Manager, Destination Engagement

U.S. Travel Association; Washington (District of Columbia); Hybrid; USD 80,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Healthcare & fertility coverage

Paid family leave

Staff social events

Transportation & cell phone benefits

Wellness & EAP

Education & professional development

Job summary

U.S. Travel Association is seeking a Manager, Destination Engagement in Washington, DC. You will manage destination member relationships, plan engagement initiatives and lead the ESTO Awards program, coordinating with industry leaders and internal teams to maximize member value.

The role requires strong project management, stakeholder engagement, and excellent written communication. The position offers hybrid work arrangements with travel up to five times per year.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree and 5–7 years of experience in membership, communications, community relations or marketing.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Experience with awards program management and related processes is preferred.
• Excellent written communication and advanced MS Office proficiency.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the primary account manager for destination members, driving engagement and retention.
• Plan and execute events and programs (e.g., ESTO Awards) and manage related processes.
• Coordinate meetings, agendas, RSVPs, and communications to strengthen member participation.
• Prepare briefing materials and executive communications for U.S. Travel leadership.
• Monitor industry news and develop topics for future member meetings.
• Represent U.S. Travel at industry functions and collaborate with internal teams to enhance member experiences.

Skills

Analytical thinking

Executive communications

Project management

Stakeholder management

Organizational skills

Confidential information handling

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Tools

Smartsheet

Microsoft Office

Job description

Summary

The Manager, Destination Engagement oversees initiatives that foster relationships and drive engagement with destination CEOs, state tourism directors and members of their teams. The role curates community meetings and gatherings, supports key destination stakeholders to strengthen retention and spearheads special projects that deepen member value, services and benefits. This role serves as a key colleague on the member engagement team and reports to the Vice President, Member Services.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the primary account manager for destination members, driving engagement, maximizing membership value, overseeing onboarding and tracking participation to identify opportunities for deeper involvement and retention.
• Implement strategies to engage destinations throughout the year, including project management for the DMO CEO Roundtable, National Council for State Tourism Directors (NCSTD) and ESTO Planning Committee.
• Create timelines to achieve deliverables for relevant meetings. Manage the creation, approval and distribution of meeting agendas, pre-reads, remarks and visual products, as needed. Collect RSVPs, analyze attendance and recommend a proactive outreach plan to strengthen participation.
• Compose monthly community communications and targeted executive outreach to key destination executives.
• Share meeting plans, outcomes, themes and trends with relevant colleagues.
• Learn and understand key destination stakeholders; recommend, prepare and present briefing materials for U.S. Travel executives to foster and maintain relationships with more than 100 DMO CEOs and state tourism directors.
• Collaborate across the Industry Engagement team to plan dinners, meetings, community events and initiatives that promote engagement, and work with colleagues to ensure favorable member experiences during U.S. Travel events.
• Lead the planning, execution and continuous improvement of the ESTO Awards program, managing awards software, submission processes, judging logistics, stakeholder communications and recognition strategies to ensure a best-in-class industry awards experience.
• Manage state-specific initiatives, including the listserv, State Tourism Director of the Year award selection process, U.S. Travel Welcome Center Certification Program, New State Directors Boot Camp, annual state budget survey and relevant subcommittees.
• Read industry and business articles to remain current on destination news, identify touchpoints to deepen member relationships and surface potential topics for future meetings.
• Accompany leadership to represent U.S. Travel at select industry functions.

Key Attributes

• Proactive and creative thinker with the ability to generate innovative ideas, anticipate opportunities and develop impactful solutions that deepen member value.
• Highly organized with exceptional process management skills and operational precision; able to manage complex timelines, anticipate needs multiple steps ahead and handle shifting priorities.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, adept at writing refined pre-reads and executive briefings, including slide decks and other visuals, and drafting clear, impactful communications and outreach materials.
• Exceptional interpersonal and relationship-building skills, with the ability to establish credibility, cultivate strong partnerships and engage effectively with diverse stakeholders.
• Highly communicative; must possess a positive and proactive attitude and the ability to provide and receive constructive feedback.
• Experience implementing programs and initiatives.
• Ability to work within tight deadlines and adjust quickly to changes in priorities.
• Ability to manage confidential and sensitive information related to nominations, judging and award selections.
• Strong collaboration skills, and the ability to work seamlessly with internal and external colleagues to achieve shared objectives.

Education, Experience and Skills

• Bachelor’s degree plus five to seven years of experience, preferably in membership, communications, community relations or marketing.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Experience with awards program management, including nominations, judging and selection processes and maintaining awards management software, is preferred.
• Outstanding proficiency in project management and project management systems. Experience with Smartsheet is a plus.
• Excellent written communication skills.
• Mastery of Microsoft Office products, especially Word, Excel, SharePoint and PowerPoint.

Supervisory Responsibility

N/A

Other

• Position is based in Washington, D.C. U.S. Travel staff work in the office Tuesday through Thursday with remote flexibility on Mondays and Fridays.
• Moderate travel (up to five times per year) required.
• Other duties may be assigned.
• Salary: 80-90K with bonus potential.

Benefits

• Comprehensive healthcare package with fertility coverage.
• Generous paid leave including family leave.
• Routine staff functions and opportunities for social connection.
• Transportation and cell phone benefits.
• Robust wellness initiatives and Employee Assistance Plan (EAP).
• Education and professional development assistance.