Destination Services Coordinator - Travel Oregon

Executes a variety of work in support of our programs and projects, which includes convening and collaborating with tourism industry stakeholders through workshops, trainings, and events in communities to help set destination strategies to support visitor experience enhancement and spark experience development and destination stewardship through early investments and technical assistance.

Posting Opens: 9/26/24

Posting Closes:  10/21/24

Interview Timeline: 1st round of interviews beginning late October/early November

Anticipated Start Date: Early December

Do you have a passion for Oregon, along with an appreciation for the unpredictable and somewhat maverick nature of this place we call home? Working for Travel Oregon is more than a job. It is a life less ordinary, an eternal quest to share the next farm-to-table meal, powdery slope, coastal sunrise, or cultural experience. Our mission is to inspire travel that uplifts Oregon communities. We work with our communities to be stewards of Oregon, we work to optimize economic opportunity, advance equity, and respect the ecosystems, cultures, and places that make Oregon…Oregon.

DESTINATION SERVICES COORDINATOR

Travel Oregon’s Destination Services team works at the forefront of cultivating a strong ground game of destination development and stewardship professionals across Oregon to help foster the development of vibrant destinations that offer authentic experiences for all travelers, while striking an intentional balance of managing tourism, enhancing local quality of life, and protecting natural areas for generations to come. Our approach includes convening and collaborating with tourism industry stakeholders through workshops, trainings, and events in communities to help set destination strategies to support visitor experience enhancement, and spark experience development and destination stewardship through early investments and technical assistance. 

The Destination Services Coordinator executes a variety of work in support of our programs and projects. Our team generally collaborates closely during early planning phases (often in person) and once the work is conceptualized, the staff lead may work closely with the Coordinator on deeper design and implementation, including setting up community-based events and traveling throughout Oregon to execute events and programming. The Coordinator will directly coordinate projects and execute tasks that level up to functional and departmental goals of stewarding destinations throughout Oregon.

The successful candidate has a passion for Oregon, working with communities and stakeholders around the state, and brings exceptional organization, interpersonal communication, and project coordination/organizational skills to the team.  

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS/MAJOR DUTIES

Destination Services Coordination – ~40% of time

• Conduct research, compile documents, and maintain databases and records to support accurate, efficient operations of destination stewardship.  
• Coordinate and support production of workshops, meetings, conference calls, webinars, and events. Capture and follow-up on action items identified in project and team meetings. Schedule and support meetings and conference calls by compiling and distributing meeting agendas and taking meeting minutes for key function-led meetings.  
• Support teams with securing facility, catering, lodging, carpooling, and supplies, managing production/distribution of communications and program materials, online registration, and communications following team programming.  
• Attend and/or travel to meetings to coordinate details and take meeting notes, as needed.  
• Track and organize details, communications and partner participation in Excel, Basecamp, ClickUp, and other programs.  
• Support destination stewardship tracking and reporting, including process documentation, data analysis and reporting, and creation and review of presentations to support internal and external stakeholders.  
• Monitor industry data and other insights provided by Strategy, Research, and Analytics team, Brand Stewardship Strategist, and Destination Stewardship Strategist to support informed destination stewardship.  
• Draft and support destination stewardship communications internally and externally. Draft materials and resources that support destination experience development and deployment. Coordinate information sharing of Destination Stewardship deliverables across Travel Oregon.  

Project Coordination – ~40% of time

• Manage small assigned projects with defined scope and budget, including coordinating task completion across a small project team.
• Coordinate project activities and tracking to support project completion on time and in alignment with identified objectives.
• Determine appropriate involvement from other staff on projects, track project status from inception to completion, work independently and with internal teams as well as external agency partners to assist with completion of projects, anticipate roadblocks and problem-solve.
• Monitor Destination Services project activities for compliance with program criteria, relevant laws and policies, and alignment with goals and objectives.
• Support tracking of contractor and vendor deliverables. 

Administrative Support – ~20% of time

• Answer and route emails and communications from the public, partners, and stakeholders related to Destination Stewardship services priorities and outcomes. Serve as initial point of contact and monitor the team's general inbox; field questions and provide answers to general correspondence; fulfill requests for information and assistance; distribute materials to internal and external stakeholders.
• Work in coordination with the Communications team to develop and maintain destination stewardship content on Travel Oregon’s industry website and e-newsletters.
• Draft and revise documents, procedures, and templates to ensure clear, accurate information and processes.
• Coordinate with accounting on tracking of budgets for Destination Stewardship.
• Coordinate contract management, including tracking contract expiration dates, coordinating the submission process, using developed scopes of work to produce contract briefs, tracking contract limits and progress, and supporting contract managers with contract development.
• Provide back-up administrative support to Executive Assistant, as needed such as providing invoice tracking support.

 Minimum Qualifications:

• A bachelor's degree in a relevant field OR any combination of education/coursework/training and work experience necessary to meet position requirements.
• A minimum of two (2) years of experience in a fast-paced, professional business environment supporting the planning/execution of public, community, or customer relations work; experience must include coordinating projects and managing project tasks.
• Experience with high proficiency in the use of Microsoft Office Suite, including strong calendar management skills in Outlook, presentation development in PowerPoint, Adobe Acrobat, and digital signature software. Proficiency in the use of video and audio-conferencing platforms such as Zoom. 

Preferred Qualifications:

• Knowledge of project management best practices including managing conflict, and bringing groups to consensus, with skill in managing project tasks project tasks and prioritizing deadlines for multiple team members.
• Experience developing/implementing processes to support team organization and efficiency.
• Ability to use project management and collaboration tools such as Basecamp, Microsoft Teams, Google Docs, Dropbox, and others.
• Ability to prioritize competing priorities and meet multiple overlapping deadlines.
• Skill in editing written communications, documents, and presentations.
• Skill in communication with the ability to represent and champion team priorities to both internal and external stakeholders.
• Experience in or understanding of tourism, hospitality, and/or community engagement.
• Experience monitoring team budgets, tracking contract budgets, understanding what falls within and outside of a contract’s scope of work.
• Experience building customer relationships.

To review the full job description, please go to our Careers sitehere.

Flexible Worktype Policy

This position is designated as Hybrid Remote. Business needs may require the employee to come into a designated workplace on a periodic basis. Travel, including overnight travel, approximately 4-12 days per quarter, may be required for this position. 

Travel Oregon offers flexible schedules and work arrangements that meet the needs of the agency and our staff while aiming to balance that flexibility with the value of in-person collaboration and best serving our mission. As a semi-independent state agency, we feel strongly about cultivating and nurturing strong relationships, both across our workforce and with our many partners and stakeholders throughout the state. To support that aim, 0ur employees working in roles designated as Mobile or Hybrid Remote must reside in Oregon or the Portland Metro area.

Compensation

This position is non-exempt and eligible for overtime.  The annualized equivalent starting salary range is $58,100-$69,700. 

Benefits

• Annual accrual of 12 paid vacation days and 12 paid sick days plus 3 days personal business leave; 11 paid holidays, 3 days paid volunteer leave, and available paid bereavement leave.
• 100% of health care premiums for core benefits (medical/dental/vision) for employee and family are paid by Travel Oregon. Optional health care and dependent care flexible spending accounts (FSAs) as well as other optional benefits are available. Get an overview here.
• After six full months of employment, participation in the Public Employees Retirement System (PERS), including generous Travel Oregon contributions with no employee match required; optional participation in a 457(b) account (Oregon Savings Growth Plan) is also available.

About Travel Oregon

Travel Oregon was formed in 1995 and in 2003 we became a semi-independent state agency.  We are committed to a vision of Oregon that is a welcoming destination where tourism drives economic prosperity, benefits the natural environment, and celebrates rich, diverse cultures.  Our passionate and results-driven staff (~65 employees) enjoy working together in a friendly and supportive virtual-first atmosphere, striving to embody Travel Oregon’s values of integrity, equity, community, and stewardship in our workplace.

In addition to inspiring, promoting and serving up expert travel advice on traveloregon.com and our social channels, our work includes engaging with partners to ensure tourism enhances our communities, places and people – creating positive outcomes and safeguarding against unintended impacts for Oregon’s most vulnerable communities.  On any given day, Travel Oregon's dedicated team is engaged in a broad scope of activities, including convening community engagements in rural Oregon, attending national/international trade shows, executing creative marketing campaigns to inspire visitors, conducting research, supporting projects and organizations across the state with our grants program, working with media and journalists and more. To optimize this work, we have adopted a destination stewardship approach that employs three “lenses” to guide our future decisions, programming, and actions: Prosperity Lens, Racial Equity Lens and Regenerative Tourism Lens.  Our industry website contains a wealth of information and you can read Travel Oregon’s 10-Year Strategic Vision here.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Travel Oregon is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate in employment opportunities or practices based on race, ethnicity, national origin, ancestry, color, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, marital or parental status, pregnancy or childbirth, disability, age, religion, creed, genetic information, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law. We encourage and respect different viewpoints and experiences as being essential to the process of innovation. We strive to acquire, grow, and maintain a diverse and inclusive workplace that applies principles and standards equitably while supporting the needs and accommodations of the individual employee.

Consistent with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and federal and state laws, it is the policy of Travel Oregon to provide reasonable accommodation when requested by a qualified applicant or employee with a disability, unless such accommodation would cause an undue hardship. If you require reasonable accommodation in completing the employment application, interviewing, completing any pre-employment testing, or otherwise participating in the employee selection process, please contact jobs@traveloregon.com.

Veterans’ Preference

Travel Oregon provides qualifying veterans and disabled veterans with preference in employment. Please review the information linked hereon eligibility for veterans' preference in state employment.  In your application materials, please indicate your status and submit documentation along with your resume/other materials.