About Us

Cruise Direct is a leading online cruise travel company dedicated to providing customers with better deals than any other cruise website and access to great deals on cruise vacations. Offering special rates and savings on cruise bookings with some of the most popular cruise lines in the world. We’re proud to say that we offer responsive, hassle-free vacation planning for global travelers. We’re thrilled to inspire bucket lists, honeymoons, dream vacations and more.

About the Role

The Director of Product Management plays a pivotal role in ensuring that products not only meet market needs but also drive business success. They balance strategic oversight with tactical execution, leading cross-functional teams to bring high-quality products to market while continuously iterating and improving. Their leadership is essential for aligning product development with organizational goals and customer satisfaction.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and manage a product roadmap that aligns with business goals and customer needs.
• Utilize A/B testing, analyze user behavior, and identify areas for improvement to enhance conversion rate optimization (CRO)
• Conduct market research to identify trends, customer needs, technology advancements, and competitive landscape and analyze data to inform product decisions and measure the success of enhancements.
• Hire and effectively manage high-performance development teams (in-house and third parties)
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams, including engineering, design, marketing, and sales, to develop and launch new products and features and go-to-market strategies
• Oversee the entire product lifecycle from concept to launch and beyond
• Manage project timelines, budgets, and resources to ensure timely delivery
• Track product performance metrics and KPIs to assess the success of products and features
• Identify areas for improvement and implement changes to optimize performance and user satisfaction
• Ensure customer feedback is incorporated into product development and improvement
• Present product updates and performance reports to senior management to ensure alignment and clarity on product goals and progress
• Ensure that products comply with industry regulations and standards and ensure data privacy
• Evaluate the travel landscape and benchmark against competitors
• Conduct website usability testing
• Assist in the continued enhancement of the Content Management System (currently Drupal)
• AI & ChatGPT
• Develop best practices for writing content based on Search Engine Optimization (SEO) principles and leverage to create, manage, and optimize content to enhance online marketing efforts.
• Implement private labels
• Stakeholder and executive engagement with updating on product progress, key metrics, and roadblocks, aligning on strategic direction and priorities

About The Candidate

You are a results-driven professional with strong interpersonal skills, adept at collaborating across departments. Your acute attention to detail ensures clear messaging and delivery. You excel in developing, managing, and optimizing ecommerce products to meet customer needs and drive business success. Your foresight in identifying trends allows you to adjust strategies effectively. With a customer-centric mindset you gather and incorporate feedback into product enhancements. You adapt to changing market conditions and business needs, consistently exceeding performance targets and KPIs.

Knowledge, Skills and Experience

• 8+ years of experience in e-commerce, preferably in the travel industry
• Familiarity with e-commerce platforms, CMS (e.g., Drupal), and other relevant technologies
• Basic understanding of web development, UX/UI design, and SEO principles
• Proficiency with analytics tools (e.g., Google Analytics) and A/B testing
• Hands-on experience with web technologies like HTML, Java, CSS, and Drupal
• Familiarity working in photo editing programs such as Adobe Photoshop
• Experience in digital writing for the web, including SEO and social media, with a mastery of punctuation and grammar
• Proven ability to work collaboratively with cross-functional teams, including engineering, design, marketing, and sales
• Experience with Agile, Scrum, or other iterative development methodologies to ensure efficient product development and delivery
• 5 years of experience with people management
• Experience managing products through their entire lifecycle, from concept and design to launch and iteration
• Strong negotiation skills to handle differing opinions and align teams around shared product goals
• Proficiency with analytics tools (e.g., Google Analytics) and A/B testing

Core Competencies

Business Insight - Applying knowledge of business goals and the marketplace to advance the organization's goals

Customer Focus - Building strong customer relationships and delivering customer-centric solutions

Financial Acumen - Interpreting and applying understanding of key financial indicators to make better business decisions

Tech Savvy - Anticipating and adopting innovations in business-building digital and technology applications

Drives Results - Consistently achieving results, even under tough circumstances