Fleet People Operations - Maritime Director. in Southampton

Join us in shaping the future of holiday happiness across our P&O Cruises and Cunard ships as a key senior management person within our Fleet People Operations department. At Carnival UK, we believe in the power of diversity to drive success, valuing a blend of backgrounds, experiences, and skills. If you are a People professional with a strategic mindset and a track record of overseeing a Maritime department, let’s talk.

Role Overview

• Lead the development and delivery of short and long-term Maritime workforce plans to ensure effective planning that supports team strength and high-performing onboard teams.
• Oversee end-to-end career management and development for Maritime Officers and crew to ensure strong performance, progression and future readiness.
• Provide senior accountability for high-quality, compliant and cost-effective delivery across the entire Maritime crew lifecycle.
• Strengthen organisational capability by building future-ready teams, developing talent pipelines and fostering collaborative ship and shore-based partnerships that enhance long-term operational excellence.

As Director, Fleet People Operations Maritime, you will provide strategic leadership for the workforce direction of our onboard Maritime teams, ensuring the continued delivery of exceptional guest experiences through capable, well-supported and high-performing onboard teams. Your leadership will strengthen capability across the function, ensuring colleagues are equipped to deliver high-quality, consistent and effective workforce services.

Job Requirements

• Strong knowledge of the maritime operating environment, including vessel operations, rank structures and progression pathways.
• Significant experience in workforce planning and establishment management, partnering with onboard leaders to ensure optimal, people-focused workforce decisions.
• Proven leadership in resourcing, onboarding and operational people services within a regulated, technical or safety-critical environment.
• Demonstrated ability to lead large teams and influence senior stakeholders, building strong relationships and fostering a positive, high-performance culture.

About You

• The ability to operate strategically while maintaining operational delivery in a high-pressure environment.
• Strong relationship building capability with senior maritime stakeholders, both ship and shore.
• A collaborative, commercially minded approach with strong governance and continuous improvement focus.
• Credibility and confidence to influence at senior levels and provide assurance through data-led insights.

Why Join Us?

Positioned within our internal structure from CUK15 (entry level) to CUK1 (Brand President), this role is classified as a CUK05, offered as a full-time position, on a permanent basis, with an offering of hybrid work including up to two days from home. We’re more than just a holiday company; we’re a community that values work-life balance, personal growth, and wellbeing. As part of our team, you’ll enjoy:

• Employee Discounted Cruising plus Friends and Family offers
• Annual bonus
• A friendly welcome with help settling in
• Regular office events including live entertainment, lifestyle events and charity partner fundraisers
• Extensive learning and development opportunities
• Minimum 25 days leave, bank holiday allowance and holiday trading scheme
• Employee-led networks
• Employee Assistance and Wellbeing programmes
• Recognition scheme with prizes and awards
• Contributory Defined Contribution Pension scheme
• Company paid private medical and dental insurance and health assessment
• In-house Occupational Health help and access to digital GP
• Life Assurance
• Parental and adoption leave
• Employee Shares Plan
• Electric Car and Cycle to Work schemes
• Onsite restaurant offering range of healthy cooked and grab and go meals
• Discounted retail and leisure via discounts portal

Application Note

Due to the high volume of interest in our roles, we encourage early applications. This is your chance to contribute to a company that’s setting the standard for holiday experiences. Apply today to be part of our journey to create joy and memories for our customers and for you.

Recruitment Journey

For more information on your recruitment journey, please visit our website.

About Us

Holidays are one of life’s greatest pleasures. Having the chance to relax, escape and explore is a magical thing. And there is no better holiday than a cruise. No one knows cruising like Carnival UK, where talented people from across the globe come together to create unforgettable holiday happiness. As part of the world’s largest holiday travel and leisure company, we take enormous pride in bringing to life two of the most iconic brands from Britain’s rich seafaring heritage, P&O Cruises and Cunard. Collectively they have been delivering unbridled joy, boundless adventure and lifelong memories to millions of people for over 350 years. Our diverse yet tight-knit teams share high standards, heartfelt values and passion for our purpose. Our Culture Essentials describe the expectations we have for ourselves and of each other, in building a culture that supports safe, sustainable, compliant operations and celebrates diversity, equity and inclusion.