Vice President of Information Technology

Overview

Awarded World’s Best Small Ship Cruise line, Windstar Cruises is known for intimate yacht style experience and unique voyages to the world’s best small ports and hidden harbors. Its three sailing yachts and three all-suite yachts carry just 148 to 342 guests and cruise around the world.

Our Mission: We imagine and deliver personalized and immersive experiences 180 degrees from ordinary

Our Vision: Enriching people’s perspective through inspired travel

Our Values: Welcoming, Innovative, Now, Discipline, Serve, Teamwork, Authentic, Responsible

Windstar Cruises is seeking a driven critical business leader and contributor to serve as our new Vice President of Information Technology (“VP IT”).  Reporting directly to the President of Windstar Cruises, this leader will oversee Windstar’s global shoreside and shipboard IT functions whose services are fundamental and critical to the company’s current and future success.  The VP IT will be responsible for the overall IT strategy and the Company’s technology applications, innovation, and performance.  This position is based at the corporate office of Windstar Cruises in Miami.

Responsibilities

• Strategic & Entrepreneurial Acumen:
  • Align IT strategic priorities and outcomes with business initiatives by evaluating business readiness, conducting due diligence and critical analysis, and developing a road map for completion and the measurement of results.
  • Understand market trends and drive innovation through technology and/or partner-driven capabilities, such as AI.
  • Leverage understanding of customers and data analytics.  Develop new digital business models and customer experiences.
  • Create enterprise-wide infrastructure that applies digital technology to drive increased internal and external business value.
  • Develop and implement a strategic plan for a corporate-wide technology evolution.

• IT Leadership:
  • Drive innovation and change management principles effectively throughout the organization as a positive influencer and role model.
  • Attract, engage and motivate high quality global talent for both shoreside and shipboard IT teams.
  • Collaborate cross functionally across all teams to ensure the IT activity positively supports the achievement of company business goals and enables our crew and employees to deliver on our promise to deliver experiences 180 degrees from ordinary.  Share IT vision, strategic direction and technology with IT team members and stakeholders across the  cruiseline.
  • Evaluate current IT organizational resource structure for opportunities to improve efficiencies and effectiveness.  Work with WSC Leadership to support team growth and performance.    

• Operational Stewardship: 
  • Support and remediate legacy platforms with both large and small, niche applications and deliver business critical applications on a timely basis with fewer defects.
  • Meet fixed and evolving business needs across the Windstar Cruises fleet operations and within the corporate infrastructure, through a strong operational, delivery and governance model.
  • Facilitate implementation and compliance with an ITSM model that ensures strong internal and external customer experience and service levels, knowledge documentation, operating procedures and protocols.
  • Develop annual Information Technology financial operating and capital budgets. 

• Enterprise Architecture & Governance:
  • Partner with Xanterra IT to establish standards for software and hardware selection, implementation, and ongoing enhancements.
  • Collaborate with IT partners to ensure there is a practice to evaluate technology effectiveness in achieving operational efficiencies and increased productivity.

• Data Security & Information Assurance:
  • Work with the Xanterra Infrastructure & Security team on all needed and required security initiatives.  This includes but is not limited to maintenance of PCI Compliance Status, fulfillment of HIPPA and any other regulatory requirements, maintaining compliance with the parent company minimum IT Security standards, and other security initiatives.
  •  Ensures the development of IT business continuity and disaster recovery plans and oversees system back-up and recovery procedures for all IT functions.
  • Evaluate ongoing risk vulnerabilities and develop action steps to remediate.

Qualifications

The successful candidate for this role is a seasoned, technically strong IT executive who brings a minimum of 15 years of demonstrated leadership experience to the company.  We seek an individual who is adept at seeing the bigger picture and can successfully translate a vision into tactical operational initiatives and accountabilities.   This executive's focus will be on the Company’s evaluation of current technology platforms to achieve operational efficiencies, scalability, and growth.  The successful candidate will:

• Have 15 years of demonstrated progression in IT leadership and project management including at least seven years in a senior IT leadership role managing large teams. Previous cruise line and/or hospitality experience is preferred.
• Have a proven track record with technology infrastructure and system selection, implementation, and optimization.
• Have experience developing creative solutions to address and optimize IT operations with infrastructure constrained locations.
• Have a successful track record with change management and leading transformation initiatives inclusive of strong project management skills and workforce development.
• Recognized as a credible, driven individual with high energy and a natural sense of urgency.
• Can successfully lead and coach a diverse team and successfully partner with stakeholders.
• Have effective communication skills, able to convey complex ideas simply to a variety of audiences and establish rewarding relationships both within Windstar Cruises and with key stakeholders at our parent company, Xanterra Travel Collection.
• Strong attention to detail and analytical skills including the ability to evaluate complex projects.
• Have a bachelor’s degree, MBA or masters equivalent in business, computer science, management engineering or related field of study preferred.
• Experience in application development and program management methodologies preferred such as Agile, Scrum, RAD, etc.
• Knowledge and prior experience with multiple compliance, regulatory and security frameworks and requirements.
• The following applications are a subset of those currently utilized: Infor CloudSuite, HR and Finance systems, Kronos, iCIMS, Adonis, Seaware, Fidelio, Salesforce Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure, MXP, RedPoint, and Infor Document Management.