Technical Director (Cruise)

The role can be based in the UK or Monaco

This is a great opportunity to join a global company that is experiencing a sustained period of growth and expansion.

The Technical Director leads the technical management of the company’s cruise fleet, ensuring vessels are safe, compliant, reliable, and operated efficiently. This role oversees maintenance strategy, dry dock planning, technical budgeting, regulatory compliance, asset performance, and the technical support of both shipboard and shoreside teams.

Responsibilities

• Lead all technical operations for the cruise fleet, including planned maintenance, repairs, inspections, dry docks, refits, and capital projects.
• Ensure fleetwide compliance with all applicable flag state, class, port state, safety, environmental, and maritime regulatory requirements.
• Develop and implement technical policies, procedures, and performance standards across the fleet.
• Oversee vessel reliability and performance, minimizing downtime and operational disruptions.
• Manage technical budgets, including operating expenses, repair costs, spare parts, and dry dock/capital expenditures.
• Direct technical superintendents, fleet engineers, contractors, and third-party service providers.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with shipyards, classification societies, equipment manufacturers, and marine vendors.
• Support vessel newbuilds, acquisitions, integrations, refurbishments, and fleet expansion projects as the company grows.
• Analyze maintenance and operational data to improve efficiency, lifecycle planning, fuel performance, and cost control.
• Partner with Marine Operations, Hotel Operations, Safety, Procurement, Finance, and HR to align technical priorities with business goals.
• Ensure effective inventory control and critical spare parts management across the fleet.
• Lead incident response and root cause analysis for technical failures, machinery breakdowns, and major repairs.
• Promote a culture of safety, accountability, continuous improvement, and environmental stewardship.
• Provide technical reporting, forecasts, and strategic recommendations to executive leadership.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Marine Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Naval Architecture, or a related field preferred.
• Senior marine engineering license or equivalent seagoing technical background strongly preferred.
• 10+ years of progressive technical management experience in cruise, passenger marine, or commercial shipping operations.
• Proven experience managing dry docks, refits, major repairs, and fleet maintenance programs.
• Strong knowledge of maritime regulations, classification requirements, ISM, SOLAS, MARPOL, and other relevant standards.
• Experience leading multi-vessel technical teams in a fast-paced operational environment.
• Demonstrated success in budget management, vendor negotiations, and capital planning.
• Familiarity with planned maintenance systems, technical procurement, and marine asset management tools.
• Strong leadership, communication, project management, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to travel domestically and internationally, including ship visits, shipyard attendance, and emergency response situations.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in a high-growth cruise line or expanding passenger vessel operation.
• Background in newbuild supervision or vessel conversion projects.
• Experience with sustainability initiatives, energy efficiency programs, and emissions-reduction technologies.
• MBA or advanced technical/business qualification is a plus.

Key Competencies

• Strategic leadership
• Technical credibility
• Operational execution
• Regulatory and safety focus
• Financial acumen
• Vendor and stakeholder management
• Crisis management
• Team development
• Continuous improvement mindset