Expedition Product Manager

At HX our purpose is to awaken people to the beauty and fragility of the planet, with adventure that reignites a sense of wonder. We take curious travellers to incredible destinations, sustainably and in true expedition-style. We bring them off the beaten track, to special destinations across the Arctic, Antarctic, Galapagos, British Isles, Alaska, Northern Norway, and Central / South America.

The HX Expedition Product Manager – Svalbard, Norway, British Isles & Europe owns the end-to-end product design and delivery of HX cruises, brings great local market knowledge and aspires to the qualities we value. We are looking for a leader with a positive, can-do attitude and an energetic personality capable of injecting excitement and passion into their work. Entrepreneurial outside the box thinking – a creative thinker – and problem solver, action orientated with the ability to drive initiatives to completion. Over and above all these qualities – someone that truly identifies and believes in sustainability, community engagement, and science.

We are a passionate team who deliver our global operations from every corner of the world and our people are instrumental in continuing to inspire this adventure, play their part and deliver on our promise of guest centric and memorable experiences, benefiting the communities we visit, enriching our guests and inspiring a more sustainable world.

Key Responsibilities: 

• Deliver and execute responsibilities in a safe manner.

• Own the end-to-end design and delivery of HX voyages in Svalbard, Norway, British Isles & Europe – including ownership of route selection, off-ship experiences (Shore Excursions and Expedition Activities), onboard programming and content, FHT and pre/post packages.

• Design and support the delivery of inspirational expedition cruise products that provide guests with unique, once in a lifetime experiences that focus on local culture, wildlife, nature, science and history.

• Collaborate with the commercial (sales and marketing) teams to ensure products in your regions are both inspirational and commercially successful – you will hold ultimate responsibility for the commercial performance and guest satisfaction of products in your regions.

• Commercially minded capable of reading reports, conducting analysis, and reviewing profitability and guest experience measures.  Commercial success is measured by profitability and guest experience is measured by NPS and guest survey results.

• Map out voyage themes and narratives including providing guidance on content for the education and science programs. Ensure that destinations are represented authentically and honestly with a focus on stories told by and through local voices.

• Develop a range of high-quality experiences off-ship (shore excursions and own-produced activities) and a cohesive overall itinerary by establishing and working with contacts and partners in local communities.

• Work with internal partners responsible for gateway services (flights, hotels, transfers, and pre/post voyage programs) to design the best possible overall guest travel experience.

• Embody and put into practice HX’s core value of community engagement, ensure our programs in these destinations provide appropriate and measurable social and economic benefits to locals and that their voices and opinions are at the forefront of voyage planning.

• Brief expedition and onboard teams to ensure all stakeholders understand the design of our products, the unique operational and cultural aspects of the destinations, and are best prepared to meet and exceed the expectations of our guests. Work closely with operations and onboard teams to deliver top-tier expedition cruises.

• Perform hand-over of information for product launches, including customer service training in USPs, auditing website material, and collaboration with content creators.

• Seek to understand our guests and hold their opinions and preferences in the front of your mind during product and experience design.

• Capture & monitor region specific cost implications in collaboration with other stakeholders – in scope are all costs related specifically to the destination including port costs, excursion costs, regulatory expenses.

• Be aware of the competitive landscape in your regions in relation to both expedition cruise and general travel industry trends.

• Exhibit and champion the HX Purpose and Spirit

Experience required: 

• Experience in the expedition, tour, travel, turnaround logistics, or cruise industry with a strong focus on guest experience.

• Works effectively in a diverse team in a multinational organization.

• Experience owning the end-to-end design and delivery of cruise packages and destination planning.

• Extensive experience in research and analysis to support proposals and plans.

• Extensive local market knowledge.

 Essential Knowledge & Skills: 

• Fluency in English required with strong verbal and written communication skills.

• Comfortable with travelling to remote destinations as needed.

• Demonstrated experience with time management and organizational skills.

• Highly developed sense of empathy and a commitment to guest satisfaction.

• Comfortable learning new software and applications including independent learning.

Desirable Knowledge & Skills: 

• Adaptability to changing environments and operational demands.

• Willingness to support audit and review of vendors and destinations.

 Key Personal Attributes: 

• Safety minded for themselves and others.

• You value diversity and take pride in bringing people and perspectives together.

• Motivated to deliver results consistently and to the highest standards.

• Personal integrity and honesty.

• Resilient and calm when working under pressure.

• Agile and responsive to changing business needs.

• Dependable and trustworthy approach to work.

• Detail oriented.

• Proactive problem solver & creative thinker

HX Spirit:  

• Passionate Explorers: We are proud of our history and are driven to create more.

• ‘Can-do’ Mindset: We jump-in and proactively contribute to the greater good.

• Humble Leadership: We have a short distance between leaders and teams.

• Genuine Interactions: We want all people to be their true selves.

• Supportive & Collaborative Teams: We are curious and generous with our knowledge. We Trust.