Research Manager

JOB DESCRIPTION

Position Summary

In collaboration with the Director of Research & Strategic Insights, the successful candidate will be responsible for managing travel and tourism research, analysis and evaluation related to the marketing programs of Visit California, for managing both primary and secondary research, and for analyzing and disseminating research results and insights in a variety of formats to support all aspects of Visit California’s tourism marketing planning and development.

AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY

Estimated % of Time Per Activity

• 30% Manage market research in support of Visit California’s strategic planning, marketing and communication activities. Manage market research to identify travel and tourism industry trends and insights through the management of research vendors utilizing primary methods such as surveys, in-depth interviews and focus groups, and through other secondary research. Ensure research vendors provide high-quality services such as economic impact of travel, forecast projections, visitor profiles, lodging metrics, brand health, advertising effectiveness and ROI.
• 25% Work closely with research vendors, internal marketing teams and external partner agencies to monitor the performance of Visit California’s marketing programs. Ensure KPIs connect to ultimate success (increased visitation and spending in California) and marketing metrics are correctly interpreted and that new hypotheses about marketing performance are tested for validation.
• 15% Develop insights through data collected through qualitative or quantitative research and produce reports, infographics, talking points, etc. that effectively summarize, interpret and visualize the research findings. Present research findings internally and with partners. 
• 10% Oversee proposals and bids as well as vendor selection. Manage/oversee project timelines, deliverables and day-to-day tasks and contracts. Ensure that research vendors and programs deliver and that research project procurement follows organizational policies and procedures. Monitor budget status.
• 10% Provide support as directed to the California travel industry in accessing and understanding travel and tourism impacts and research. Respond to special requests from Visit California and peripheral agencies for research support, analysis and reporting. Conduct special studies as needed to support the marketing and industry communications teams of Visit California.
• 10% Perform special assignments for Visit California and other duties as deemed appropriate, including assistance and backup to all aspects of California’s tourism marketing program and industry communications.

Supervisory Responsibility: No

QUALIFICATIONS / EXPERIENCE

Essential Qualifications:

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

• Knowledge of research methods and techniques, statistical and other methods used in the analysis and projection of data, survey methods and analytical techniques, especially as applied to destination visitation and impacts.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills; high degree of proficiency in synthesizing and communicating data from a variety of disciplines. 
• Strong project management experience with the ability to handle multiple tasks/projects, meet deadlines and manage priorities.
• Minimum of four years professional experience with market research or equivalent analytical field with minimum of two years experience with tourism or destination marketing.
• Education equivalent to bachelor’s degree or higher; marketing, recreation, tourism or related field strongly desired.
• Knowledge of Microsoft Office products, particularly Excel and PowerPoint, and familiarity with data visualization programs such as Tableau preferred.
• Work hours may exceed 40 hours per week.
• Some travel may be required.