Director Of Project Financial Controls & Strategic Initiatives
The Director of Project Financial Controls & Strategic Initiatives is responsible for leading high-impact financial planning and strategic initiatives across Carnival's Global Ports portfolio. This role focuses on financial oversight of capital projects, business case development for new investments, execution of owner-supplied CAPEX, and special strategic initiatives such as optimizing the Port Cost category.
The Director acts as a key execution partner to the AVP and works cross-functionally with Accounting, Procurement, Legal, Development team, and external partners.
Essential Functions :
Project Financial Controls :
- Own financial tracking and forecasting for all destination development projects
- Manage budget variance analysis, change orders, contingency tracking, and cash flow modeling.
- Ensure alignment with corporate reporting cycles
Owner-Supplied CAPEX Execution :
Oversee procurement and budget tracking for FF&E, OS&E, landscaping, theming, and soft costs (e.g., design, legal).Ensure timely execution and delivery across projects throughout the portfolio representing significant CAPEX.Pre-construction Project Management :
Drive and keep the pulse of new projects to ensure steady progressMaintain a clear timeline and monitor progress closely to meet deadlines and deliverablesAlign on next steps and ensure the right stakeholders are engaged at the right timeProactively identify and escalate any issues or bottlenecks to maintain momentum and ensure successful deliveryBusiness Case Development :
Lead creation of business cases for new and ongoing destination initiatives.Conduct financial modeling, scenario planning, ROI analysis, and stakeholder-ready presentations in support of funding approvals and strategic negotiations.Ports :
Lead project (Project Management, Board meeting preparation, Funding and budget management) projectWork closely with other shareholders to ensure alignment on strategic decisionsSupport Board committees as needed (e.g., Compensation Committee)Sustainability :
Lead high-value, ad-hoc initiatives such as Port Cost optimizationLead the feasibility analysis, regulatory assessment and overall business case for installing Solar energy in our destinationsWork with GPDD Construction team, electrical engineer of record (EER) and SME's to design an integrated solution for traditional and renewable energyDesign and run RFP process to select vendor / partnerSpecial Strategic Projects :
Lead high-value, ad-hoc initiatives such as Port Cost optimizationManage external consultants (if applicable) on a daily / weekly basis to ensure deliverables and timelines are metSupport implementation of strategic recommendationsSupport with maritime-related projects as needed (e.g., PMMA training facility, MAST, etc.)Qualifications :
Bachelor's degree in Business, Finance, Economics, or Engineering; MBA from a top-tier institution strongly preferred6 to 10 years of experience, ideally including 3 to 5 years at a top-tier management consulting firm (e.g., McKinsey, BCG, Bain, Deloitte, etc.).Direct exposure to an industry role with budget ownership or strategic initiative leadership is highly valued.Exceptional analytical and problem-solving abilities, advanced Excel and financial modeling, business case development, executive-level PowerPoint communication, and ability to drive cross-functional execution.Highly structured thinker with the ability to transform complex information into actionable recommendations.Strong presence, stakeholder management skills, senior level written and verbal communication, and comfort with ambiguity.Proven ability to lead initiatives without formal authority.