Director of Marketing & Consumer Experience

Job Title: Director of Marketing & Consumer Experience

Reports To: Corporate Director of Marketing

About the Role: We're seeking a creative, strategic, and results-driven leader to guide the marketing and guest experience efforts for a diverse portfolio of hospitality brands in Destin, Florida. This includes HarborWalk Village, Emerald Grande, HarborWalk Marina, and more. From brand strategy to digital campaigns to major events, this role touches every aspect of how our destinations are seen and experienced.

The Director of Marketing & Consumer Experience will manage a team of marketers and event professionals, collaborate with internal and external stakeholders, and drive campaigns that bring guests to the harbor — and keep them coming back.

Location: Destin, FL | Full-time | On-site

Team You’ll Lead

• Marketing Manager
• Events Manager
• Events Coordinator
• AV/Sound Technician
• Seasonal Interns & Contract Labor

What You’ll Do

• Own the brand and marketing strategy across multiple businesses
• Oversee all paid media, digital campaigns, social content, and public relations
• Lead marketing and events teams with a focus on excellence, timelines, and guest experience
• Manage outside vendors for advertising, creative, web, and print
• Serve as the liaison with Wyndham for branded Emerald Grande units
• Supervise and coordinate cross-departmental campaigns and promotions
• Maintain and adjust departmental budgets for multiple entities. 
• Use data to make smart decisions that drive revenue and brand awareness
• Other duties as assigned

 Core Responsibilities

• Strategic Leadership
  • Lead and manage the marketing and events departments across HarborWalk Hospitality, East Pass Investors, and affiliated businesses.
  • Drive cohesive strategy that aligns marketing, events, guest communications, and public relations.
  • Develop and execute quarterly and annual marketing plans tied to business goals.

• Team Management
  • Supervise direct reports: Marketing Manager, Events Manager, Events Coordinator, AV/Sound Technician, seasonal interns, and contract labor.
  • Provide professional development, clear direction, and hands-on support to grow team skills and performance.

• Marketing & Campaign Oversight
  • Lead all creative and media planning: digital advertising, print, web, organic and paid social, and email marketing.
  • Manage calendar of promotions, ensuring each tactic aligns with business seasonality (e.g., spring break, weddings, summer, snowbirds).
  • Coordinate with creative vendors and agencies to ensure brand alignment and quality.

• Events Integration
  • Align HarborWalk Village events with marketing strategies.
  • Oversee promotion of weekly, seasonal, and signature events to drive traffic and engagement.
  • Collaborate on new event development to support visitation and brand goals.

• Vendor & Stakeholder Liaison
  • Manage relationships with external vendors including web developers, media buyers, print shops, creative firms, and ad agencies.
  • Act as point of contact for Wyndham marketing alignment on Emerald Grande units.
  • Support HarborWalk Village merchants and partners in cross-promotional opportunities.

• Budget Management
  • Own and manage three separate departmental budgets, with input on other entities. 
  • Approve invoices and forecast future needs based on campaign and event schedules.
  • Track ROI across platforms and adjust spend accordingly.

• Guest Experience & Communications
  • Maintain and update websites, FAQs, guest communications, and signage.
  • Ensure marketing and events align with the overall guest experience strategy.
  • Monitor and respond to consumer trends, reviews, and feedback.

• Performance Reporting
  • Build and maintain dashboards and KPIs for campaign and event performance.
  • Present regular updates to senior leadership.
  • Analyze guest behavior and adjust strategy based on insights.

Qualifications 

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

What We’re Looking For

• 5 years in resort, destination, or hospitality marketing
• Experience leading teams and managing campaigns end-to-end
• Strong understanding of brand building and guest experience
• Excellent communicator and relationship builder
• Organized, innovative, and proactive with strong project management skills

Knowledge, Skill and Ability Requirements 

Knowledge 

• Good business sense
• Initiative, creativity, drive, and enthusiasm
• Outstanding interpersonal skills and attention to detail
• The ability to motivate and lead teams
• Ability to handle multiple requests and operational demands with a high degree of professionalism, operating often with time sensitive deadlines
• Ability to work a flexible schedule upon occasion, to include nights, weekends, and holidays
• Proficient in the various marketing and social media platforms and the use of Microsoft Word and Excel.
• Good budgeting and report writing skills

Key Competencies 

Key Competencies include strong work ethic, negotiating and closing, attention to detail, relationship builder, multi-tasker, problem analysis and solving, excellent communicator, confidentiality, and integrity. Adhering to our Core Values includes being guest-centric, teamwork, respect, pro-active, accountable, learning, and sustainable.

Language Skills 

Must be able to speak, read, write, and comprehend the English language. Ability to read and comprehend simple instructions, short correspondence, and memos. Ability to write simple and/or complex correspondence. Ability to effectively present information in one-on-one and small group situations to customers, clients, and other employees of the organization. 

Mathematical Skills 

Ability to add, subtract, multiply, and divide in all units of measure, using whole numbers, common fractions, and decimals. 

Reasoning Ability 

Ability to apply common sense understanding to carry out detailed but uninvolved written or oral instructions. Ability to deal with problems involving a few concrete variables in standardized situations. 

Other Qualifications 

Availability Open and operational seven days a week. Employees are required to be available to workdays, nights, weekends, and holidays. 

License Requirements Valid driver’s license that has been in effect for at least three years, with no major violations and no more than two minor violations in the past three years.

Rules and Regulations All employees must adhere to all safety rules and regulations required by local, State and Federal authorities, wear the appropriate personal protective equipment necessary to perform the job in a safe manner and will follow all safety rules per the Company’s Safety Policy. 

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 accommodation 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 for long periods of time frequently; reach with hands and arms; talk and hear. The employee will stand; walk and stoop, kneel, or crouch. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and ability to adjust focus. The employee must be able to lift 5-10 pounds regularly and heavier weights with assistance, upon occasion. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. 

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

The physical environment requires the employee to work both inside in climate-controlled conditions, as well as outside in hot or cool climates.