Research Manager

State of South Carolina; Columbia (SC); On-site; USD 65,000 - 85,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Retirement plan

Paid vacation and sick leave

Job summary

The South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation & Tourism is seeking an experienced analyst to conduct economic impact analyses and marketing research to promote SC as a premier tourism destination.

Responsibilities include planning ad hoc analyses, presenting findings, and supporting agency staff and partners with data-driven insights. This on-site role requires strong modeling, statistics, and communication skills.

Qualifications

• Master's degree or higher with 4+ years (4+ yrs) experience in applied research related to economic development or marketing research
• Bachelor's degree + 6+ years experience in economic development or marketing research

Responsibilities

• Execute economic impact analyses for parks, recreation and tourism.
• Conduct marketing research to position SC as a tourism destination.
• Plan and design ad hoc data analyses and research projects.
• Present research findings to stakeholders and the public.
• Provide data support to staff and partners on demand.

Skills

Macro-economic modeling

Inferential statistics

Data analysis

Project planning

Communication

Education

Master's degree in economics, statistics or related field

Bachelor's degree in economics, statistics or related field with 6+ years experience

Tools

IMPLAN

REM I

SAS

SPSS

R

Excel

Job description

Job Responsibilities

The South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation & Tourism is a cabinet agency assigned to operate and manage South Carolina's state parks, market the state as a preferred vacation destination and provide assistance to communities to develop recreation assets.

Job Purpose And Duties

Executes agency's economic impact analyses efforts related to parks, recreation and tourism; Executes agency's marketing research program related to marketing South Carolina as a tourism destination; plans and designs ad hoc data analyses and research projects; Presents research findings; Respond to requests from the general public for tourism-research related information. Participates in agency teams as needed.

• Provide tourism-related data and technical support to agency staff, government officials, industry partners and the general public on an ad hoc or periodical basis. Perform special duties as requested by the Agency Director, Chief of Staff, or Director of Recreation, Grants & Policy.
• Produce macro-economic analyses that benchmark and measure the contributions of tourism-related economic performance at state and local levels.
• Produce marketing research studies to provide strategic direction for SCPRT’s advertising/marketing programs and evaluate their effectiveness.
• Recommend, coordinate and execute research activities that support and inform agency strategic planning, goals and objectives.
• Practice and promote teamwork within the program area, throughout the agency and with external agency stakeholders. Represents Section as an active member on agency teams assigned throughout the year.

Minimum And Additional Requirements

Master's degree in economics, statistics or a related field and at least four (4) years experience in applied research related to economic development or marketing research or a bachelor's degree in economics, statistics or a related field with at least six (6) years experience in economic development or marketing research.

Additional Requirements

• Ability to plan and manage projects and meet deadlines. Ability to plan, assign, direct and review the work of others. Ability to understand and carry out complex oral and written instructions. Ability to coordinate multiple activities simultaneously while exercising exceptional attention to detail; ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with others. Ability to exercise discretion. Working knowledge of agency mission, policy, and procedure.
• Extensive knowledge of and experience with macro-economic modeling, preferably related to tourism; considerable knowledge of inferential statistics and consumer research methods, preferably related to marketing research; ability to design complex research studies; knowledge of sampling and other data collection methods; Knowledge and experience with data handling and creating complex analyses; Extensive knowledge and experience related to presenting findings in written and oral format. Extensive knowledge of Microsoft Office products; Extensive knowledge of and experience with economic and statistical analysis software (e.g. IMPLAN, REMI, SAS, SPSS, R); Some experience with using LLMs to conduct research.

Additional Comments

Actual Job Location: Recreational Grants & Policy

• This position is Monday-Friday, onsite (not a remote position).
• This position will supervise the Research Coordinator position.

As an EEO/Affirmative Action Employer all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, or veteran status.

Benefits For State Employees

The state of South Carolina offers eligible employees generous benefits, including health and dental insurance; retirement and savings plan options; and paid vacation and sick leave. Plus, work-life balance programs such as telecommuting and flexible work schedules are available to employees of some state agencies.

Insurance Benefits

Eligible employees may enroll in health insurance, which includes prescription coverage and wellness benefits. Other available insurance benefits include dental, vision, term life insurance, long term disability and flexible spending accounts for health and child care expenses.

Retirement Benefits

State employees are also offered retirement plan options, including defined benefit and defined contribution plans. Additionally, eligible employees may elect to participate in the South Carolina Deferred Compensation Program, which is a voluntary, supplemental retirement savings plan offering 401(k) and 457 plan options.

Workplace Benefits

State employees may also be eligible for other benefits, including tuition assistance; holiday, annual and sick leave; and discounts on purchases, travel and more.

Note:

The benefits above are available to most state employees, with the exception of those in temporary positions. Employees in temporary grant and time-limited positions may be eligible for all, some or none of these benefits as benefits are associated with each position type. For these positions, contact the hiring agency to determine what benefits may be available.