Director of International Marketing

JOB DESCRIPTION

Position Summary

Visit California is seeking an adventurous, knowledgeable, hard-working destination marketing professional to join the organization’s international marketing team in a leadership role. Passion for travel and all things Californian, cultural curiosity and creative thinking are attributes that will enable prospective candidates to thrive.

The Director of International Marketing plays an influential role on Visit California’s international team, which is collectively responsible for the promotion of California as a premier travel destination in the state’s leading global markets. Under the direction of the AVP of Global Marketing, the Directors of International Marketing and their respective teams shape and execute a body of work with the ultimate goal of increasing visitation and maintaining market share.

This director role oversees the development of overall strategies for key inbound international leisure travel markets and the implementation of annual plans across all disciplines: localized consumer campaigns, content marketing, travel trade and media relations, events and strategic partnerships. The Director will collaborate with in-market teams whose scope and expertise includes developing travel trade, PR and consumer campaigns in their respective countries/regions. While overseeing the international marketing budget, the Director of International Marketing will approve all in-country projects and serve as the conduit between the in-market teams and Visit California HQ staff as well as California tourism industry stakeholders—positioned as an international “expert” to internal staff and industry stakeholders for their regions of responsibility.

Additionally, this role supports the AVP of Global Marketing to organize CEO-level sales missions in key international markets; educational programs for the California travel industry (e.g. Visit California Outlook Forum, special committees, and various marketing and stakeholder educational programs); and collaboration platforms for California travel industry.

AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY

Key Duties & Responsibilities:

• Develop annual marketing strategies and plans encompassing consumer, travel trade and public relations activities for assigned international markets.
• Collaborate with HQ teams and global agencies on implementation of consumer advertising and marketing programs.
• Build international alliances, forge strategic partnerships and craft co-op campaigns.
• Collaborate with travel trade team to oversee management of key trade shows, sales missions and events in the international regions; attend on behalf of Visit California as necessary.
• Collaborate on PR strategy (including traditional media and influencers) and oversee familiarization trip programs for PR audiences in designated markets.
• Assist in the development, management and performance optimization of Visit California’s localized owned channels and official international websites.
• Convey organization’s priorities and goals to in-market teams.
• Negotiate annual contracts and set out annual goals and key deliverables for in-market agencies.
• Hire and train in-market and internal staff and deliver annual performance reviews.
• Manage and reconcile market specific budgets on monthly basis.
• Create measurable ROI for all programs.

Estimated % of Time Per Activity

• 40% Develop and oversee overall strategy and management of marketing programs designed for key international markets. Programs include brand advertising, digital and social campaigns, travel trade, public relations and cooperative campaigns geared toward the consumer.
• 35% Provide daily management of marketing priorities in the key international regions. Serve as liaison with international in-market teams and Visit California HQ staff, vendors and travel industry partners. Oversee budget reconciliations, staff training and annual performance reviews. 
• 20% Receive and respond to leads from key international partners. Create alliances and partnerships with key global brands, airlines, influencers and other international market decision-makers. Conduct educational seminars for industry on how to successfully work in various international markets. Create and present reports for external (California travel and tourism industry) and internal (Visit California’s Board) stakeholders. Present at a variety of industry events.
• 5% Other duties as assigned by supervisor.

Supervisory Responsibility: Yes

QUALIFICATIONS / EXPERIENCE

Essential Qualifications:

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each key duty satisfactorily:

• Proven track record managing and launching international marketing campaigns.
• Ability to communicate professionally and lead cross-functional teams working in a variety of time zones.
• Demonstrated ability to manage multi-million-dollar campaigns and programs.
• Minimum of eight years of professional experience in the marketing and/or tourism industry.
• Extensive knowledge of California’s travel product.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills. Ability to present to large groups.
• Strong budget and account management experience.
• Strong organizational skills and ability to handle multiple tasks and meet deadlines.
• Previous experience working with international markets a plus.
• Work hours may sometimes reflect operating hours in key international markets. Some international travel will be required.
• Position is based in Visit California’s global headquarters located in Sacramento, California, and staff are required to be in the office 2-3 days a week when not traveling on business.
• Knowledge of Microsoft Office products, including Word, Excel and PowerPoint.
• Bachelor’s Degree or other advanced degree in marketing, recreation, tourism or related business field.