Executive Housekeeper

Position Overview

The Executive Housekeeper is a key shipboard leader who oversees every housekeeping function and the people delivering those services onboard. This role is responsible for maintaining strong standards across guest and crew areas while supporting the wider hotel division.

Key Responsibilities

• Maintain professional, courteous conduct at all times in line with the company’s commitment to service excellence.
• Ensure that housekeeping cleanliness, upkeep and presentation meet brand expectations across guest staterooms, balconies, corridors, officer cabins, laundry spaces, lockers and storage areas, both front-of-house and back-of-house.
• Report to the Hotel Director and contribute actively to all hotel division activities, while helping other department heads understand cleanliness expectations.
• Lead, motivate and coach the housekeeping team so they consistently deliver outstanding guest service and respond effectively to guest feedback and requests.
• Provide training through both classroom sessions and hands-on coaching to improve performance and support succession planning.
• Coordinate the housekeeping roster with shoreside support and continuously monitor staffing and scheduling requirements.
• Oversee laundry operations and make sure the Laundry Master has the skills, tools, training, information and support needed to deliver reliable service.
• Review and manage annual housekeeping and laundry budgets, including expenses for consumables and replacements, as well as revenue areas such as laundry, floral cart and tuxedo services.
• Drive the division to meet or exceed targets for guest satisfaction, quality reviews, employee satisfaction, public health inspections, audits and operational reviews.
• Stay updated on onboard events and special functions so the team receives accurate and timely information.
• Maintain strong working knowledge of cleaning methods, equipment and materials, and ensure supplies and equipment are properly maintained and used correctly by the team.
• Attend department and division head meetings and also lead divisional crew and management meetings, training sessions, courses and other work-related activities.
• Keep handover notes updated, clear and detailed to avoid communication gaps and operational issues.
• Manage the Stateroom Attendant Performance Management Tool according to the required standard operating procedures.
• Identify career growth opportunities for managers and crew, provide coaching and mentorship, and work with Fleet Executive Housekeepers where needed.
• Oversee allocation of support resources for luggage handling and turnaround duties together with the Hotel Director.
• Manage the luggage process on the final night of the cruise and on turnaround day so all tasks are finished on time and to the expected standard.
• Lead the full turnaround-day process and track progress across management teams, stateroom attendants, support teams, linen runners and laundry staff to ensure staterooms are ready by 1:00pm.
• Take full ownership of guest concerns following onboard resolution guidelines, and coach the team to resolve issues effectively.
• Promote a safe, secure and healthy workplace by enforcing standards, procedures, legal requirements and safety practices.
• Allocate duties to team members and assess performance through open, constructive feedback to maintain high standards.
• Carry out any other related duties as required.

Requirements

• Five to seven years of managerial or operational experience in housekeeping and laundry operations within large 4- or 5-star hotels, cruise lines or similar hospitality settings.
• Experience supervising at least 70 employees and handling annual budgets above $1M.
• Shipboard experience is strongly preferred.
• Proven results-focused leadership approach.
• Strong understanding of service excellence, needs assessment, problem solving, attention to detail and quality standards.
• Ability to deal appropriately with internal and external guests, including situations that require discretion, patience, tact and diplomacy.
• Skilled at diplomatically communicating with managers, shipboard staff and shore-side staff to resolve issues and reach practical solutions.
• Comfortable leading a positive, diverse and fast-changing housekeeping operation.
• Able to use coaching and counselling as part of progressive discipline to improve performance where possible.
• Capable of working collaboratively in a diverse team to meet operational timelines.
• Willing to be placed anywhere in the fleet based on business requirements.
• Working knowledge of cleaning procedures, equipment, chemical handling, linen par levels, public health standards, computers, internet use, MS Office and other office equipment/software.
• High school completion or equivalent required; bachelor’s degree preferred.
• Additional language ability in Spanish, Mandarin, Italian, French, German or Portuguese is preferred.

Additional Information

This role involves managing housekeeping and laundry functions onboard a cruise ship, with a strong focus on guest satisfaction, operational standards, safety and turnaround-day readiness. The position requires flexibility across fleet placement based on business needs.

Work Environment

Onboard shipboard operations in a dynamic hospitality setting. The role includes managing crew schedules, inspections, meetings, training, luggage operations and turnaround-day processes.

Notes

No salary, opening count, start date or application deadline was specified in the source information.