Expedition Operations Manager

Coral Expeditions is Australia’s pioneering cruise line. We specialise in a unique style of immersive adventures by small expedition ship. With humble beginnings hosting cruises on the Great Barrier Reef, the company has grown into a borderless fleet of three ships carrying between 72 and 120 guests. For four decades, Coral has operated with a single purpose – to take small groups of likeminded explorers to remote places with expert guidance and warm Australian hospitality. We offer a wide range of domestic and international destinations.  Coral is part of the NRMA Group, a member-owned brand that also operates NRMA Parks & Resorts, SIXT car rental, NRMA Electric Vehicle charging network and various marine businesses.

We are seeking an experienced and inspiring leader to join our shoreside operations team as Expedition Operations Manager. This Head of Department operational leadership role responsible for leading, developing and supporting our expedition teams across the fleet while ensuring exceptional guest experiences, strong safety outcomes and operational consistency.

Reporting to the Strategic Operations Manager – Hospitality and Expeditions, this role provides operational leadership across all expedition operations and directly supports a large and diverse workforce including Expedition Leaders, Assistant Expedition Leaders, Expedition Operations Executives, Expedition Crew, Dive Teams, Guest Lecturers and Special Hosts.

This position plays a critical role in shaping the future of Coral Expeditions' expedition experience by driving workforce capability, operational standards, safety performance, succession planning, guest experience outcomes and continuous improvement initiatives across the fleet.

What You’ll Do

• Join a friendly, professional, supportive team environment.
• Career growth in a progressive and expanding Australian company wo lead the way in expedition travel.
• The opportunity to work and travel to amazing destinations with inspiring products.

Leadership & Operations

• Lead expedition operations across the fleet, ensuring safe, consistent and high-quality delivery of expedition experiences.
• Develop and maintain operational standards, procedures and service frameworks.
• Conduct vessel visits, operational reviews and onboard assessments, driving corrective actions and continuous improvement.
• Champion a strong safety culture and ensure compliance with operational, environmental and WHS requirements.

People & Workforce

• Lead, develop and support a geographically dispersed expedition workforce.
• Foster a high-performance culture focused on accountability, engagement and professional growth.
• Oversee recruitment, onboarding, coaching, performance management, succession planning and employee relations.
• Manage strategic workforce planning, rostering, qualifications and future workforce requirements, including support for First Nations employment initiatives.

Guest Experience & Product Excellence

• Ensure expedition experiences consistently reflect the Coral Expeditions brand and guest expectations.
• Review guest feedback, quality metrics and operational outcomes to identify opportunities for improvement.
• Support the development of new itineraries, activities and interpretation programs in collaboration with onboard and shoreside stakeholders.

Strategic Contribution

• Support departmental budgeting, forecasting and cost management, balancing operational efficiency with exceptional guest experiences.

• Contribute to strategic projects, product development initiatives and future fleet growth opportunities.

What You’ll Bring

You are an experienced operational leader who thrives in dynamic environments and is passionate about developing people, delivering exceptional experiences and building high-performing teams.

• 10+ years' experience within tourism, expedition cruising, hospitality, marine operations, logistics, travel or similar service-based operational environments.

• Experience managing and leading teams of 15+ employees across multiple locations, with a demonstrated ability to build engagement, accountability and high-performance cultures.
• Significant experience leading geographically dispersed or multi-site teams.
• Demonstrated leadership and people management experience, with a proven ability to coach, mentor and develop emerging leaders.
• Formal qualifications in Leadership and Management (Diploma, Advanced Diploma or equivalent) highly regarded.
• Certificate IV in Training and Assessment (TAE) or demonstrated experience in training, facilitation and workforce development.
• Strong workforce planning, recruitment and rostering experience.
• Proven success in performance management, succession planning building organisational capability.
• Experience managing change, implementing operational improvements and driving continuous improvement initiatives.
• Highly effective written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to engage, influence and collaborate with stakeholders at all levels.
• Strong administration and organisational skills, with exceptional attention to detail, accuracy and record management.
• Demonstrated ability to prioritise competing demands, manage multiple projects simultaneously and consistently deliver outcomes to agreed deadlines.
• Advanced Microsoft Office skills, including Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Outlook and Teams, with strong SharePoint and document management capability.
• Strong commercial, analytical and decision-making skills.
• Exceptional stakeholder engagement and communication abilities.
• Experience operating within safety-focused and highly regulated environments.
• Previous expedition cruising, tourism, hospitality or guest experience leadership experience will be highly regarded.

What's in it for you

• Join a friendly, professional, supportive team environment. 
• Career growth in a progressive and expanding Australian company who lead the way in expedition travel. 
• The opportunity to work and travel to amazing destinations with inspiring products. 
• Progressive flexibility, leave and well-being benefits to balance all of life's priorities
• Travel discounts on SIXT car rental, cruises, and accommodation at our award-winning NRMA Holiday Parks and Resorts
• Complimentary myNRMA membership including free Roadside Assistance & discounts on fuel, groceries, movie tickets, gym memberships, attractions, restaurants and much more
• Discounts on a range of NRMA personal insurance products including car, home & travel.

This position is open to candidates based in Australia who hold Australian residency due to the nature of our business, with substantial Australian work experience. 

We’re for inclusion, diversity and representing the members, guests, customers and communities we serve. That’s why we welcome applications from First Nations, people with disability, those from diverse cultural backgrounds, people of all genders, members of the LGBTQI+ community, and anyone else who wants to be a part of our team.

As we screen all applicants and select candidates whose qualifications and experience meet our needs, we will carefully consider your application during the initial screening and will contact you if you are selected to continue in the recruitment process. We wish you every success!