The Gig:
The Operations Industrial Engineer applies industrial engineering methods — process analysis, simulation, queueing theory, labor standards, and data modeling — to improve how Sailors move through every Virgin Voyages touchpoint, and how Crew are deployed to serve them. The role covers the full journey: embarkation and debarkation at Terminal V in PortMiami and at homeports and turnaround terminals worldwide, the Beach Club at Bimini, and onboard operations across Food & Beverage, Housekeeping, Sailor Services, and entertainment venues.
This position exists to replace intuition with evidence. The Industrial Engineer observes operations first-hand, measures what is actually happening, models what could happen under different designs, and delivers clear recommendations on staffing, scheduling, layout, sequencing, and process design. Outputs directly influence wait times, throughput, labor cost, operational readiness, and the Sailor experience.
Working closely with Hotel Operations, Fleet Operations, Marine, Port Operations, Finance, Hotel Systems, and shipboard leadership, this is an individual contributor role that leads through analysis, credibility, and influence rather than direct authority. It suits an early-career engineer with real analytical horsepower who wants ownership of high-visibility problems quickly
This gig is based at VVHQ - our swanky Virgin Voyages Head Office in Plantation, FL where we follow a hybrid work environment. We can't wait to 'sea' you in person during our Collaboration Days, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, while you enjoy Mondays and Fridays' as remote days.
Essential Responsibilities:
Guest Flow & Throughput Analysis
- Analyze Sailor flow end-to-end across terminal, shoreside, and onboard operations, identifying bottlenecks, constraints, and points of avoidable friction.
- Conduct on-site observation and primary data collection at Terminal V, the Beach Club at Bimini, and aboard ships — including time studies, flow mapping, queue observation, and utilization sampling.
- Evaluate embarkation and debarkation sequencing, arrival appointment strategies, security and check-in configurations, gangway and tender operations, and terminal layout against measured throughput.
- Model onboard flow across restaurants, bars, pools, theaters, and public spaces to identify peak-load constraints and recommend capacity, layout, and sequencing changes.
- Translate findings into practical, cost recommendations and partner with operating teams to pilot, measure, and scale them.
Simulation, Modeling & Capacity Planning
- Build and maintain discrete-event simulation and queueing models to test operating scenarios before they are implemented — new terminals, itinerary or arrival-pattern changes, venue concepts, phased openings, and volume growth.
- Use demand forecasts, dwell-time assumptions, behavioral patterns, and peak-load analysis to size infrastructure, service points, equipment, and staffing.
- Quantify trade-offs between service level, labor cost, and capital investment, and present them in terms leadership can act on.
- Support capacity requirements for new destinations, terminal projects, and fleet or venue expansions.
Labor Standards, Staffing & Scheduling Optimization
- Develop and maintain engineered labor standards for repeatable Hotel Operations tasks, using time-and-motion study and work measurement.
- Analyze staffing models, shift patterns, and schedules against demand curves to improve coverage at peak, reduce idle time, and protect Crew rest and rotation requirements.
- Recommend staffing levels and deployment models for new venues, itineraries, and operating concepts, with supporting cost and service-level analysis.
- Partner with Hotel Operations and Fleet Operations to validate standards against real shipboard conditions and ensure recommendations are operationally realistic.
Data, Measurement & Reporting
- Define and maintain the operational KPIs that matter — wait time, throughput, utilization, cycle time, service level, labor productivity, and their linkage to Sailor satisfaction.
- Build dashboards and reporting that give leadership visibility into performance against standard, and flag deterioration before it becomes a Sailor-facing problem.
- Establish baselines and measure realized benefit after implementation, holding improvements accountable to their business case.
- Bring rigor to data quality, assumptions, and methodology, and document work so it is repeatable by others.
Cross-Functional Partnership & Continuous Improvement
- Lead structured continuous improvement initiatives using Lean and Six Sigma methods, from problem definition through control.
- Facilitate working sessions with shipboard and shoreside teams to map current-state processes, surface root causes, and build ownership of the solution.
- Prepare concise, insight-driven materials for Hotel Operations and Hotel Systems leadership, including recommendations, risks, and required decisions.
- Support change management and adoption of new standards, tools, and ways of working, including responsible use of approved GenAI tools to increase analytical speed and quality.
Qualifications:
Required
- Bachelor's degree in Industrial Engineering, Operations Research, Systems Engineering, Engineering Management, or a related quantitative discipline required.
- 2–4 years of experience in industrial engineering, operations analysis, process improvement, capacity planning, or a comparable analytical operations role.
- Demonstrated experience conducting time-and-motion studies, work measurement, and the development of engineered labor standards.
- Working proficiency in discrete-event simulation and queueing analysis, using tools such as AnyLogic, Simio, Arena, FlexSim, or Simul8.
- Lean Six Sigma certification (Green Belt or higher) or equivalent demonstrated process improvement methodology experience.
- Ability and willingness to travel approximately 25%, including regular day travel to PortMiami and the Beach Club at Bimini, periodic sailings for onboard observation, and international travel to homeport and turnaround terminals as business needs require.
- Ability to work in an active shipboard, terminal, and port environment, including extended periods on foot and in outdoor conditions during observation and data collection.
Desired
- Master's degree in a related field preferred.
- Experience in cruise, hotel, resort, theme park, airport, transportation, or large-venue operations strongly preferred.
- Strong analytical and data skills, including advanced spreadsheet modeling; experience with SQL and with Power BI, Tableau, or similar visualization tools preferred.
- Ability to use approved GenAI tools effectively and responsibly to improve analysis, documentation, and productivity.
- Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal, with the ability to translate quantitative findings into clear recommendations for operational and executive audiences.
- Comfort working independently in a fast-paced, changing environment with incomplete data, and the judgment to know when an estimate is good enough to act on.
What Matters to Us:
At Virgin, your personality matters as much as how good you are at what you do. We want you to bring it to our hangout spot and help make the place even better. So, we won’t be surprised to hear that when people talk about you they say you are clever, on top of it, able to think ahead, intuitive, passionate and someone people respect and enjoy working with because you make things happen.
Virgin Voyages is committed to being an Equal Opportunity Employer and encourages applications from qualified, eligible applicants regardless of their sex, race, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, religion or belief, marital status, pregnancy and maternity. Our greatest strength comes from our ability to come together as unique individuals -- we seek to always embrace and celebrate our differences, providing an inclusive workplace environment that allows you to be your best self.
Virgin Voyages is not accepting unsolicited assistance from search firms for this employment opportunity. All resumes submitted by search firms to any employee at Virgin Voyages via-email, the Internet or in any form and/or method without a valid written Statement of Work in place for this position from Virgin Voyages HR/Recruitment will be deemed the sole property of Virgin Voyages. No fee will be paid in the event the candidate is hired by Virgin Voyages as a result of the referral or through other means.
