Director, HVAC-R

Journey with us! Combine your career goals and sense of adventure by joining our incredible team of employees at Royal Caribbean Group. We are proud to offer a competitive compensation and benefits package, and excellent career development opportunities, each offering unique ways to explore the world.

We are proud to be the vacation-industry leader with global brands - including Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises and Silversea Cruises - the most innovative fleet and private destinations, and the best people. Together, we are dedicated to turning the vacation of a lifetime into a lifetime of vacations for our guests.

Royal Caribbean Group's Global Marine Operations Team has an exciting career opportunity for a full-time Director, HVAC-R to the SVP, Global Marine Technology.

This position will work onsite in Miami, Florida.

This position is not eligible for work authorization sponsorship.

Position Summary:

The Director of HVAC-R is responsible for the strategic leadership, operational oversight, and continuous improvement of all Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration (HVAC-R) systems across the global Royal Caribbean Group cruise fleet. This role ensures safe, efficient, reliable, and regulatory-compliant climate control systems that support guest comfort, crew welfare, energy efficiency, and environmental sustainability. The Director of HVAC-R together with their team serves as the company's subject matter expert, setting technical standards, managing lifecycle planning, and leading cross-functional teams to support new builds, dry docks, refurbishments, and ongoing vessel operations.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

Strategic Leadership

• Develop and execute the long-term HVAC-R strategy for the fleet, aligning with corporate goals for safety, sustainability, guest experience, and operational excellence.

• Establish fleet-wide HVAC-R standards, specifications, and best practices.

• Serve as the primary technical authority for HVAC-R systems across global marine operations.

Fleet Operations and Reliability

• Oversee performance, maintenance, and reliability of HVAC-R systems on all vessels.

• Provide technical support and guidance to shipboard engineering teams and shoreside technical ship managers.

• Lead root-cause analysis for HVAC-R failures and implement corrective and preventive actions.

• Ensure HVAC-R systems support public health standards, including air quality, filtration, and humidity control.

New Builds, Dry Docks and Refurbishments

• Lead technical operational input to HVAC-R design reviews, specification development, and system selection for new build vessels.

• Oversee HVAC-R scope for dry docks, major upgrades, and refurbishment projects.

• Collaborate with shipyards, designers, and vendors to ensure systems meet performance, redundancy, and regulatory requirements.

• Manage commissioning, testing, and acceptance of HVAC-R systems.

Energy Efficiency and Sustainability

• Drive energy optimization initiatives to reduce fuel consumption and emissions related to HVAC-R systems together with newbuilding and Decarbonization team.

• Implement advanced control systems, automation, and data-driven performance monitoring.

• Support corporate environmental and decarbonization initiatives.

Compliance and Safety

• Ensure compliance with all applicable maritime regulations and standards (e.g., SOLAS, Class Society rules, Flag State, IMO, CDC/VSP where applicable).

• Maintain alignment with company safety management systems (QMS).

• Support audits, inspections, and regulatory reviews related to HVAC-R systems.

Project and Vendor Management

• Manage relationships with OEMs, shipyards, and service providers.

• Support the negotiation of service agreements, warranties, and long-term support contracts together with colleagues from Marine Procurement.

People Leadership and Development

• Lead and develop a global team of HVAC-R engineers, specialists, and technical managers.

• Works with Human Resources in recruiting and screening candidates for the recruitment of shipboard HVAC-R personnel.

• Provide mentoring, training, and succession planning for HVAC-R technical talent.

• Promote a culture of safety, accountability, and continuous improvement.

Financial Responsibilities

• Develop and manage HVAC-R related capital budgets and provide guidance on operational budgets.

• Oversee spare parts strategies and lifecycle cost management together with colleagues from Marine Asset Management.

• Manages HVAC-R CAR projects, including those valued at several million dollars.

• Accountable for budgets on assigned CAPEX projects.

Qualifications, Knowledge and Skills:

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering or related field (Master's degree preferred).

• Professional Engineering (PE) license or equivalent is a plus.

• Minimum 12-15 years of progressive HVAC-R engineering experience, preferably in marine, cruise, offshore, or large hospitality environments.

• At least 5-7 years in a senior leadership or director-level role.

• Strong experience with large-scale marine HVAC-R systems,…