Tourism Program Manager

Stafford County Government is seeking an energetic and strategic Tourism Program Manager to lead efforts that promote Stafford as a premier destination for visitors, businesses, and events. This position plays a key role in fostering partnerships, supporting local tourism stakeholders, and advancing initiatives that drive visitation and economic impact throughout the community. The ideal candidate is a collaborative leader with strong relationship‑building skills, a passion for community engagement, and the ability to connect people, organizations, and opportunities that showcase the unique experiences Stafford County has to offer. The Tourism Program Manager performs a range of skilled clerical, technical, and administrative tasks related to the department’s Tourism program. The role recruits meetings, events, sports tourism, and leisure travel opportunities to the County with the overall goal of increasing hotel stays, which in turn increases the Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT) collected and provides a positive economic impact to the County. Working alongside the Director and Project Manager, the manager will develop, execute, and manage the department’s Tourism marketing plan, strategic plan, website, social media, and collateral sites related to tourism. Work is performed under general supervision. Hiring salary range: $96,720 to $132,995. Full salary range: $96,720 to $169,270. Responsibilities Develop, implement, manage, and market programs that promote the County as a premier tourism destination. Assist with the development and marketing of Stafford County’s economic development initiatives as they relate to tourism. Support and assist in the marketing of Stafford County as a premier tourism destination for a positive economic development program. Frequently review and respond to sports, group, and meeting Request for Proposals (RFPs) to promote Stafford County as a host destination. Develop and implement Tourism Programs to enhance visitor experience and desire within the destination. Execute the implementation of a Tourism Strategic Plan. Manage contractors for tourism‑related tasks. Represent Stafford County at applicable tourism councils and committees in the region. Serve as the primary liaison with County and regional tourism assets and partners and maintain ongoing partnerships. Oversee the maintenance of the County and regional tourism events calendars. Work with the Project Manager and/or website consultant to manage updates to the Tourism website and take primary responsibility for ensuring the website aligns with the tourism strategic and marketing plans. Maintain a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) database of all interactions with tourism assets and partners, including hotels, restaurants, attractions, and County parks; track sales leads and other interactions vital to the tracking metrics set by the Director of the department. Manage County listings on applicable tourism websites. Assist in the preparation of monthly tourism e‑newsletter, Tourism Advisory Group meetings, tourism brochures, and media copy. Participate in and represent the County at trade shows to market Stafford tourism and the destination. Maintain a contact list of agency contacts, clients, County attractions, offerings, events and visitors and gather analytics on County and regional lodging activity. Draft the tourism budget and tourism‑related procurements, subject to Director approval. Assist in promoting Stafford tourism by developing and implementing the Tourism Marketing Plan. Organize and maintain a portfolio of relevant tourism photos and images/graphics that are replenished frequently. Prepare and maintain files and records. Answer inquiries and provide information and referrals. Attend tourism conferences to stay in tune with best practices and tourism industry trends. Perform related tasks assigned. Qualifications Thorough knowledge of the principles, practices, techniques, and methods for planning, developing, and maintaining a comprehensive tourism program. General knowledge of the principles, practices, techniques, and methods for developing and implementing marketing and/or economic development programs. General knowledge of the geographic layout of the County and surrounding areas. Ability to plan, develop, and implement advertising and marketing strategies. Ability to develop and write promotional copies, speeches, and correspondence. Ability to work independently. Ability to maintain effective working relationships with coworkers, other County departments, community leaders, local historic groups, tourism‑related businesses, hoteliers, media, County officials, and state, federal, and local tourism agencies. Ability to express ideas and present programs enthusiastically and dynamically, aligning with the department’s mission and the vision from County Administration. Skill in public speaking before groups of various sizes. Skill in using computers, CRM systems, and a variety of office machines. Ability to travel up to four weeks per calendar year to attend trade shows and conferences promoting the Stafford Tourism destination and tourism best‑practice conferences. Education and Experience A combination of education and experience equivalent to a bachelor’s degree in business, public administration, marketing, economics, or a field related to the work, and four years of experience in travel, tourism, leisure, business studies, marketing management or journalism. Experience at a program management level or higher is desired. #J-18808-Ljbffr Stafford-County