Sales & Marketing Director

As a business driver, you will lead the marketing and sales functions for Newport Aquarium. You are responsible for developing marketing, ticket sales, and PR strategies to achieve attendance, revenue, and EBITDA goals. You’ll lead the day-to-day group and event sales, promotions, membership, and public relations efforts to deliver business targets. Partnering with our Property Support Center (“PSC”), you'll deliver each of the elements in the our marketing mix. With a constant eye on attendance and critical business metrics, you will be a hands-on leader who designs, leads, and executes shifts in strategy to reach established targets. To be effective, you'll provide strategic thinking, departmental leadership, partnership, and executional excellence in delivering property business goals.

What You’ll Do

• Develop annual ticket sales, marketing, and public relations plans; execute plans to deliver targets.
• Manage the operating calendar, attendance mix and capacity, and admission prices based on historical data, market conditions, trends, and competitive activity.
• Provide ongoing monitoring of business performance and goal attainment; recommend shifts in strategies and tactics as necessary to ensure financial plan attainment.
• Lead a team of ten sales and marketing professionals to achieve business objectives and inspire the property toward “creating memories worth repeating” for every guest.
• Oversee the development and implementation of the aquarium’s membership program, providing strategic guidance to ensure the successful delivery of channel objectives.
• Oversee the development and implementation of the promotion’s strategy and plan, which leverages brand assets and paid/earned/owned media to establish Newport Aquarium as a brand of choice with our target guests and drive visitation.
• Oversee the development and implementation of the annual group and event sales plan, providing strategic guidance to ensure the successful delivery of channel objectives.
• Oversee the development and implementation of all public relations and social media strategies and tactics.
• Oversee the implementation of all sponsorship agreements.
• Author campaign briefs, informed by guest insights and defined KPIs, to work with PSC to execute paid media creative, paid media placement, website updates, and email sends.
• Review and approve advertising strategy, creative concepts, media mix, weight, and timing; provide feedback professionally and in a way that demonstrates partnership with the PSC and respect for the process.
• Plan and administer the annual Marketing budget.
• Lead the development of consumer research and utilize existing tools and data to uncover insights, guide marketing strategy, and identify growth opportunities.
• Lead the process to identify, develop, and promote new products, including events, limited-time offerings, and up-sell opportunities. Play a vital role in developing the strategic plan and new exhibit concepts.
• Bring a spirit of collaboration and service to the position, applying insights to assist property leaders in determining where the aquarium brand has opportunity.
• Represent the Aquarium in the local community, tourism partners, national zoological networks, and industry-related meetings and conferences.
• Model and reflect the Newport Aquarium culture to guests, partners, direct reports, supervisors, peers, and property and PSC leadership.
• Purposefully develop all direct reports through an ongoing commitment to growth, creating an environment of clarity in expectation, praise/recognition, and accountability.
• Other duties as assigned.

What You’ll Bring:

• 10+ years of progressive marketing or ticket sales experience required
• Minimum four years of leadership experience required.
• Bachelor's Degree in business or marketing preferred, (may be substituted with equivalent years of experience in a related field).
• Experience in for-profit attractions, theme parks, museums, or sports franchises is strongly preferred.
• Business leadership demonstrated through patience, kindness, trust, unselfishness, truthfulness, forgiveness, dedication, and humility.
• Expertise and passion for cross-functional collaboration with PSC (Property Support Center) team members and numerous partners to gain insights, resulting in an optimal plan.
• Ability to inspire and motivate property stakeholders towards a shared vision.
• Ability to accept feedback and sell ideas that will improve the business.
• Highly organized with strong verbal and written communication skills.
• Ability to work independently and cooperatively as part of a team.
• Ability to travel locally to attend expos and networking events during and outside scheduled hours.
• Ability to work a flexible schedule, including weekends, evenings, and holidays.
• Advanced Microsoft Excel skills and adoption of technology.

Who You Are

• You have a talent for balancing strategy and execution and are unafraid to get your hands dirty bringing your plans to life. You value the strength of a team and know it is better to go together than go it alone.
• You have a keen ability to cultivate data into insights, insights into action, and action into results. You are rewarded by constant improvement and leading others to success.

Special Requirements:

• Successful completion of pre-employment background check
• Ability to speak, read, and write effectively in English
• Ability to operate a computer and keyboard

What you’ll get:

• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vison insurances
• 40 sick hours, 40 personal hours, 8 Holidays, 80 Vacation Hours annually
• Profit Sharing and 401K Plan with company match
• Free entrance for you and your dependents
• Earn 1 General Admission complimentary ticket, that you can give to anyone, per pay period
• Discounts at Sharky’s Café, Sweet Dreams Candy Company, the gift shop and souvenir photography
• Discounted tickets and annual passes for friends and family
• Training and development
• Pay range: $78,000 to $136,000 annually 
• Bonus Incentive plan
• You can expect to work on projects that have never been done before – ideas that are unproven, and concepts that make people smile.
• You can expect to have fun and be treated with respect the minute you start and through to the end. You can expect to work in an environment that is highly innovative and low in politics – truthful and filled with smart people; all while providing the BEST GUEST EXPERIENCE IN THE NATION!
• And most of all, you can expect to work hard and make a difference in our world by helping to bring families closer together.
• Looking to pursue your education without debt?
• Grow U has hundreds of programs available from certifications to college prep to associates, bachelor's, and master’s degrees.
• Most of these programs are fully funded. Learn more at: https://www.newportaquarium.com/Careers/Benefits/GrowU
• Newport Aquarium, one of the many properties owned by Herschend, prides itself on creating memories worth repeating.
• Our Core Values – greatly exceeding guest expectations, serving others, creating emotional connections, and constantly improving – give us purpose and guidance.

Experience Required

• 10+ of Marketing and Ticket Sales Experience

Salary

• 85,000 - 130,000 + bonus