Job Description / Duties

Position Summary
Reporting to the Chief Marketing Officer, the Brand Manager is responsible for overseeing the Kingston brand and associated marketing campaigns, using research, analysis, and insights to create strategies and plans that raise awareness and profile for the destination, drive referrals and business to partners, and generate visitation to Kingston.

The Brand Manager provides leadership to the Marketing and Communications Coordinator, directing digital plans and tactics. They create and manage annual and quarterly content calendars and stories and develop and maintain visitkingston.ca (English, French, Chinese sites) and the Visit Kingston social media channels.

The Brand Manager works to proactively understand the audiences, priorities, and plans for all Tourism Kingston sectors (leisure, business events, travel trade, sport and wellness, creative industries, visitor services), providing strategic guidance to ensure communications are consistent and aligned. The Brand Manager also works closely with the CMO, Senior Graphic Designer, and our agencies of records to steward brand guidelines, providing direction to external vendors and community partners, and championing adoption of the brand community wide.

The ideal candidate is a strategic, creative, and collaborative marketer who makes data-informed decisions and has considerable experience designing compelling and effective strategies and plans.

Key Responsibilities

• Works closely with CMO to set annual priorities, designing the annual marketing plan in collaboration with our agency of record
• Uses research data and insights to inform planning and assess campaigns
• Creates and curates annual and quarterly content calendars, aligning stories and content with paid campaigns
• Oversees schedules and timelines; facilitates creative production and approval; ensures timely implementation of campaigns and tactics
• Manages and oversees website maintenance; leads search engine optimization and paid search programs working with agency of record
• Manages Visit Kingston social media presence in collaboration with Marketing and Communications Coordinator, programming content that supports brand pillars
and builds engaged audiences
• Supports Marketing and Communications Coordinator in managing social communities, responding to inquiries, interacting with fans and followers, and providing
exceptional customer service
• Supporting the CMO, provides direction to Tourism Kingston’s agencies of records and vendors, guiding deliverables and timelines
• Provides day-to-day leadership to Marketing and Communications Coordinator, as well as seasonal and/or contract staff
• Meets regularly with Tourism Kingston’s sectors (sales, visitor services, creative industries); provides strategic insight and guidance, ensuring sector communications
are aligned and support the brand
• Builds collaborative, engaged relationships with industry partners at the local, regional, provincial, and national level
• Champions the Kingston brand including visual identity, positioning, and pillars, serving as a resource for staff and partners and encouraging adoption of the brand
community wide
• Monitors industry, community, and media activity to identify opportunities and risks; provides expert advice to CEO, CMO, and other colleagues and stakeholders
• Leads Creative Committee for Digital and Visual Communicators; represents Tourism Kingston as member of special committees, boards, and working groups
• Undertakes special projects as assigned

Qualifications / Required Skills

Education
A degree or diploma in marketing, communications, or a related field.

Required Skills and Experience
• Minimum 5-7 years of relevant experience in marketing and communications with an emphasis on brand and project management
• Insight-driven marketer with proven experience designing effective strategies and plans
• Demonstrated leadership experience; clear and empathetic supervisory style
• A team player with the confidence to represent the Kingston brand and Tourism Kingston professionally, including presenting to CEO, board, and community
partners
• Decisive and insight-driven decision-maker with ability to thrive in a fast-paced environment with competing demands
• Polished and effective communicator capable of leading discussions, directing and redirecting staff, and building consensus across stakeholders
• Creative and innovation-minded individual who proactively seeks opportunities to enhance and/or refine strategies and plans
• Excellent understanding of analytics platforms such as Google Analytics, Meta, Sprout Social; demonstrated ability to interpret data; experience leading qualitative
or quantitative research highly valued
• Excellent writing and editing skills with the ability to refine content to ensure consistency with brand, style, and tone; experience with content marketing highly
valued
• Understanding of search engine optimization strategies and tactics
• Supportive and team-oriented; enjoys collaboration and contributing to a positive work culture
• Experience with Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)
• Experience with website content management systems
• Working knowledge of CRM (Simpleview)

Additional Information

Working Conditions
This position is based at Tourism Kingston’s office in downtown Kingston, Ontario. The position requires varied hours of work to carry out the duties assigned. Events are often scheduled outside of Tourism Kingston’s regular business hours. The Brand Manager is expected to be available to work early mornings, evenings, Saturdays, Sundays and some statutory holidays as required.


Disclaimer
The job description outlined above is meant to describe the general nature of the work being performed. It is not intended to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities required of the incumbent.

Contact Information

How to Apply
Please submit all applications to alison@tourismkingston.com. Only successful applicants will be notified.

Employer Profile

Tourism Kingston is the Destination Marketing Organization for Kingston, Ontario. Its vision: to excel in creating, promoting, and growing opportunities for Kingston to be a premier destination for individuals, groups, and businesses; to leverage tourism as a key driver of a healthy economy of Kingston; and to champion Kingston as a destination for local, regional, national, and international tourism. Tourism Kingston is led by Executive Director Megan Knott and overseen by a board of directors. Working in a challenging time for the tourism industry, the organization provides a supportive environment for its staff to innovate, collaborate, and grow.