strategy and execution skills.
• This role requires that the candidate have a proven track record of leading teams through ideation, design, and delivery of customer experience products.
• Ability to analyze data and research results to make recommendations
• Ability to apply strong analytical, financial, conceptual, and strategic thinking
• Experience developing strategic frameworks, planning, executing, and managing projects
• Ability to assemble, lead and influence cross functional teams to develop strategies that include input and buy-in from all stakeholders
• Able to manage and prioritize multiple projects simultaneously
• Proven ability to collaborate with others, plus the ability to build strong and sustainable relationships, and the capability to interact with all levels of the organization
• Candidate must possess strong written and oral communication skills, including the ability to communicate effectively at the senior most executive levels of a company
• Strong key computer skills (Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook)
• Ability to travel 20-30% of the time
• Lead the experience innovation process (strategy, research, design, build, operate, audit) for new ship classes while working closely with Newbuild, Marketing, and Operations on ship/venue concepts and the accurate execution of concepts to ensure innovation and authenticity are maximized.
• Develop the vision for future Newbuild classes by using Consumer Insights to bring forward the voice of the customer and drive product innovation by developing concepts that directly respond to consumer desires/needs.
• Influence the Consumer Insights research agenda and stay abreast of research insights and industry trends to make an impact. Research agenda includes:
• Consumer trends in travel, retail, food & beverage, etc.
• Competitive analyses on category and cross-category competitors.
• Tailored guest research spanning the global markets.
• Provide leadership over the strategic direction for guest experience in the Newbuild strategy. Partner and collaborate closely with key stakeholders from the various departments across the organization to understand how to adapt and evolve the strategy.
• Foster a highly collaborative cross functional team, where cross-discipline dynamic communication is critical for success. Work closely with Newbuild on design, partner with Operations to ensure feasibility/seamless execution, Marketing to anchor on the guest needs and GTM strategies that are aligned to the product strategy, and finally collaborate with Revenue & OBR to ensure revenue upside on all experience enhancing products is forecasted and achievable.
• Create presentations showcasing the business environment, current product positioning, competitive landscape, insights and data findings to share recommendations with senior management.
• Provide ad-hoc analyses to guide decision-making on design of future products.VISA REQUIREMENTS (if any)

EU Passport or Right to work in Switzerland

#LI-CI1Part of the MSC Group, MSC Cruises is the market leader in the Mediterranean, South Africa and South America, and sails year-round in the Mediterranean and the Caribbean. Its seasonal itineraries cover northern Europe, the Atlantic Ocean, South America, southern Africa, and the Persian/Arabian Gulf. MSC Cruises was born in the Mediterranean, and draws inspiration from this heritage to create a unique experience for holidaymakers worldwide. As a result of a euro 6.5 billions investment programme launched in 2003, MSC Cruises’ fleet comprises 13 state-of-the-art cruise ships belonging to four different classes: Lirica, Musica, Fantasia and Meraviglia. The fleet’s average age is 7 years, the youngest in the industry. In 2014, MSC Cruises launched a euro 9 billion, 10 year investment plan to support the second phase of its growth through the order of up to 11 next generation mega cruise ships. As a result, MSC Cruises’ fleet will double by 2026, while the passenger capacity will triple to reach five million passengers per year. MSC Cruises is the first cruise company to develop an investment plan of this length and magnitude. MSC Cruises feels a deep responsibility for the environments in which it operates, and was the first company ever to earn the Bureau Veritas "7 Golden Pearls" for superior management and environmental stewardship. In 2009, MSC Cruises began an enduring partnership with UNICEF to support various programmes assisting children worldwide.