Senior Manager, Marketing Partnerships- Hybrid

at  Travel Alberta

WORK. WONDERS.

As the Government of Alberta’s destination management organization, we work to promote Alberta’s many wonders and position the province as a desirable place to travel, live, work, play, invest and learn. Our People and Culture Team helps us achieve these goals while fostering a collaborative environment and strong professional community. As a key contributor to our team, you’ll play a pivotal role in driving the growth of Alberta’s visitor economy in a space that prioritizes productivity, efficiency, connectivity and continual learning. Your dedication will shape an environment where curiosity is encouraged, allowing every team member to flourish, do meaningful work and reach their full potential.
Learn more about Travel Alberta and what it means to work for a Crown corporation: https://industry.travelalberta.com/about/about-travel-alberta

Education and Experience

• Degree in marketing, business, communications or an equivalent combination of education and experience
• 7 or more years direct progressive experience, ideally building up partner programs and having strategic decision-making input at a senior level
• 5 or more years of direct people leadership
• Honed ability to build and maintain relationships, both internally and cross-functionally. The ideal candidate builds cross-departmental and cross-organizational relationships and communicates value in collective work to lead without direct authority
• Able to manage a complex business environment with many different stakeholder needs working to proactively resolve risk, expertly manage negotiation, and reach consensus
• Experience with developing and delivering strategic partnership plans that drive impactful results across diverse sets of stakeholders
• Advanced communication and interpersonal skills with the ability to present complex ideas with ease and work across departments to achieve results
• Experience contributing insights and decision-making recommendations to senior and executive leaders
• Experience working in airline marketing and/or the tourism industry is an asset
• Consultative, strategic, and collaborative approach to working with stakeholder groups
• Strong presentation and public speaking skills
• Experience with complex budget management and financial forecasting, specifically managing large-scale budgets for multiple projects. Experience in managing co-op budgets and/or grant management and economic development funding an asset
• Ability to manage through ambiguity and exercise independent judgment
• This position may require occasional travel within Alberta and/or Canada as require

In alignment with Travel Alberta’s business plan, and reporting to the SVP/CMO, the Senior Manager, Marketing Partnerships is responsible for the developing the strategic direction and management of key partnership programs with key industry stakeholders in Alberta. With the objective to develop efficiencies and drive our competitive “Team Alberta” advantage, this position sets the strategic direction and structure of partnerships and leads a coordinated approach across the business for partners including but not limited to destination marketing organizations (DMOs), airlines, and select industry associations. Further, this role plays a crucial role in long-term strategic planning for programs to support existing partners, as well as new organizations that are a result of our destination development efforts throughout the province.
This position is a member of the management team and provides advice to Executive Directors, VPs, and CEO and therefore needs to take a forward-thinking, program-level view of capabilities and expertise across Travel Alberta. This role finds cross-departmental and cross-organizational opportunities and has the seasoned experience to bring them to fruition. And as a company ambassador they will always need to have the highest level of professionalism and discretion.

Partnership Program Management & Performance

• Leads strategic vision and oversight for the next 2 years on partnerships programs across a variety of workstreams (digital, consumer marketing, trade and destination development) to lead alignment cross-divisionally in Travel Alberta
• Develop and establish benchmarks and goals to support a long-term vision of existing and new partnerships across Destination Promotion and Destination Development
• Liaise with Destination Development team to lead airline programs with airline and agency partners, lead new consumer and trade programs to drive greater value in international markets
• Continue to foster collaboration of NorthStar DMO consumer buy-in programs and strategic grants and innovate this program with agency and partners as applicable
• Build new NorthStar DMO international travel trade programs and strategic grants to build a competitive advantage collectively, in international markets
• Build stronger Constellation DMO relationships through new digital technologies and strategic grants to drive revenue to regional areas
• Lead and build private sector partnership agreements by leveraging their collective international brands (Fairmont, Ski Big 3)
• Implement stronger intergovernmental marketing partnerships with organizations in Alberta (Alberta Parks, Alberta Historic Sites)
• Foster industry sector partnership opportunities in alignment with development opportunities in culinary, agritourism and outfitting
• Accountable for oversight of existing and new partnership programs. This requires ability to provide valuable commentary and direction across a variety of channels and programs
• Provide direction, feedback, and strategic guidance to agency partners to maximize performance, investment and ensure operational efficiencies

Stakeholder Relationship Management and Engagement

• Accountable for existing and new program development, stakeholder relationship management, and alignment with key tourism industry partners
• Ensure stakeholder program alignment with broader Travel Alberta partner programs and campaign strategies. Be both a partner advocate, as well as influencing partners to align grant funding decisions with Travel Alberta to build a “Team Alberta” competitive advantage
• Be the key influencer and contributor to Travel Alberta’s strategic planning, representing the voice of critical industry partners in setting annual plans
• With the partnership team, provide seamless communication to keep our partners informed, and keep Travel Alberta teams informed as to how we can best work together to drive our goals
• Working with the Travel Alberta team, identify emerging industry needs and act as intermediary between partners to proactively develop partner programs to support business objectives

People and External Partnerships Management

• Establish and monitor team performance and development goals, assign accountabilities, set objectives, establish priorities, and conduct ongoing performance discussions
• Leadership of direct report(s) including but not limited to setting performance and development goals, establishing priorities and expectations, guiding day-to-day activities, and mentoring them in growing their career
• Proactively engage with internal teams to increase collaboration, cross-business unit sharing of information and alignment with Travel Alberta’s strategic direction
• Lead strategy, discussion and collaboration with key external partners without direct authority

Financial Management and Administration

• Oversight of program and agency budgets
• Lead partnership programs forecasting, budget management, project execution, and vendor communications in alignment with Travel Alberta’s finance framework
• Work collaboratively with Travel Alberta team members on contract management and MOUs

Business Plan Input / Measurement and Reporting

• Strategic input into inclusion of partners into Travel Alberta’s long-term goals laddering into our business plan
• Develop and present reports to DMO and airline partners with key performance indicators and channel insights across various levels of partner organizations, including up to SLT
• Set learning agendas and metrics in alignment with collective needs of industry partners and Travel Alberta business objectives
• Disseminate complex reporting in partnership with other teams, and present and communicate as required for Travel Alberta management, DMOs, and other senior-level tourism industry stakeholders
• Work collaboratively with Travel Alberta team members on reporting of partnership investments with DMOs and industry partners into quarterly business reviews and annual report

Education and Experience

• Degree in marketing, business, communications or an equivalent combination of education and experience
• 7 or more years direct progressive experience, ideally building up partner programs and having strategic decision-making input at a senior level
• 5 or more years of direct people leadership
• Honed ability to build and maintain relationships, both internally and cross-functionally. The ideal candidate builds cross-departmental and cross-organizational relationships and communicates value in collective work to lead without direct authority
• Able to manage a complex business environment with many different stakeholder needs working to proactively resolve risk, expertly manage negotiation, and reach consensus
• Experience with developing and delivering strategic partnership plans that drive impactful results across diverse sets of stakeholders
• Advanced communication and interpersonal skills with the ability to present complex ideas with ease and work across departments to achieve results
• Experience contributing insights and decision-making recommendations to senior and executive leaders
• Experience working in airline marketing and/or the tourism industry is an asset
• Consultative, strategic, and collaborative approach to working with stakeholder groups
• Strong presentation and public speaking skills
• Experience with complex budget management and financial forecasting, specifically managing large-scale budgets for multiple projects. Experience in managing co-op budgets and/or grant management and economic development funding an asset
• Ability to manage through ambiguity and exercise independent judgment
• This position may require occasional travel within Alberta and/or Canada as required

We kindly thank our trusted agency partners, at this time we do not require assistance with this recruit. As such, we request no phone calls or emails.
0a9Z9UwVm