Company: Visit SLO CAL
Location: San Luis Obispo, CA
Functional Area: Marketing
Reports to: Chief Marketing Officer
Employment Type: Full-Time Regular
Education Required: Bachelor’s Degree (or equivalent experience)
Experience Required: 4+ Years
Salary Range: $80,000 – $100,000 annual salary plus benefits, DOE
Organization Description:
Visit SLO CAL (VSC) is the non-profit countywide destination marketing and management organization (DMMO) for San Luis Obispo County. Its mission is to “Inspire travel and foster our unique experiences to create life-long ambassadors and economic growth for SLO CAL.” Its goal is to promote the SLO CAL through marketing, advertising, public relations, group sales, promotions, events and sponsorship, branding the region as a choice destination for regional, national and international travelers alike. Visit SLO CAL works in partnership with tourism industry-related businesses including lodging properties, restaurants, wineries, breweries, activities, local community destination marketing organizations and the state tourism organization, Visit California, to create a unified marketing approach that promotes the culinary, coastal and cultural assets of the county. For more information, visit SLOCAL.com.
Position Description:
Are you a skilled communicator with a passion for SLO CAL?
Do you have experience working with media, pitching ideas and developing stories?
Do you thrive in a fast-paced environment and leading multiple projects at once?
Are you a natural team leader who puts your success on par with the success of the team?
If you answered yes to all of these questions, we’d love to talk with you about the Associate Director of Communications position at Visit SLO CAL. We seek a talented, organized, driven, passionate, detail-oriented and collaborative person to join our team. This position is integral to our goal of increasing awareness of SLO CAL as a destination and is a vital part of our overall success.
Here’s what your day will look like
You will have the responsibility of developing and implementing proactive communications strategies, responding to in-bound requests, anticipating communications needs and prepare for the unexpected. Anyone able to pivot around that many priorities will be a valued member of our team! You will supervise the Communications Coordinate and work with the CMO and others to achieve these tactics. Your hours may include nights and weekends, for which you will be compensated accordingly.
You will oversee all media relations and public communications, including production of press releases and materials, presentations, talking points and copywriting. You will develop and manage relationships with the press/media and local communications professionals – all while promoting a positive public image for Visit SLO CAL and representing the destination. Other duties include:
- Written communications supporting sales and management teams
- Partner communications
- Public speaking preparation
- Copywriting and editing collateral materials
You will become a brand guru by collaborating with staff, partners and the local destination marketing organizations to achieve and maintain brand consistency, coordination of messages and excellent standards in internal and external communications.
Who are you?
- You are vibrant, passionate, and self-motivated.
- You have an outstanding record of achievements in marketing and public relations/communications.
- You are a driven, collaborative professional who can lead by example.
Core Responsibilities:
Contractor Management
- Manage VSC partnerships with domestic and international PR agencies, ancillary agencies and communications contractors
Press & Media Management
- Act as main point of contact for all media inquiries
- Speak at travel media engagements and be comfortable on air or in front of the camera
- Manage all local, national and international press relationships, with assistance from agencies
- Cultivate local press relationships, arrange for interviews, or press conferences, develop and execute local VSC public relations plan.
- Seek out and manage in-market media and influencer visits, including planning and arranging itineraries, hosting media, follow-up and tracking (often includes nights and/or weekends)
- Attend and facilitate press events, conduct press meetings, develop & pitch story ideas, conduct follow-up, etc. (3-5 trips totaling 10-20 days of travel annually)
- Collaborate and coordinate partners such as local tourism businesses, DMOs, Central Coast Tourism Council (CCTC), Visit California (VCA), Brand USA, etc for media relations
- Oversee PR tracking, reporting and contact records in the Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system
Internal & External Communications Management
- Work with the marketing team to develop and execute the annual Business and Marketing Plan, incorporating the Create Once Disseminate Everywhere (CODE) approach
- Manage the annual SLO CAL Visitors Magazine production, including coordinating with the publisher, local partners and staff
- Oversee the production of all public VSC communications, including:
- Press/media communications: press releases, media kit, story ideas, talking points, etc.
- Consumer communications: Visitors Magazine, website copy, e-newsletters, blog, etc.
- Internal (local) communications: public presentations, speeches, talking points, partnership materials, newsletters, etc.
- Collaborate and coordinate with members and partners, such as local DMOs, Central Coast Tourism Council (CCTC), Visit California (VCA), Brand USA, etc., in the execution of the annual Business and Marketing Plan
Operational Duties
- Manage priorities consistent with Strategic Direction 2026
- Ensure compliance with all standard policies and procedures
- Manage Communications Department monthly expenses and financial reporting; assist with bi-annual budgeting
- Assist leadership team with implementation of new projects and facilitate additional responsibilities, as requested
- Travel willingly for marketing events, professional development and/or agency collaboration
Required Skills/Experience:
- Bachelor’s Degree (or equivalent experience)
- 4+ years professional experience in communications and public relations (ideally in travel, tourism or hospitality)
- Exceptional interpersonal communication, relationship building and customer service skills
- Extremely strong oral, written and public speaking/presentation communication skills
- Strong understanding of and skills using public communications tools and methods (including digital distribution channels, AP Style, copy editing and proofreading)
- Ability to manage multiple projects, team members and agencies and resolve conflict effectively
- Strong problem-solving skills and ability to propose and direct successful solutions
- Ability to multi-task and to pivot quickly in a rapidly changing environment
- Tech savvy with proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite
Preferred Skills/Experience:
- Strong relationships with local, regional, national and/or international media
- Strong knowledge of the SLO CAL destination and its assets
Desired Traits/Abilities:
- Strategically focused and passionate about Tourism
- Strong leadership skills with an inclusive and team-oriented focus
- Professional in appearance and manner
- Self-motivated and possessing a strong work ethic
- Detail-oriented, methodical and extremely organized work style
- Talent for tracking, multi-tasking and the ability to pivot quickly in a rapidly-changing environment
- Problem solving skills and ability to propose and direct successful solutions
- Ability to work autonomously, yet collaborate with others as needed
- Strong drive and a tendency to thrive in a fast-paced, ambitious environment
- Professional, adventurous, positive and confident attitude
Visit SLO CAL, an equal opportunity employer, offers an exciting opportunity for qualified, career-motivated professionals. We offer a best-in-class compensation and benefits package, including:
- Industry-leading monetary compensation
- 100% paid medical insurance after 30 days of employment
- Generous Paid Time Off (PTO) policy, including:
- 10 Paid Holidays
- 15 PTO days in year 1, 20 in year 2
- 8% 401K match (this is not a misprint – it’s amazing)
- Monthly team outings to have fun and gain knowledge about the tourism offerings of the county
- An authentic workplace where everyone is safe to bring the best version of themselves
- We believe great work happens together and ask that our team members are in office 4 days per week, but we are human and allow for more remote work on an as-needed basis