Cruise Ship Jobs - Shipboard Human Resources Department Positions

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The shipboard Human Resources Department of a large cruise ship is similar to a land based modern corporate structure. The specific challenges for a human resources department aboard a cruise ship is that it has to manage and work with a multi-national and multi-cultural cruise ship officers, crew and staff in somewhat enclosed and limited in terms of space working and living environment. To manage over 2000 (on some cruise ships) employees not only working, but actually living on the ship for extended period of time is not an easy task. The shipboard human resources department on a large cruise ship may consist of up to four different positions - Human Resources Manager, Training and Development Manager, Crew / Staff Administrator and Crew / Staff Administrative (Welfare) Assistant. Size and number of positions in a shipboard human resources department vary between different cruise lines and different sizes of cruise ships. Some cruise lines merge the Human Resources Manager and Training & Development Manager positions into one position. With others the Crew / Staff Administrator and Crew / Staff Administrative (Welfare) Assistant positions are designated as Crew Purser and Assistant Crew Purser and belong to a different shipboard department.

Human Resources Manager

The human resources manager oversees and manages the entire human resources division of the cruise ship with an emphasis on vital functions: training and development, performance management, conflict resolution, promotions, transfers, employee relations, employee turnover, berthing compliance, progressive discipline, time and attendance, benefits and compensation administration, policies, procedures and regulatory compliance (to name a few). The human resources manager provides assistance and support to all senior officers, onboard management and heads of other departments when dealing with human resources issues. The shipboard HR Manager works in direct liaison with the cruise line's corporate office HR department and has to consult with the corporate office senior management on matters when there is a perceived conflict with shipboard management. Requirements: two to four years Human Resources management experience within a large organisation. Cruise ship, hotel, hospitality or retail type of background is preferred. Experience in multi-national and multi-cultural environment is a plus. Minimum Bachelor’s degree from an accredited university or college in Human Resources, Business Administration, Psychology or related field. Must posses excellent verbal and written command of the English language and be proficient in the use of computers, Internet communications and office software packages. Salary range: $5000-6500 U.S. per month, depending on the cruise line.

Training and Development Manager

The training and development manager is responsible for day-to-day training and development programs for cruise ship's officers, crew and staff while in the same time evaluating the effectiveness of training performed by managers and supervisors of all shipboard departments. The Training and Development Manager conducts both new hired personnel orientation programs and recurrent onboard training in order to ensure that highest quality operational and safety standards of the cruise line are achieved. He/she executes and performs train-the-trainer sessions with ship's Safety Officer, Environmental Officer, heads of various shipboard departments, supervisors and managers in order to constantly improve the effectiveness of their training methods and presentation skills. The Training & Development Officer is also in charge of maintaining the training certification records of the cruise ship's officers, staff and crew. Requirements: Bachelors degree or international equivalent from an accredited university or college. Two years of progressive Training and Development experience. Cruise ship, hotel, hospitality or retail type of background is preferred. Human resources Generalist experience is a plus. Must posses excellent verbal and written command of the English language (additional languages-Spanish, French or German is a plus) and be proficient in the use of computers, Internet communications and office software packages. Salary range: $3800-5200 U.S. per month, depending on the cruise line.

Crew / Staff Administrator

The crew/staff administrator (on some cruise lines this position is designated as Crew Purser and is part of Hotel Operations/Purser's Department) is responsible for the sign-on (embarkation) and sign-off (disembarkation) of the ship's officers, staff and crew on turnaround days and for all activities and details involved in those procedures, such as proper documentation preparation, airline tickets, traveling visas, hotel accommodation etc. He/she is also directly responsible for storage, maintenance and monitoring of ship's personnel documentation - passports, contracts, visas, seaman's books, pre-boarding medical examination results and any other documentation required. The crew/staff administrator issues crew ID cards upon embarkation (sign-on), deactivates and collects them prior to disembarkation (sign-off). Requirements: High school degree or international equivalent (pre-college education), college/university degree is a plus. Office/administrative experience required. Cruise ship, hotel or resort experience preferred. Must posses excellent verbal and written command of the English language. Salary range: $1800-2600 U.S. per month, depending on the cruise line.

Crew / Staff Administrative (Welfare) Assistant

Provides administrative support to the HR office, handles paperwork, emails, records, incoming phone calls and assists the crew / staff administrator in performing his / her duties. The crew / staff administrative assistant schedules and coordinates various personnel activities, such as sports, parties, tours and special events, maintains movie rentals, coordinates crew and staff berthing allocation, distributes cabin keys. This is an entry-level shipboard HR department position. Requirements: High school or college degree preferred. Office / administrative assistant experience is an asset. Must be proficient in the use of computers, Internet communications and office software packages. Must posses good verbal and written command of the English language. Salary range: $1200-1800 U.S. per month, depending on the cruise line. Possibilities for promotion to Crew / Staff Administrator.