The Role
WHO WE ARE
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”.
ROLE OVERVIEW
We're looking for a Manager for our Onboard Sales to spearhead the launch of our innovative shipboard sales program. In this shore-based role, you'll drive the strategic vision, build an exceptional team, and ensure our onboard sales teams deliver unforgettable guest experiences while achieving ambitious revenue goals.
The perfect candidate is a blend of visionary and operator—someone who thrives on building from the ground up while inspiring and coaching high-performing teams at sea. Your journey will encompass everything from recruiting and training top talent to executing dynamic programs, while you play a vital role in enhancing guest engagement and driving revenue growth through creative and thoughtful sales strategies.
If you're ready to make significant impact in the world of onboard sales at Lindblad Expeditions, we want to hear from you.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
- Lead the design and implementation of a new shipboard sales program, aligned with brand standards and guest experience goals
- Hire, onboard, and train onboard sales team members across multiple vessels
- Develop sales materials, onboard procedures, and reporting tools to enable program success
- Collaborate with shipboard leadership to integrate sales efforts into daily operations seamlessly
- Monitor sales performance, set KPIs, and coach team members to consistently meet or exceed targets
- Oversee shipboard escalations related to future cruise reservations, supporting the onboard sales team with guest inquiries or challenges
- Support and align with shipboard operations and needs by supporting the onboard sales team occasionally on weekends, holidays and across international time-zones
- Support the onboard sales team with policy and booking exceptions or escalations
- Travel occasionally to vessels for training, audits, and support during program rollout and peak periods
- Liaise with shore-side marketing, customer service, and operations to ensure alignment across departments
- Stay current on guest trends, product knowledge, and competitive offerings to inform program evolution
- Oversee guest comments related to onboard sales promotions, services and team member performance, providing coaching and feedback to onboard sales team members and sharing insights with shoreside leadership team
- Responsible for voyage reporting per vessel, identifying booking trends and assessing revenue generation opportunities
- Calculate team member commission payouts based on sales performance and target achievements
- Communicate onboard offer policy, standard operating plan, and marketing material updates to the shipboard team
- Liase with the internal LEX-NG Fund donation team to ensure a smooth operation onboard is executed and the onboard sales team are fully supported to discuss this program onboard
- Assist with collateral orders related to onboard marketing materials
- Collaborate with internal and external partners to ensure contract rotations for each sales team member across multiple vessels are executed and onboarding logistics are managed
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
- Bachelor’s degree (BA/BS) or equivalent industry experience
- 5+ years of sales management experience, preferably in hospitality, travel, or cruise industries
- Strong understanding of general sales processes and best practices to drive effective sales strategies and outcomes
- Familiarity with Salesforce and/or other CRM systems
- Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite, including PowerPoint, Word, Excel, and Outlook
- Exceptional interpersonal skills for engaging effectively with all departments, levels of management, and external customers and partners
- Proven track record in building and leading teams, with a strong focus on training and development
- Strong project management capabilities, with experience in launching new programs
- Excellent communication skills and ability to collaborate across functions
- Comfortable with remote work, travel, and coordinating across multiple time zones
- Passionate about exploration, delivering outstanding guest service, and aligning with the National Geographic - Lindblad mission
- Availability to work in our Orlando office every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday (this is a requirement)
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
- Experience with the Seaware cruise reservation management platform
- Knowledge and understanding of domestic and international marketplace and consumer behavior
- Knowledge of revenue performance management, metrics and corporate revenue expectations
OUR BENEFITS
• Travel benefits for employees and their family
• Health insurance including Medical, Dental, Vision
• 401(k) plan with employer match
• Long-Term Disability, Life & AD&D Insurance
• Flexible Spending Account (FSA) to be used for out-of-pocket medical and dependent care
• Pre-Tax Commuter Benefit
• 7-8 Paid Holidays
• 2-3 Floating Holiday Options (pro-rated per start date)
• Up to 15 days of vacation (pro-rated per anniversary year)
• Parental Leave
• Sick/personal days per city & state ordinance
• Pet Insurance discount
COMMUNICATION SKILLS
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.
PHYSICAL DEMANDS
While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to sit, talk and hear. The employee will also be required to write and type. The employee is occasionally required to stand, walk, and reach with hands and arms.
COMPENSATION STATEMENT
Lindblad Expeditions determines the pay for positions using local, national, and industry-specific survey data. We evaluate external equity and the cost of labor/prevailing wage index in the relative marketplace for jobs directly comparable to jobs within our company. Our posted salary range is based on national data and may be refined for a candidate's region/town/cost of living.
For new hires, we strive to make competitive offers allowing the new employee room for future growth. Salaries will be based on the applicant’s location, level of experience, education, and specialized knowledge and skills. An employee/candidate with a stronger skill set will receive higher pay.
EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER STATEMENT
At Lindblad Expeditions, we simply could not do our work without the diverse kaleidoscope of humanity that creates and delivers our remarkable offerings across the planet. As a Company that respects and celebrates the inherent diversity in the places we explore, we recognize the need to mirror that same diversity and all the interconnected perspectives within our organization. We are committed to building a community of different genders, races, ages, sexual orientations, chosen identities, and countries of origin where every person brings their whole self to work and whose skills, talents, and abilities are valued. We believe we can explore further and in a more meaningful way by actively creating a more diverse and inclusive organization where everyone feels they belong.
Lindblad Expeditions is an equal opportunity employer. Individuals seeking employment at Lindblad Expeditions are considered without regard to race, sex, color, religion, national origin, age, disability, genetics, marital status, pregnancy, unemployment status, sexual orientation, citizenship status, or veteran status.
Similar Jobs
Get Personalized Job Insights.
Our AI-powered fit analysis compares your resume with a job listing so you know if your skills & experience align.
Success! Refresh the page to see how your skills align with this role.
The Company
What We Do
In 1958 Lars-Eric Lindblad, considered the father of eco travel, founded Lindblad Travel and pioneered the first non-scientific expeditions to Antarctica (1966) and Galápagos (1967), subsequently opening the Amazon, Papua New Guinea, China, Bhutan, and more to curious, respectful travelers. In 1979, his son Sven-Olof Lindblad founded Special Expeditions, eventually re-named Lindblad Expeditions, specializing in ship-based expedition travel.
In 2004 Lindblad Expeditions forged an unprecedented alliance with National Geographic with a joint mission “to inspire people to explore and care about the planet through expedition travel.”
Today the company operates a fleet of 10 ships, including the 148-guest National Geographic Explorer, the world’s ultimate expedition ship, and the 106-guest National Geographic Orion, the newest ship in the Lindblad-National Geographic fleet. All ships sail equipped with sophisticated exploration tools, to provide unique, immersive experiences in the planet’s capitals of wildness and culture. Our expedition ships regularly explore Galápagos, Antarctica, Alaska, Arctic Norway, Baja California, Costa Rica and Panama, Europe, the Baltics, Vietnam and Cambodia, and more.
