Senior Director of Communications

PRSA Central PA; Baltimore (MD); Hybrid; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Visit Baltimore, a key destination marketing organization, seeks a Senior Director of Communications to drive PR strategies and manage communication initiatives, bolstering Baltimore's appeal as a leading travel destination. The ideal candidate will have significant PR experience, strong leadership capabilities, and a passion for the tourism industry.

Benefits

Comprehensive benefits package

Annual bonuses

20 days paid time off

401(k) plan with employer match

Monthly parking discounts

Qualifications

• 8-10 years of PR/Communications experience.
• Experience in DMO and travel and tourism preferred.
• Excellent writing, editing, and proofreading skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead the development and execution of PR and communications strategies.
• Collaborate with the executive team on messaging.
• Manage a team of PR and communications specialists.

Skills

Leadership

Communication

Strategic Planning

Crisis Management

Tools

Microsoft Office Suite

Job description

About Visit Baltimore:

As Baltimore’s official destination marketing organization, our mission is to promote, sell and encourage visitation to drive economic impact for the city and its residents. We craft and communicate the Baltimore narrative, advance the tourism and hospitality industry and support community.

Values: Our day-to-day behaviors are the foundation of our workplace culture. Because of this, all our actions must come from a place of respect for ourselves, our colleagues, our customers, our community and our stakeholders. Grounded in a foundation of respect, we embrace the following values as the principal pillars of our culture:

• Practice Mindfulness
• Ensure Collaboration
• Exemplify Adaptability
• Celebrate Diversity
• Ignite Innovation

Summary:

Reporting to the Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) and serving as an integral member of the Visit Baltimore leadership team, the Senior Director of Communications is proactive, strategic, organized, collaborative and results oriented. It’s critical that the individual in this role provide direction in the development and execution of Visit Baltimore’s PR and communications strategy and initiatives designed to strengthen Baltimore’s reputation as a world-class travel destination; raise awareness of organizational programs and priorities; and tell a cohesive brand story to media outlets and stakeholder audiences that advances Visit Baltimore’s brand, reputation and influence.

The ideal candidate is a thoughtful, strategic leader with the proven ability to successfully manage, inspire and develop a team of creative professionals in achieving company and individual goals in a positive and collaborative team environment. They are experienced across all PR and Comms disciplines with the ability to thrive in a fast-paced, results-oriented work environment.

Duties and Responsibilities:

· Lead the ideation and execution of a comprehensive communications plan for the organization, its leadership, and its programs, expanding the organization’s footprint in local and national media, while also building trust and transparency with partners and stakeholders

· Work closely with CMO and staff to identify and leverage internal and external communications opportunities while defining and executing appropriate strategies to support organizational and departmental goals

· Collaborate with the executive team on crafting cohesive corporate messaging that articulates the organization’s value proposition to key audiences, playing the lead role in ensuring amplification and adoption of the resulting deliverables

· Lead a team of PR and communications specialists tasked with the proactive ideation and implementation of strategies, tactics and tools needed to effectively drive positive news coverage within local, national, international and niche markets

· Oversee PR agency and/or consultant contracts, working closely with our internal designated agency lead to ensure scopes of work are delivered on and key activities such as media targeting, pitch development, event coordination and campaign management maximize available resources; the Sr. Director of Communications is also responsible for delivering direct feedback to agency partners and consultants when adjustments or improvements in output are needed and will take the lead in identifying new agencies through a robust RFP process as appropriate

· Provide strategic direction and support for the team’s crisis and issues management related responses, identifying risks and overseeing communications with employees, customers, stakeholders and the media to minimize reputation damage to Visit Baltimore and the destination-at-large

· Identify and share emerging travel trends that can be leveraged via communications and media pitching, continually growing Baltimore’s appeal and relevance with target audiences

· Design and execute strategies for long-term relationship building and media engagement, working with our internal marketing and communications team and external partners to activate events, host in-market press visits and maximize short and long story leads

· Oversee the continued growth of Visit Baltimore’s Warm Welcome program including the identification and vetting of subject matter experts, development of new training modules and generation of media attention around our efforts

· Develop and manage an ambassador program of local Baltimore influencers and creatives who can assist with building pride in the city among residents and community members

· Assist with writing, editing and proofreading of Annual Reports, presentations to the board and talking point memos (TPMs), ensuring consistent tone, messaging and brand storytelling

· Build the standards, processes, infrastructure and team needed to scale an effective, efficient and organized communications program that delivers high-quality and timely results

· Ensure the monitoring and appropriate dissemination of all Baltimore destination mentions by the outside world, ensuring the brand is accurately represented, and modifying messaging where needed

· Prepare and deliver proficient stakeholder presentations to amplify Visit Baltimore’s brand storytelling efforts and to share results of key departmental and organizational initiatives

· Positively represent VB in public settings which include meetings with current and potential partners and impactful, well-organized, fiscally responsible, pre-planned familiarization visits

· Develop and manage budget allocations, implementation and fiscal approval of communications and media-related projects, setting goals that align with organizational priorities and consistently communicating goals, expectations and project status to the CMO

· Develop benchmark criteria to track and evaluate the effectiveness of the communications strategies on a regular basis; this includes tracking and presenting equivalent ad value each year as required by Baltimore City

· Mentor and develop staff using a supportive and collaborative approach on a consistent basis, that aligns with our core values and ensures employee growth

· Collaborate and communicate effectively up, down and across the organization to ensure alignment on key messaging and initiatives

· Serve as a role model within the department and organization, establishing and monitoring staff performance and department goals, assigning accountabilities, setting objectives, establishing priorities, adhering to organizational policies and procedures and conducting annual performance appraisals aligned with our values

Qualification Requirements:

· Minimum of 8-10 years’ PR/Communications experience in a fast-paced, consumer driven organization or agency with consumer facing brands. DMO and/or travel and tourism industry experience preferred.

· Passion for travel and tourism with good knowledge of Baltimore and a commitment to learning and promoting all that Baltimore has to offer.

· Able to cultivate and maintain strong, positive relationships with team members, stakeholders, partners, community members, media associate and agency partners. Experience managing agency relationships is preferred.

· Thoughtful and collaborative leader with a demonstrated ability to plan, manage and execute at both strategic and operational levels.

· Experience with a wide range of communication’s print and online practices including press releases, fact sheets, newsletters, etc.

· Experience planning and executing press visits, including itinerary development and managing all tour logistics and post-tour follow up.

· Documented effectiveness in motivating journalists to publish story ideas that communicate a central theme or message.

· Understanding of how to track media effectiveness for purposes of reporting.

· Excellent writing, editing and proofreading skills.

· Experience working with diverse audiences.

· Adept at speaking, presenting and storytelling.

· Able to create, maintain and reconcile a departmental budget.

· Must be organized, highly motivated and detail oriented.

· Computer proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite.

· Flexible work schedule to include occasional evening and weekend hours as needed.

Additional Details:

Full-time, hybrid position. Salary range $90,000-$120,000 depending on experience. Annual bonuses (variable). Comprehensive benefits package including family health, dental and vision insurance, flexible spending accounts, 12 paid holidays, 20 days paid time off (accrual based), 7 days extended sick time off (accrual based), 16 hours volunteer time off, monthly parking discounts, Life, LTD, and ADD insurance and 401(k) plan with employer match.