Career Center

Position Summary

This position serves two primary roles: as part of the advertising team, the Sr. Research Manager develops and implements market research required by Destination DC to reach its goals and to fulfill its mission as the destination marketing organization for the nation’s capital. This individual also interprets and presents industry insights internally and externally and designs and manages research projects for all departments within Destination DC, including the Executive Team, Tourism, Sports & Visitor Services, Partnerships & Alliances, Finance & Administration, Convention Sales & Services.

Join the team of outstanding professionals at DDC, where we offer excellent benefits, an open workplace culture focused on DEI and have fun promoting the city we love. DDC offers 10% 401-k employer match, 100% of commuter benefits and more. Employees are currently working 2 to 3 days from home.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities (include the following, but are not limited to)

• Work in collaboration with the Sr. VP Marketing to design, develop and manage a dynamic marketing research program.
• Maintain library of primary and secondary research on tourism, meetings and hospitality in Washington, DC and create public summary of visitation data.
• Collaborate with the Associate Director, Marketing and other members of the advertising team to apply research findings to advertising and brand strategy and identify trends in DDC advertising and uses reporting tools to optimize advertising buys.
• Identify opportunities for strategic research, manage projects with external vendors and seek out and analyze new sources to determine appropriate usage internally and externally.
• Oversee research program to impact strategy for the sales team, looking holistically at bookings and highlighting trends and opportunities.
• Provide insights to the communications team, conducting analysis and identifying messaging around visitation data, economic impact from large events and other timely questions for pitching major events and data releases.
• Use research to effectively increase public and internal understanding of key tourism and convention market trends, issues, opportunities and challenges; provide written reports and make recommendations on research outcomes to staff and management.
• Conduct and continuously improve sentiment and satisfaction analysis of membership, customers, consumers, event attendees and other stakeholders.
• Identify opportunities to utilize stakeholders in the city to identify trends for members and the DDC team.
• Project manage return on investment study for marketing and advertising spend, integrate findings from the study into future advertising and present to city CFO and key stakeholders.
• Analyze weekly and monthly STR results for key internal and external stakeholders.
• Compile and analyze monthly tourism and hospitality data for membership.
• Project manage quarterly report for Events DC, compiling data from departments within DDC and working with senior staff to review and edit.
• Develop content for annual outlook meeting for the Washington, DC hospitality sector, ensuring the importance and prioritization of research.
• Interpret and present Washington, DC tourism and hospitality research to internal and external audiences focused on visitor personas, geopolitical trends and the impact of tourism on the city.
• Assess research for Capital Region USA, a cooperation between the DMOs for District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia focused on international marketing.
• Oversee work on optimal organization budget and potential funding streams.
• Develop industry network contacts to share resources, information, ideas and experience to eliminate duplication where possible.
• Attend industry meetings and conferences.

Experience, Competencies & Education

• Four-year degree from an accredited college or university in marketing research, statistics, mathematics, psychology, sociology, demography, another social science or a related field.
• A minimum of seven years’ experience in marketing research or other quantitative analytical experience preferred.
• Travel industry experience a plus.
• Ability to see the big picture as well as the relationship between the big picture and the fine details.
• Software Proficiency: Microsoft Office: Word, Power Point, Excel (spreadsheets and complex calculations, pivot tables), online survey software such as SurveyMonkey, graphics and database management software.
• Proven ability to analyze qualitative and quantitative information.
• Experience in writing surveys and creating market research reports.
• Experience in presenting data to audiences of various sizes, including Board members, VPs and external audiences.
• The candidate must be fully vaccinated for COVID-19.

To Apply:  Submit cover letter with salary requirements and resume to https://www.washington.org/careers. 

DESTINATION DC IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER