Summary

The Director of Tourism is responsible for developing and implementing strategies, programs, and policies that promote responsible tourism, cultural arts, and community events while effectively managing tourism impacts and stimulating economic development throughout Brenham and Washington County. The Director of Tourism oversees the management of The Barnhill Center at the Historic Simon Theatre. This position oversees a comprehensive tourism development and promotion program designed to increase hotel occupancy, visitor spending, and tourism-related tax revenues through strategic planning, leadership, and collaboration with community partners.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities include the following. Other duties may be assigned.

• Responsible for the selection, orientation, motivation and evaluation of the Tourism Department personnel; provides or coordinates staff training; plans and supervises the staffs' work assignments; evaluates work product; identifies and resolves staff deficiencies;
• Develop comprehensive action plans to accomplish the Brenham and Washington County DMO's goals and objectives and the City's Strategic and Comprehensive Plans, and update as needed according to market changes or other dynamics;
• Plan, direct, organize, and coordinate the tourism Marketing Plan, including managing contracts, focused on all aspects of marketing Brenham and Washington County DMO as a tourism destination for conferences, meetings, retreats, weddings, sporting events, and social gatherings with overnight stays, including overseeing the production of the annual Visitor Guide;
• Evaluates, develops, and standardizes policies, procedures and methods to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the current City tourism and cultural arts related programs, projects and activities to promote responsible tourism;
• Responsible for the development of the Tourism department budget and work plan, and ensures the department's goals and objectives are met;
• Ensure that all grants, sales, and marketing dollars are spent to maximize the increase in hotel occupancy rate and tax dollars collected;
• Serves as the staff liaison to the Tourism Advisory Board, the Barnhill Center Board Music Friendly, Tourism Friendly, and Film Friendly Texas Programs, and attends all related meetings; collaborates with these organizations in an effort to collectively focus on how to responsibly increase and manage tourism and cultural arts in Brenham and Washington County;
• Oversees the City's Hotel Occupancy Tax (HOT) registration, permitting and remittance process. Works with assigned staff to identify remittance delinquencies and make recommendations for collections and liens to be made and carried out in accordance with City procedures;
• Establishes positive working relationships with representatives of community tourism and cultural arts focused organizations/stakeholders, state/local agencies and associations, City management, fellow staff, tourism business owners and staff, and the public;
• Oversees all Department of Tourism programs, events, and services administered;
• Composes, prepares and analyses staff reports and presentation materials; makes verbal and written presentations to community organizations, hoteliers, City staff, City Council, Boards and Commissions;
• Performs additional duties as assigned by the Assistant City Manager to accomplish the goals and objectives of the Tourism Department.

Supervisory Responsibilities

This is a supervisory position. Responsibility includes assistance in hiring, scheduling, approval of timecards, and management of full-time, part-time, and volunteer staff.

Qualifications

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Education and/or Experience

Bachelor's degree in business, tourism, hospitality, or marketing, plus five years of tourism related experience; or any equivalent combination of education and experience that provides the required knowledge, skills, and abilities.

Knowledge Of

General management principles; computers; budgeting, purchasing, and accounting principles and procedures; standard office practices and procedures; courteous and professional telephone and customer service etiquette.

Skills/Ability To

Communicate effectively both orally and in writing, ability to problem solve, plan, and organize, basic knowledge and skills in office equipment such as computer, fax, and copier, familiar with basic Microsoft programs such as Excel and Outlook, handle multiple tasks and prioritizing

Certificates, Licenses, Registrations

Certified Tourism Executive preferred, or ability to continuously progress, and successful completion of the 3-year Tourism Executive training program after date of hire. A valid Texas driver's license is required.

Physical Demands

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit, use hands to operate office equipment, including telephone and computer keyboard, reach with hands and arms, and talk and hear. The employee frequently is required to stand and walk; and the employee may be required to lift and/or move objects weighing up to 20 pounds, such as books and stacks of records. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision and the ability to adjust focus.

Work Environment

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

The employee has frequent contact with other employees in the assigned department and may be required to interact with employees outside of the department, and must remain calm and professional in tense, emotionally charged, and stressful situations. The employee may face difficult and stressful situations and may be required to work under time pressures to meet deadlines, to perform multiple tasks simultaneously, to change tasks frequently, to perform tedious and exacting work, and to work closely with others as part of a team. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.