Associate Vice President of Travel & Conference Sales [National WWII Museum, New Orleans, LA]

Description

The National WWII Museum in New Orleans is currently seeking an Associate Vice President of Travel & Conference Sales.  This senior management position reports to the Vice President of Operations & CFO and is responsible for selling, developing, and managing successful educational travel programs, conferences and other types of innovative educational outreach initiatives at the Museum’s campus in New Orleans and at WWII battle sites and destinations across the world.

Since 2004, the Museum has developed, operated and sold over 100 educational travel programs to WWII battlefield locations in Europe and the Pacific. The Museum is seeking to grow these programs targeted at adult and student audiences through direct retail sales and partnerships with other organizations.

This position leads a staff of 7 professionals including three direct reports responsible for inside sales, customer service, marketing support, tour development, budgeting, logistics and operations. The AVP’s primary role is to focus on developing and growing these programs through the implementation of  a sales plan and marketing strategy to ensure the Museum’s financial objectives for travel and conference programs are met. It is anticipated that role will require up to 50% travel time for the AVP. Significant growth is forecast in these areas over the next five years as the Museum brings on line new programs and staff.

The AVP of Travel and Conference Sales will also be responsible for sales and operations of tours onboard a WWII Patrol Torpedo boat, which is anticipated to be ready for passenger hire on Lake Pontchartrain in early 2017.

The position’s primary focus on sales and market development will include the following:

• Achieve significant, sustainable, and profitable growth in the Museum’s array of high quality educational travel programs.
• Provide leadership and oversight to the department with a focus on prospect and customer communications.
• Develop, implement and grow a series of inbound custom travel programs that will take place in and around the Museum’s campus in New Orleans.
• Form sustainable and profitable partnerships with university alumni programs, study abroad departments, military organizations, travel operators and other membership based organizations that will promote and sell Museum-managed travel programs to adult, student, and corporate clients.
• Ensure the Museum’s annual international conference on WWII is a high quality, vibrant and relevant public history conference that reaches a growing on-site and digital audience.
• Initiate local tours of PT-305 at sea and dockside, activating the new boat house on Lake Pontchartrain  as a satellite Museum property.

The ideal candidate will hold a Bachelors degree with a Masters degree preferred and a minimum of ten years of successful experience in business development and sales. Prior experience in the tour and travel industry is preferable with a track record of developing and growing successful outreach programs, preferably within a museum, non-profit, travel-related or university environment.  In addition, excellent communication, presentation and organizational skills are a must as is a prior experience in managing a team. .  The successful candidate should anticipate extensive travel both within the United States and internationally for program sales and development. Travel is estimated to represent as much 50% of the candidate’s time.

The National WWII Museum offers a competitive wage and benefits package which includes medical, dental, vision and life insurance, long-term disability insurance, critical illness and accident insurance, 401k and paid vacation and sick leave.

Interested candidates should apply online at www.nationalww2museum.org/employment or mail resumes to 945 Magazine St., New Orleans, LA 70130.