Tourism Marketing & Public Relations Specialist

Grant County•Grant County Courthouse, WA

4d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Tourism Marketing and Public Relations Specialist, under general direction, coordinates and implements Grant County's tourism promotion, destination marketing, public relations, and visitor outreach activities. This position supports the County's annual tourism marketing program through campaign coordination, production of promotional and public-facing materials, media and community relations, lodging tax program support, and implementation of assigned tourism initiatives and work plans. The position serves as a staff liaison to tourism-related advisory groups and partner organizations and works collaboratively with the County Administrator, Board of County Commissioners, Lodging Tax Advisory Committee, Tourism Advisory Committee, local jurisdictions, chambers, hospitality businesses, event organizers, media representatives, and regional partners to promote Grant County as a visitor destination, strengthen the local visitor economy, and support County priorities related to tourism and public engagement.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in marketing, communications, public relations, tourism, hospitality, economic development, public administration, business administration, or a closely related field, or a minimum of five (5) years of progressively responsible professional experience in destination marketing, tourism promotion, communications, public relations, economic development, hospitality marketing, public sector program administration, or a related field.
Project coordination, lead work, vendor management, or limited supervisory experience is desirable.
Experience developing and implementing marketing campaigns, promotional plans, public-facing communications, or destination branding efforts.
Experience preparing reports, presentations, budgets, contracts, grant materials, or other business and administrative documents for executive leadership, boards, committees, or public stakeholders.
Experience working collaboratively with multiple agencies, businesses, nonprofits, or community stakeholders.
Any equivalent combination of education and experience that provides the necessary qualifications to successfully perform the duties of the position will be considered.
Valid Washington State driver’s license, or the ability to obtain one at the time of hire.
Must be able to attend occasional evening meetings, weekend events, and local or regional travel as required.
Knowledge of destination marketing principles, branding, media planning, campaign development, visitor communications, and tourism promotion practices.
Knowledge of county government functions, advisory committee processes, governmental budgeting, public records requirements, records retention, and public meeting procedures.
Knowledge of tourism-related economic indicators, hospitality trends, visitor behavior, and methods for tracking campaign and program effectiveness.
Knowledge of applicable laws, regulations, and policies governing lodging tax expenditures, grants, contracts, and tourism promotion activities.
Skills in strategic planning, project coordination, budget monitoring, contract administration, and performance tracking.
Skill in preparing clear and effective correspondence, reports, agendas, minutes, presentations, promotional materials, and public communications.
Skill in building collaborative working relationships with elected officials, county staff, committee members, community partners, vendors, media representatives, and the public.
Skill in using computers, spreadsheets, presentation software, web-based systems, content management tools, and standard office equipment.
Ability to analyze problems, identify practical solutions, exercise sound judgment, and manage multiple priorities within deadlines and budget limitations.
Ability to interpret and apply County procedures and statutory requirements, maintain professionalism, and handle sensitive matters with discretion.
Ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing.

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree in marketing, tourism, public administration, business administration, economic development, or a related field.
Experience in county, city, or other public-sector tourism, communications, economic development, or destination management work.
Experience supporting advisory committees, boards, or commissions in a public-sector setting.
Experience with Washington lodging tax programs, tourism promotion statutes, grant administration, or public funding compliance.
Experience working in a rural destination, multi-jurisdictional region, or tourism market with outdoor recreation, agriculture, heritage, or event-based tourism assets.

Responsibilities

Coordinates and implements Grant County's annual tourism marketing and public relations work plan, including assigned goals, target audiences, campaign activities, schedules, and performance measures.
Assists in the development, coordination, and execution of destination marketing initiatives across print, digital, social media, web, visitor guide, cooperative advertising, promotional partnerships, and public relations channels.
Coordinates production, review, distribution, and placement of tourism advertising, collateral materials, visitor information, specialty mailings, media content, sponsorship materials, and other promotional communications intended to increase overnight visitation and tourism-related economic activity.
Develops, drafts, and coordinates public-facing communications related to tourism promotion, including press releases, public notices, announcements, talking points, presentations, website content, newsletter content, and media responses as assigned.
Serves as a staff contact for media inquiries, community outreach, and public information efforts related to County tourism promotion activities and events and other various County information, in coordination with County leadership and applicable County policies.
Supports implementation and periodic updating of the County's tourism strategy or long-range tourism plan by coordinating assigned projects, tracking implementation steps, and preparing status updates and supporting materials.
Tracks and analyzes tourism-related data, including visitation trends, lodging activity, campaign performance, event outcomes, media reach, and other available indicators; prepares reports, dashboards, summaries, and recommendations for management review and advisory committee use.
Serves as staff liaison to the Lodging Tax Advisory Committee, Tourism Advisory Committee, and other assigned boards, committees, or work groups; prepares agendas, packets, notices, minutes, reports, and follow-up communications as required.
Coordinates lodging tax grant processes and tourism promotion funding activities, including publication of opportunities, applicant communication, application tracking, review support, award documentation, reimbursement tracking, monitoring, and required reporting in accordance with applicable law and County policy.
Supports compliance of tourism promotion activities and lodging tax expenditures with applicable statutes, County policies, public meeting requirements, public records obligations, and records retention standards.
Monitors assigned program budgets related to tourism marketing, promotions, publications, contracts, grants, committee activities, and outreach efforts; reviews invoices, verifies billings, and supports timely payment processing within approved budget limits.
Coordinates contracts, vendor relationships, cooperative agreements, and service deliverables related to tourism marketing, publications, media buying, creative services, public relations support, events, and related work, consistent with County purchasing and contracting requirements.
Builds and maintains collaborative working relationships with cities, towns, chambers of commerce, ports, lodging providers, recreation interests, arts and cultural organizations, event organizers, economic development partners, tribal representatives, state agencies, regional tourism entities, media contacts, and members of the public.
Represents Grant County in tourism, hospitality, communications, economic development, and regional partnership meetings, events, and public forums, and provides presentations or informational updates as assigned.
Identifies, prepares, or supports applications for tourism-related grants, sponsorships, and partnership funding opportunities and assists with awarded grant tracking and reporting requirements as assigned.
Assists in the development and maintenance of tourism-related procedures, branding standards, communication protocols, outreach practices, partnership strategies, and performance expectations that improve coordination, consistency, accountability, and effectiveness of County tourism efforts.
May coordinate the work of assigned staff, contractors, interns, volunteers, or consultants by communicating expectations, assigning tasks, monitoring progress, and reporting issues to management as applicable.
Attends evening or weekend meetings, tourism events, community functions, and outreach activities as needed to support County tourism promotion and public relations efforts.
Performs other duties as assigned.