Expedition Development Manager (HYBRID)

Lindblad Expeditions is a true pioneer in Expedition Travel. From taking the first citizen explorers to Antarctica in 1966, opening the Galapagos and Easter Island to tourism in 1967, leading the first tourist expedition through the Northwest Passage in 1984, and launching our innovative partnership with National Geographic in 2004, we're now taking almost 30,000 guests a year to some of the world’s most remote and pristine locations on our fleet of 21 ships, and are committed to ensuring our guests experience the “Exhilaration of Discovery”.

 

The Expedition Development Manager plays a vital role in crafting and executing outstanding expeditions as an integral part of the Expedition Development team. This role involves introducing new and enhancing existing itineraries, crafting and conveying compelling program themes and narratives, and guaranteeing top-tier expedition activities for assigned vessels. Additionally, the Expedition Development Manager fosters strong relationships within the industry, visited communities, scientific organizations, guest speakers, and operational partners.

 

This position oversees the entire voyage lifecycle, from conception to execution. Collaboration with sales, marketing, and onboard teams ensures voyages are sold and executed according to plan. Working closely with marine and port operations confirms the feasibility of expeditions within scheduled itineraries and ports, including Zodiac, kayak, and other vessel-supported activities. The Expedition Development Manager also advises on permitting, permissions, industry trends, and local concerns, and collaborates with the Field Staff team to empower staff in program delivery.

ROLE RESPONSIBILITIES

Expedition Program Development

• Collaborate with appropriate Field Staff, Expedition Leaders (EL), Field Experts, Land Managers, Program Managers and internal partners to create and execute an exemplary program
• Ensure itineraries and land extensions have strong, marketable program themes and narratives woven throughout the expedition
• Continually identify, research, and develop expedition product enhancements, expedition equipment, and resources necessary for ongoing product innovation and differentiation
• Develop community/industry relationships and compelling partnerships to deliver a high-quality guest experience
• Represent the organization in regional associations, such as IAATO and AECO, as necessary
• Collaborate with Sr. Management on annual deployment and deployment changes
• Collaborate with marketing to articulate unique selling proposition and review/approve relevant content
• Maintain a deep and broad knowledge of permitting compliance laws and regulations that will influence the design of the itinerary to ensure these comply with local law
• Collaborate with the marine and port operations team during the development of new expedition itineraries to comply with regional regulatory constraints, operating environments, and permitting considerations
• Manage daily feedback reports from vessels and lead regular meetings to evaluate feedback and create action items for implementation to enhance the expedition experience
• Ensure programs operate within land cost budget
• Seek continual improvement of knowledge as the subject matter expert in your assigned geographical regions and programs
• Conduct reconnaissance for new itineraries in coordination with our Field Experts

Vendor Relations

• Cultivate strong relationships with all local vendors, internal, and external partners 
• Assist with contract negotiations, as necessary and identify necessary contracts
• Oversee quality control of existing programs and vendor services in coordination with Land Managers

Administrative

• Work with cross-departmental team to support all operational aspects in any contingency or emergency situation, such as flight delay/cancellation, mechanical failure with ship, natural disaster, etc.
• Direct EL, and support as work appropriate, to carry-out expedition mission
• Respond to escalated questions/concerns from internal, external, and onboard teams
• Review and respond to debriefing reports, voyage reports, comment cards, guest letters/emails and implement action plans were necessary
• Collaborate with the Manager of Expedition Coordination to apply, process, report and ensure compliance with all permits and necessary permissions and visitor site approvals are secured for destinations
• Coordinate with the Field Staff Department to curate onboard staff to deliver the voyage theme at the highest quality
• Review and approve working itineraries and other documents required by the ship and vendors to execute the voyage
• Brief Guest Contact Centers on new itineraries, including mission of the trip, compelling & unique selling points, etc. and/or itinerary changes
• Review and approve pre-voyage and final travel documents for guests
• Establish trip requirements such as boots, med forms, vaccinations, visas, etc. and communicate those requirements internally and externally
• Review and approve all internal informational assets that assist the reservations, sales, and guest communications teams

Field Work

• Conduct trainings with local guides and appropriate Field Staff, as necessary
• Visit local vendors for contract finalizations, site inspections and quality control, as necessary 
• Visit and liaise with ship personnel, ensuring the highest possible quality being delivered to guests, as necessary

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• 4+ years developing and managing large and/or small group expedition travel programs, with a strong preference for experience in the Mediterranean region
• Demonstrated success in building itineraries that balance profitability, ease of execution, and guest satisfaction
• Proven experience building budgets and analyzing Profit & Loss (P&L) statements
• Strong negotiation skills to secure favorable vendor contracts and reduce overall program costs
• Ability to manage multiple complex projects simultaneously in a deadline-driven environment
• Proven skills in coordinating cross-functional teams and interfacing with vendors, partners, and internal stakeholders
• Strong attention to detail, with an ability to take a wide-scope view of a product without losing the fine details of its components
• Strong ability to communicate program value and differentiation to internal stakeholders, travel advisors, and sales reps, effectively highlighting unique selling points to drive interest and bookings
• Familiarity with leveraging market trends, competitive intelligence, and guest feedback to shape itinerary strategy and identify growth opportunities
• Comfortability representing programs externally, including delivering presentations or attending events, to support sales and marketing initiatives
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office (especially Excel)
• Willingness to travel domestically and internationally as needed
• HYBRID: This role requires someone to be onsite Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday in one of our offices (Seattle, New York, or Orlando)

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Direct experience in expedition cruising and small ship cruising
• Regional expertise beyond the Mediterranean—especially in the South Pacific, and/or Polar regions
• Familiarity with geospatial planning tools, vessel logistics, and environmental regulations relevant to marine and coastal travel
• Strong vendor relationships and industry contacts in both expedition cruising and with land-based destination management companies (DMCs)
• Experience collaborating with onboard teams (expedition staff, field experts, marine crew, hotel teams) and the ability to translate the operational realities of small ship cruising into viable, inspiring product
• Experience working with travel contingencies, escalations, and emergencies (weather/disaster related incidents, medical emergencies, mechanical failures, etc.)
• Experience with cruise specific technologies (MXP, Seaware)

This role is eligible for an annual 5% bonus, based on performance.

 

Using the English language, this person must have the ability to read, write, and comprehend policies, legal guidelines, correspondence, and memos.   Must also possess the ability to effectively communicate--both in writing and orally--with a professional demeanor.