Job Description

This position leads all Health, Environment, Safety, and Sustainability (HESS) initiatives at the destination, providing overall direction and oversight for Public Health, Safety, and Environmental & Sustainability programs. Reporting locally to the Destination General Manager and with a dotted-line relationship to the Cross-Destination HESS Manager, this role ensures compliance with international, national, and company standards through effective leadership and integration of programs across departments. The Manager, HESS supervises a dedicated team, sets priorities, allocates resources, and drives continuous improvement initiatives. In addition, the role fosters a strong culture of safety, compliance, and sustainability by coaching team members, engaging stakeholders, and ensuring alignment with corporate objectives.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES:

1. Leadership & Oversight 

• Provide leadership, expert guidance, and strategic direction on Public Health, Safety, and Environmental & Sustainability matters to the General Manager, peers, and direct reports, in addition to the destination HESS committee. 
• Act as the primary subject matter expert (SME) to ensure compliance, risk management, and continuous improvement across all operational areas.
• Ensure alignment of departmental objectives with corporate HESS policies, standards, and report on key performance indicators.
• Oversee the development, implementation, and continuous improvement of HESS programs, ensuring integration across departments.
• Conduct regular meetings with destination HESS committee to review performance, incidents, inspections, and improvement plans. 
• Manage HESS staff: assign tasks, manage schedules, conduct performance evaluations, identify grow opportunities within the department, and ensure appropriate training is provided.
• Address employee feedback and concerns regarding health, environmental, safety, and sustainability practices.
• Ensure alignment with corporate HESS Standards through a dotted-line reporting relationship with the Cross-Port HESS manager.
• Maintain collaboration with the engineering and technical teams to drive operational excellence and compliance across all areas.

2. Safety Management 

• Oversee occupational health and safety programs, ensuring compliance with local, national, and international regulations.
• Ensure risk assessments, hazard identification, job safety analyses, and Management of Change processes are effectively carried out.
• Oversee fire safety programs, emergency drills, PPE compliance, and readiness of emergency equipment.
• Identify and assess health, safety, and environmental risks; implement preventive and corrective measures.
• Report on health and safety conditions across operational areas—including food safety, public facilities, and workspaces—to support compliance tracking and emergency planning efforts.

3. Public Health Management 

• Oversee public health programs to ensure quality, safety, sanitation, and regulatory compliance of water systems, including potable water, wastewater, irrigation, and recreational water as well as food safety and environmental health domains.
• Support outbreak preparedness and response, including communicable disease management and emergency drills.

4. Environment & Sustainability Management 

• Oversee environmental compliance and management programs, ensuring adherence to local and international standards such as ISO 14001 and MARPOL.
• Lead initiatives for pollution control, waste management, and environmental monitoring.
• Support and lead sustainability initiatives, including circular economy programs, carbon footprint reduction, and energy efficiency projects, while promoting health, safety, and environmental education through community outreach efforts.
• Oversee compliance and performance monitoring of solid waste and recycling operations, pest control programs, and align environmental efforts with corporate sustainability goals.

5. Emergency Preparedness & Response

• Coordinate and oversee emergency response plans across Safety, Public Health, and Environmental domains.
• Conduct and evaluate multi-disciplinary drills (fire, spill, outbreak, natural disaster) ensuring alignment with corporate protocols.
• Ensure availability of resources, equipment, and trained personnel to respond effectively to emergencies.
• Lead after-action reviews (AARs), ensuring lessons learned are documented and integrated into future planning.
• Maintain and regularly update emergency response and contingency plans to ensure organizational readiness and business continuity.

6. Training & Engagement

• Develop and oversee HESS training programs, toolbox talks, safety briefings, and awareness campaigns.
• Ensure onboarding programs for new hires include HESS compliance and culture reinforcement.
• Promote continuous improvement through coaching, employee engagement, and cross-departmental collaboration.
• Partner with HR and other departments to ensure alignment on safety procedures and training requirements.

7. Compliance & Reporting 

• Ensure timely and accurate reporting to corporate and regulatory bodies on all HESS compliance matters, including performance metrics, initiatives, risks, and opportunities for improvement.
• Monitor, track, and analyze HESS KPIs, preparing dashboards and reports for management review.
• Support incident reporting, root cause investigations, and the implementation, tracking, and closure of corrective and preventive actions in alignment with audit findings.
• Lead the documentation, implementation, and continuous improvement of HESS-related policies and procedures for their respective destinations, ensuring alignment with local regulatory requirements, corporate standards, and international best practices. 
• Ensure compliance with all applicable legal, regulatory, and corporate requirements as per company’s safety management system
• Liaise with vendors and contractors to enforce adherence to HESS standards.
• Conduct HESS audits and reviews in collaboration with senior leadership and external auditors to ensure compliance with corporate and regulatory standards.
• Monitor and enhance internal audit controls and compliance metrics to ensure adherence to safety, environmental, and regulatory standards.
• Keep and organize all required records per company retention policy.

8. Other Functions 

• Collaborate with external stakeholders, regulators, and contractors to maintain compliance and continuous improvement.
• Support strategic projects involving infrastructure, repairs, and operational improvements.
• Ensure all HESS policies and procedures are periodically reviewed and updated.
• Manage departmental budgets and resources efficiently, including annual planning, forecasting, expenditure monitoring, and submitting OPEX and CAPEX adjustments in collaboration with senior management.
• Perform additional duties and support projects as directed by Senior Management to further organizational HESS goals.
• Travel periodically to U.S. and other Carnival-operated ports to support operational oversight and collaboration.

SKILLS SPECIFICS:

• Demonstrated ability to lead multidisciplinary teams (minimum 1 to 3 years of experience), develop policies and procedures, and ensure compliance with international and local regulations.
• Demonstrated expertise in applying local health, safety, environmental, and public health regulations, with working knowledge of international standards and guidelines (e.g., ISO 45001, ISO 14001, MARPOL, CDC, WHO). Ability to interpret and integrate these requirements into operational policies and procedures. Excellent leadership, communication, and stakeholder management skills.
• Experience with incident investigations, audits, emergency response, and sustainability initiatives.
• Proficiency in HESS management systems, data analysis, and reporting tools.

EDUCATION & QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor’s degree in Occupational Safety, Environmental Science, Industrial Engineering, Civil Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Public Health, or a related technical or operational field (Master’s preferred). Equivalent experience with relevant certifications (e.g., NEBOSH, CSP, ISO 14001/45001 Lead Auditor) will be considered.
• Minimum 5+ years of progressive experience in Health, Environment, Safety, Public Health, or related operational leadership roles, preferably within hospitality, cruise, or industrial environments.

LANGUAGE REQUIREMENTS: 

• Ability to read and write English to understand and interpret written procedures. This includes the ability to give and receive instructions in written and verbal forms and to effectively present information and respond to questions from guests, managers, and co-workers. 
• Excellent written and verbal communication and interpersonal skills.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS: 

• Must be physically fit. 
• Ability to work in an outdoor environment as needed.
• May need to stand for long periods of time.

OTHER REQUIREMENTS: 

• Strong organizational and time-management skills, with the ability to multitask effectively. 
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite and familiarity with data entry and reporting tools.
• Detail orientated with a proactive approach to problem solving.
• Ability to multi-task and think critically
• Problem-solving and decision-making abilities
• Strong planning and coordination skills, especially in handling multiple priorities under tight deadlines.
• May be requested to work a shift schedule while at any of the destinations.

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