Career Center

HIRING SALARY RANGE:
$72,162-$104,026 Annually

Introduction

Propel the brand for the 8th largest tourism economy in Virginia as the next Tourism Marketing Manager for Prince William County, Virginia!  
 
The Prince William County Office of Tourism is seeking a community branding maestro who dreams in strategy to lead marketing and visitor engagement efforts for one of Virginia’s fastest growing tourism economies.  Empowered with wide creative berth, the Tourism Marketing Manager will collaborate with an expert team to execute data-driven, best-in-industry marketing strategies to elevate Prince William's status as a top destination in the metro Washington, D.C. region.  He/she will serve as the County’s brand manager and lead media buyer and will oversee the deployment, trafficking, management, and performance of Visit Prince William’s owned and shared media channels.  
 
If you are looking to unleash your full leadership potential to transform the quality of life for a burgeoning destination located just 25 miles outside of the Nation’s Capital, rooted in cultural diversity, history, and natural beauty, then apply today!  In addition to working for a top-50 employer in Virginia, the position comes with unparalleled benefits including health and dental coverage, enrollment in the Virginia Retirement System, a defined contributions plan with County match, 11 paid holidays, 4 personal leave days, and generous training and professional development support.  

ABOUT THIS ROLE: 
The successful candidate will lead a team of two part-time equivalents to develop and implement data-driven, best-in-industry marketing strategies to grow Prince William’s tourism economy. In specific, the team is responsible for developing paid media campaigns, growing earned and shared media coverage, managing Visit Prince William’s owned media channels, and advancing visitor engagement. The incumbent will involve the team in setting strategy and inspire the creativity and silo-crushing collaboration necessary to exceed goals.  He/she will empower the team to take calculated risks and create opportunities for team members to expand their skills. The position reports to the Office of Tourism Director.
 

MINIMUM REQUIRMENTS:
High school diploma or G.E.D. and 6 years of progressively responsible related experience.

PREFERENCES:

• Bachelor's Degree in tourism, hospitality, marketing, communications, or a related field.
• 6 years of progressively responsible experience in the tourism industry.
• 3 years of experience working for an accredited Destination Marketing Organization. 
• Experience negotiating media buys. 
• Experience creating and directing layered marketing campaigns including paid, shared, owned, and earned media.
• Experience tracking and reporting KPIs based on Google Analytics, SEM, SEO, and Facebook Ads Manager.
• Experience with government procurement. 
• Experience developing strategic plans and key performance indicators.
• Experience writing grants.
• Experience with Simpleview CRM software.
• Experience proofing creative and developing advertisement mock-ups.
• Experience writing marketing plans.
• Experience with web-based digital strategy and back-end management.
• Experience with content management.
• Experience applying data intelligence principles and technology to analyze visitor habits.

This career-defining position requires a team-oriented leader with superb written and verbal communication skills, a command of cutting-edge marketing principles and technology, and a track record of developing layered advertising campaigns that meet targeted outcomes. They will inspire out-of-the box thinking, promote collaboration, challenge the status quo, and leverage partnerships to multiply resources. The right candidate will embrace working for a growing destination and commit themselves to guiding its long-term success. They must excel in complex, fast-paced environments and have strong, data-driven business acumen. They must be outgoing, strategic, and eager to collaborate. The must be a skilled dealmaker with an incessant focus on reaching the right traveler at the right time, in the right market, with the right message. They must be a big picture strategist that doesn’t lose sight of details. They must have an ability to pivot quickly to modify marketing plans due to changes in consumer behaviors and macro-economic factors. They must be hyper focused on delivering on key performance indicators. As an employee-centered agency that believes employees closest to the customer know their job best, the position requires a leader with a passion for empowering staff and drawing out the best out in others.  

SCHEDULE REQUIRMENTS:
37.5 HPW; some evening and weekend work; some travel
 


The above position description is intended to represent only the key areas of responsibilities; specific position assignments will vary depending on needs of the department. To review the description of duties and responsibilities of persons working in this classification click here.

About Prince William County:
Located 30 miles outside the District of Columbia, Prince William, Virginia is the 2nd largest county in Virginia and the 4th fastest growing county in the Commonwealth.  Known for its diverse population, quality schools, and gorgeous cultural and natural resources, Prince William has become a community of choice for families and professionals in the D.C. metro area.  The County boasts two National Parks, including the largest protected natural area in Metro D.C., the National Museum of the Marine Corps, Jiffy Lube Live outdoor music venue, 20 craft breweries and wineries, the George Mason University Science and Technology Campus, the Hylton Performance Arts Center, and NOVA Community college—the second largest systems in the United States.  In the face of accelerating population growth, the County is planning exciting new re-development areas, in which to concentrate mixed-use development for vibrant live-work-play communities.  

About the Department:  
The Department of Parks, Recreation, and Tourism has a mission to create recreational and cultural experiences for a more vibrant community and envisions itself as a lead collaborator in delivering holistic solutions for community transformation.  The department and its 1,400+ employees services a population of 482,000 residents across a 350 square mile area.  The Department’s service portfolio includes 57 parks and facilities spread across 5,000 acres, two waterparks, four community pools, three indoor aquatic and fitness centers, three community centers, three golf courses, 50 miles of trails, 15 historic sites, and over 280 athletic fields.  The Department has an operating budget of over $43 million and boasts a 40% cost recovery (70%+ for Recreation Services).  The Department is currently managing nearly $40 million in capital improvement projects with exciting new investments on the horizon.  In 2019, voters approved a $41 million bond referendum for new parks and trails.  The Department is undergoing exciting foundational changes such as a recent update to its Comprehensive Plan and Master Plan utilizing a new Level of Service methodology rooted in equity and sets a goal to double County parkland acreage.  In addition, the Department recently achieved national accreditation through the Commission for the Accreditation of Parks and Recreation Agencies.  Recent external recognitions for the Department include the attainment of E3 status from the Virginia Environmental Excellence Program for a commitment to environmental stewardship in operations, a Gold Medal from the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality for the Neabsco Boardwalk project, and several Golden Guard awards, consistent audit scores from Ellis and Associates of exceeds for the Department’s aquatic safety program.  The Department is supported by four advisory boards and two foundations. The Department is uniquely employee-centered and follows a Leadership Philosophy that believes in Leadership at all Levels. To that end, all employees are invited to participate in day-to-day problem solving, system improvement initiatives, and strategy setting. The Department believes that employees thrive when they are trusted, included, respected, and supported at all levels.

About the Division:
The Office of Tourism is a division within the Department of Parks, Recreation, and Tourism and has a mission to stimulate a robust economy and create opportunities for residents by inspiring travelers to visit Prince William County.  The agency, which is accredited by Destinations International, is funded exclusively with Tourism Occupancy Tax (TOT) revenue and employs 8.5 full-time equivalent employees with 53 years of combined experience in destination management.  The team has strong chemistry as well as excellent rapport with neighboring destinations with whom they collaborate regularly.  The division is comprised of 4 branches: Administration, Sports Tourism, Group Sales, and Marketing.  An eight-member Advisory Board, representative of industry sub-sectors, is appointed by the Board of County Supervisors to provide guidance to the Office of Tourism Staff.  
 
The Office of Tourism works seamlessly with other divisions within the Department such as Marketing and Communications, Parks, Historic Preservation, and Recreation Services to advance Tourism, which relies heavily of County-owned assets.  The Office of Tourism’s operating budget for Fiscal Year 2022 is $1.5 million.  The total TOT levy in Prince William County is 8%, 3.75% of which is designated for tourism promotion and the remainder for transportation and general government purposes.  Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, Prince William County Generated $4.3 million in total TOT revenue.  The Office of Tourism is part of the Northern Virginia Tourism Partnership, which includes Fairfax, Loudoun, and Arlington Counties as well as the City of Alexandria.  It is also a partner of the SportsNOVA Alliance.
 
About the Destination:
Located 25 miles south of the Nation's Capital, Prince William County is a burgeoning year-round destination with attractions spread across a 350 square mile area that connects the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains to the Potomac River.  The County tops the region on the outdoor recreation scene, boasting two National Parks (Manassas Battlefield and Prince William Forest Park, which is the largest protected natural area in the D.C. region), the Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail, Leesylvania State Park, Conway Robinson State Forest and the Bull Run Mountain Preserve.  Other notable attractions include the National Museum of the Marine Corps, Jiffy Lube Live outdoor music venue, the Potomac Mills outlet mall, the Steins, Vines, and Moonshine trail, numerous outdoor sports complexes, historic sites, and more.  The destination is on the precipice of exciting growth including The Rose gaming resort by Rosie’s/Colonial Downs, a $400 million entertainment complex along I-95 as well as $41 million in new park bond projects.  
Prince William County is the 8th largest tourism economy in Virginia.  Visitor spending reached $640 million in 2019 according to a 2019 Virginia Tourism Corporation study.  In 2018, Prince William County generated $618 million in visitor spending, an increase of 4.5%, outpacing all other Virginia counties in the region.  The County is home to 48 hotels and approximately 4,875 rooms.  In 2019, 7.5 million people visited Prince William County attractions.  Charming, historic enclaves like the towns of Occoquan, Haymarket, and Dumfries provide visitors with a small town experience tucked away within a large metropolitan area.
 
More information about the Destination can be found here:
 
To view the Visitor Guide, click here. 
To view the 2020 Annual Report, click here.