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Manager, Decarbonization

Royal Caribbean Group • United States • Added on Aug 25, 2026
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The Manager of Decarbonization is the operational engine behind the company’s transition to net-zero shipping. You will bridge the gap between high-level climate strategy and technical implementation by leading specific workstreams, such as alternative fuel adoption, energy efficiency technology, and digital optimization. This role is about maintaining disciplined project governance while performing the quantitative analysis needed to move from pilot programs to full-scale marine operations.

This position is critical because the cruise industry faces a massive decarbonization challenge that requires balancing environmental urgency with economic viability. By managing emissions trajectories and abatement economics, you directly influence how one of the world’s largest maritime fleets reduces its carbon footprint. Your work ensures that sustainability isn’t just a corporate commitment but a measurable operational reality across hundreds of global destinations.

This suits someone who thrives on turning complex technical data into clear action plans and possesses the project management rigor to align diverse global teams. You should be a structured problem-solver comfortable navigating evolving maritime regulations.

Job FAQs

What are the main missions and responsibilities of this role?

The core mission involves taking broad climate strategies and converting them into actionable workstreams with clear milestones, KPIs, and success criteria. You will own the end-to-end delivery of projects related to energy efficiency, technology adoption, and digital optimization within the Global Marine Operations team. Day-to-day responsibilities include quantitative analysis of emissions trajectories and abatement economics to support decision-making. You will be responsible for program governance, ensuring that all projects stay on schedule and provide clear value tracking for senior leadership reviews.

Key learning opportunities for this job

Candidates will gain deep expertise in the maritime regulatory landscape, specifically regarding IMO requirements, EU ETS, and FuelEU Maritime compliance. This is a rare chance to see how complex carbon pricing impacts large-scale international logistics. Additionally, you will develop a specialized understanding of low-carbon fuel technologies and maritime engineering innovations. The role offers exposure to high-level strategic financial modeling, including CapEx and OpEx considerations for massive sustainability infrastructure investments.

How does the ideal candidate look like (experience, skills)?

The ideal profile combines 6 to 8 years of experience in cross-functional project management with a strong technical or environmental background. A Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Environmental Science, or Business is required, though a Master’s degree is highly preferred for this strategic level. Success in this role requires being an analytical problem-solver who is proficient in Excel and PowerPoint. You must be able to influence without authority and feel comfortable navigating the ambiguity of emerging green technologies in a fast-paced corporate environment.

Advice to stand out and make a successful application

To stand out, emphasize your ability to deliver measurable outcomes rather than just managing activities. Your resume should highlight specific instances where you translated technical data into a business case that led to a successful pilot or operational change. Since this role supports Global Marine Operations, demonstrating a passion for maritime sustainability or a history of working on heavy industry decarbonization will be highly advantageous. Show that you understand the tension between environmental goals and operational reality.

What aspects of the company's sustainability is this role likely to focus on?

The role focuses heavily on the environmental pillar of ESG, specifically targeting Scope 1 and Scope 3 emissions reductions through technical and operational efficiency. You will evaluate abatement costs and the financial implications of carbon pricing. Beyond just reporting, the focus is on innovation and technology. You will likely spend significant time on initiatives that protect the oceans and reduce the overall carbon intensity of the fleet through better fuel choices and fleet optimization.

What are the main challenges someone in this role might face?

One of the primary challenges is managing multi-departmental dependencies across Supply Chain, Finance, and Marine Ops. Aligning these diverse groups on decarbonization goals can be difficult when budgets and operational priorities differ. Another challenge is the regulatory volatility. As international maritime laws evolve rapidly, you must remain agile enough to adjust project scopes and timelines without losing momentum or failing to meet internal net-zero targets.

How could a typical day look like for someone in this position?

A typical day involves a mix of facilitating workshops with technical teams and conducting deep-dive analytical modeling on emissions performance. You might start the morning reviewing regulatory updates and the afternoon presenting a business case to the Senior Director. You will spend a significant portion of your time on project governance, running weekly delivery cadences to unblock issues and ensure that milestones for fuel pilots or digital optimization tools are being met on schedule.

What are the opportunities for professional growth and development in this role?

This role offers high visibility to cross-functional executive leadership, providing a platform for those looking to move into senior strategy or operational leadership roles. The scope of the work is enterprise-wide, affecting all major cruise brands. Successful managers can grow into Director-level positions within the Decarbonization Strategy or Global Marine Operations departments. The technical and regulatory expertise gained here is also highly transferable to other sectors within the energy and transportation industries.

The main stakeholders you might be interacting with

You will interact daily with the Global Marine Operations and Newbuilding teams to ensure technology integration is feasible. You will also coordinate with Finance and Supply Chain to validate the economic viability of new fuel or energy sources. External stakeholders include technology vendors, fuel suppliers, and potentially regulatory bodies. You will also collaborate with the Digital and Data teams to ensure that sustainability reporting is backed by high-quality, reliable data.

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