Careers at Tuscaloosa Tourism and Sports

Visitors Center

Visit Tuscaloosa accepting applications for Director of Marketing and Communications

Position Objective:

Visit Tuscaloosa’s mission is to stimulate economic growth and foster resident pride through tourism and promotion efforts that inspire people to discover Tuscaloosa. The Director of Marketing & Communications is the engine behind that mission — a hardworking, creative, and detail-oriented marketing leader who is equally comfortable developing a brand strategy and writing an email campaign, pulling analytics, and briefing a vendor, all in the same day.

This is a hands-on leadership role for someone who leads by example, brings positive energy to a small and driven team, and finds genuine satisfaction in seeing a well-executed campaign move the needle for a destination they believe in. If you’re a strategic thinker who isn’t afraid to do the work and you’re looking for a role where your contributions directly shape how the world sees a growing, vibrant community, we’d love to hear from you.

Minimum Qualifications

The Director of Marketing & Communications will possess a bachelor’s degree in marketing, communications, public relations, or a related field and a minimum of 7 years of progressive experience in marketing and communications. Experience in destination marketing, tourism, or hospitality is preferred but not required.

Candidates must demonstrate a strong portfolio of integrated marketing work, including brand development, digital marketing, content creation, and campaign execution. Experience managing vendors and agencies, working with data and analytics platforms, and leading small teams is essential.

All interested applicants must submit a cover letter, resume, and three professional references by 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, June 7, 2026 to careers@visittuscaloosa.com.

Exempt Status

This position is an exempt position. Salary is competitive and commensurate with experience.

Reporting Responsibility

The Director of Marketing & Communications reports directly to the President & CEO.

Manages

The Director of Marketing & Communications directly manages one full time communications position, the contract Social Media Manager, and any marketing interns.

Major Areas of Responsibility

Responsibilities include, but are not limited to the following:

  • Serve as the guardian of Visit Tuscaloosa’s brand, ensuring consistency in voice, visual identity, and messaging across all owned, earned, and paid channels — from digital campaigns and social media to printed collateral and partner communications.
  • Develop and execute Visit Tuscaloosa’s annual marketing strategy, including campaign development, audience targeting, channel planning, and goal-setting. Translate strategic vision into actionable marketing plans that drive overnight visitation, tourism expenditures, and destination awareness.
  • Lead the planning and execution of integrated marketing campaigns across consumer and trade audiences, ensuring alignment between paid, owned, and earned media efforts. Coordinate with the internal team and external vendors to deliver cohesive, high-impact campaigns.
  • Own and execute Visit Tuscaloosa’s email marketing program, including strategy, content development, list management, deployment, and performance reporting. This is a hands-on responsibility requiring strong copywriting skills and comfort working directly in email marketing platforms.
  • Serve as the primary internal point of contact for Visit Tuscaloosa’s data and analytics vendors. Translate visitor intelligence and market data into actionable insights that inform marketing strategy, campaign decisions, and reporting to leadership.
  • Manage agency/vendor relationships, ensuring partners deliver on contracted scope, timelines, and performance benchmarks.
  • Oversee paid digital media campaigns, providing direction and feedback while holding vendors accountable to Visit Tuscaloosa’s goals.
  • Own Visit Tuscaloosa’s website strategy, including SEO/SEM direction, content strategy, and user experience. Work closely with digital vendors to guide website development and performance, and direct internal team on blog topics and content priorities identified by the SEO vendor. The PR Manager serves as the primary writer and quality control lead for blog content and website listings, keeping this Director focused on strategy rather than execution. A working knowledge of digital platforms is essential; deep technical expertise is not required.
  • Lead the development of Visit Tuscaloosa’s major marketing collateral, including the annual visitors guide and other key publications. Work collaboratively with internal staff and outside agencies to produce high-quality materials that reflect the destination’s brand.
  • Provide strategic oversight of Visit Tuscaloosa’s social media presence, directing the contract Social Media Manager and approving recommended content strategy across platforms.
  • Lead, support, and develop the marketing and communications team. Foster a collaborative, positive, and accountable team culture that reflects Visit Tuscaloosa’s values and mission.
  • Play a lead role in Visit Tuscaloosa’s digital experience and product development initiatives, including the Bandwango platform, which powers gamified destination passes and visitor engagement programs. Develop marketing plans for new and existing products in collaboration with relevant team members.
  • Maintain and manage an editorial calendar that coordinates content and campaign activity across all marketing and communications channels, ensuring a consistent and well-paced flow of messaging throughout the year.
  • Prepare and present regular marketing and communications reports for the President & CEO and Visit Tuscaloosa Board of Directors, including the development and maintenance of a marketing performance dashboard that tracks key metrics and communicates campaign impact in a clear, accessible format.
  • Represent Visit Tuscaloosa at select industry conferences, tradeshows, and community functions as needed. Participate in relevant organizations such as Destinations International and the Southeast Tourism Society, and serve on sub-committees as appropriate.
  • Other responsibilities as assigned, including support of Visit Tuscaloosa events, sponsorship fulfillment related to marketing and communications, and special projects as directed by the President & CEO.

Physical Requirements of Job

This position requires the ability to drive, communicate effectively both in person and digitally, and occasionally attend functions after hours and on weekends. The employee must be able to lift and carry promotional materials and event supplies. Occasional travel is required for industry conferences and tradeshows.

Other Essential Job Duties

In addition to the above, the Director of Marketing & Communications will ensure and maintain regular and predictable attendance, possess and utilize excellent verbal and written communication skills, work collaboratively with all Visit Tuscaloosa staff and external partners, maintain strong relationships with vendors, community stakeholders, and industry peers, abide by all rules and procedures of Visit Tuscaloosa, represent Visit Tuscaloosa positively and professionally at all times, and demonstrate the ability to manage multiple priorities with initiative, flexibility, and a solutions-oriented mindset.

Visit Tuscaloosa is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to the principles of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.

All interested applicants must submit a cover letter, resume, and three professional references by 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, June 7, 2026 to careers@visittuscaloosa.com.