Job/Volunteer Opportunities

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ROCKFORD AREA CONVENTION & VISITORS BUREAU

POSITION TITLE: Director of Marketing & Public Affairs

REPORTS TO: President & CEO

DIVISION: Executive

EXPECTED RESULTS/PURPOSE
Organization - Deliver maximum benefit to residents by generating economic growth through investments in tourism.
Team - Plan, execute and measure the Bureau's MarCom group sales, leisure marketing and community/stakeholder relation activities.
Position - Responsible for developing strategy to plan, direct and implement all marketing policies and programs to determine and measure the short and long-term demand for services of the Bureau. Supervises all communications personnel and agencies. Serves as a member of the senior leadership team.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS
- Identifies, develops and evaluates overall marketing strategy based on knowledge of established objectives, market characteristics, and cost and margin factors
- Develops, implements and evaluates all internal and external marketing, communication and public affairs programs.
- Develops and evaluates effective pricing strategies with the goal of maximizing the Bureau's revenue

Brand Stewardship:
- Coordinates the development of the brands multiple platforms of customer connection including: in-person, on-line, e-media, exhibits , print, web, and brand strategy, marketing programs and promotional opportunities.
- Monitor use of logo, brand imagery and standards on all RACVB and related partner materials, websites and advertising to ensure strategic and tactical consistency

Marketing/Communications: 
- Create and submit an annual marketing/communications plan and budget
- Implement advertising, PR, collateral, online, community/media/government relations elements of plan on schedule and within budget
- Create strategy to use social media to promote RACVB and establish monthly, quarterly and annual metrics for effective marketing messages. Utilize SEO Google Analytics and establish key objectives for services.
- Train and coordinate work of staff, ad agency, vendors and partners

Stakeholder and Community Relations:
- Ensure regular communications (news releases, newsletters, e-updates, etc.) to/with stakeholders to ensure awareness and engagement
- Working with the CEO, manage political action involvement and government affairs
- Manage close working relationships with local media to ensure RACVB is properly positioned
- Actively participate in trade shows and community events and organizations to promote RACVB

Product Development:
- Collaborate with the CEO to perform market research, analyze results to develop new visitor projects and programs that enhance the region as a destination
- Identifies and monitors global tourism trends to recommend new ideas and approaches of attracting tourism trade to Rockford region.
- Work with the sales staff to forecast, plan and promote services with a results-oriented objective of profitability of services through effective marketing strategies
- Work with external partners to monitor and evaluate their approach to promoting destinations and trends in tourism to continually bring new product development ideas to RACVB

Project Management: 
- Lead overall direction, coordination, completion and control of MarCom projects, ensuring consistency with RACVB strategy, commitments and goals
- Monitor project timelines to ensure milestones are achieved
- Present regular progress reports to CEO, Executive Team and other stakeholders
- Evaluate and assess results of completed projects to ensure ongoing success and sustainability

Planning and Leadership: 
- Function as part of the senior leadership team
- Assist in the development and implementation of short- and long-term corporate strategy that is aligned with Board directives and Ends Policies
- Effectively manage a budget that supports RACVB overall strategy

Performance and Accountability Reporting, Research:
- Working with the CEO and staff, serve as the internal advisor on Board Governance and company policies, and manage the preparation and submittal of Board monitoring reports
- Directs and reports the research conducted among leisure travelers, meeting/event planners and local stakeholders
- Collects and disseminates primary and other research information pertaining to current and future leads to share with the sales staff.
- Manage the collection, analysis and reporting of data that indicates accountability performance, including hotel data, City and County tax receipts and other Key Indicators

Team Management:
Directs the hiring, training and performance management of marketing staff to meet overall results
- 2 full-time employees and 1 part-time employee
- Advertising/marketing agency and communications contractors

KEY CONTACTS
- RACVB Staff
- RACVB Board Members
- Leisure/Group Customers
- Vendors/Consultants 
- Destination Partners
- City and State Tourism Industry Leaders
- Community/Government Leaders
- Local/Regional/National Media

CRITICAL KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES 
- Represents and performs a leadership role inside and outside the organization with a global mindset
- Possess excellent communications capabilities in both written and oral forms and comfort with public speaking as a representative of RACVB
- Encourages and builds mutual trust, respect and cooperation among team members
- Performs assignments in support of the high ethical standards set for RACVB staff
- Performs critical analysis, draws conclusions and makes recommendations about tourism trends
- Utilizes Customer relationship and management software to identify needs and evaluation of services to ensure customer satisfaction
- Direct the creation and implementation of innovative concepts, messages, images and delivery systems
- Be detail-oriented and an effective process/project manager
- Have strong interpersonal skills that allow for success internally and externally and work in a team environment
- Work comfortably with Board Members and facilitate their engagement
- Work effectively with local, state and federal government staff/elected officials 
- Be actively involved in the community and its public/private organizations
- Be flexible and willing to effectively recommend ideas to CEO
- Communicate with and effectively direct staff activities
- Knowledge of marketing principles and methods for promoting and selling services 
- Collaborate with sales staff in developing media to promote and sell services.

EDUCATION/EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS:
Minimum bachelor's degree in Business, Marketing, Management or Communications plus 5 to 7 years related destination and tourism experience; or equivalent combination of education and experience. Experience in innovative use of various marketing media including print and digital as well as effectively managing the process of creating and producing a variety of marketing materials and programs. Experience in research, strategy, creativity, collaboration and project management skills to produce meaningful results.

Interested candidates may email a resume with salary requirements to:

Christina Kamer, HR Capital Management Consultants, ckamer@hrcmc.com.