Director of Public Relations

Explore St. Louis is seeking a highly strategic Director of Public Relations to lead national, regional and international media relations and shape the destination’s earned media narrative.This role is responsible for positioning St. Louis as a dynamic, competitive destination for leisure travel, meetings, conventions and major events. The PR Director drives media strategy across diverse, top tier travel, lifestyle, business and trade outlets while ensuring alignment across paid, owned and earned channels. The director of public relations is also responsible for ensuring consistent, positive local coverage for Explore St. Louis.
Working closely with agency partners and regional stakeholders, including Greater St. Louis, Inc., this role ensures a cohesive, amplified St. Louis story across tourism, business and economic development audiences.The PR Director will work collaboratively with our internal departments to effectively support tourism growth, convention sales and destination reputation.
Key Responsibilities

Lead national, international and regional PR strategies that elevate St. Louis’ profile and shape destination narrative
Drive media strategies that support convention sales, major events and key announcements
Support executive visibility for Explore St. Louis leadership, including the President and CEO, by identifying and securing media speaking opportunities, interviews and thought leadership positioning that elevate the destination narrative
Oversee local, national and international media outreach for Explore St. Louis, America’s Center and the St. Louis Film Office, with a focus on elevating the Film Office as a driver of national and global destination awareness
Collaborate with the partnership team to align PR messaging and develop tools, story frameworks and communications that enable partners to amplify the St. Louis narrative
Expand media strategy to include podcasts, digital-first outlets and emerging media platforms, ensuring outreach reflects evolving media consumption habits
Manage national and international agency relationships to ensure alignment with organizational priorities
Track and analyze media performance to optimize strategy and impact
Plan and execute media hosting and familiarization tours
Maintain alignment with Greater St. Louis, Inc. to ensure a unified regional story
Identify timely story angles tied to openings, events and cultural moments across the destination
Develop press materials including releases, media alerts, itineraries and story starters
Plan and execute press conferences and media events as needed
Integrated Marketing Alignment

Align PR strategy with paid, owned and earned efforts in collaboration with marketing
Partner with social and content leads to integrate PR priorities into channel planning and campaigns
Ensure earned media storytelling is reflected across owned platforms including social, website, blog and newsletters
Work closely with the Director of Brand Voice to align PR strategy with brand positioning and messaging
Collaborate on editorial storytelling and destination features that support media pitching
Primary KPIs

Growth in high-value earned media placements across top tier national and international outlets
Share of voice versus competitive destinations in priority markets
Quality of coverage including message pull-through, brand alignment and target audience reach
Influence on destination perception, including shifts in sentiment, brand attributes and reputation in priority markets
Media impact on convention sales, major event visibility and destination demand
Increase in international media coverage, with emphasis on priority markets such as the UK
Performance of hosted media including resulting coverage and reach
Alignment of earned media with brand and campaign priorities across paid and owned channels
Education

Bachelor’s degree in Public Relations, Communications, Journalism, Marketing or related field required.Advanced degree preferred.
Equivalent senior-level experience will be considered
Qualifications and Attributes

10 to 12 years of experience in public relations, destination marketing or travel media
Experience in tourism, hospitality, lifestyle or related sectors preferred
Experience managing PR agencies and multi-organization collaboration
Familiarity with international media, particularly UK market preferred
Deep knowledge of St. Louis and its visitor economy
Strong storytelling, writing and editorial planning skills
Experience aligning PR with social and digital content strategies
Highly collaborative with strong internal and external relationship skills
Strong connector across media, hospitality and cultural sectors
Deep curiosity about travel, culture and emerging trends
Strategic mindset with clear understanding of PR’s role in destination growth
Confident external representative of the destination
Highly organized with ability to manage multiple priorities
Join us as a pivotal leader in shaping our organization’s voice! Bring your energy, creativity, and strategic insight to drive impactful public relations initiatives that resonate with audiences worldwide.
Explore St. Louis offers a robust compensation and benefit package including medical, dental, vision, life and disability insurance as well as pension, paid holidays and PTO.
Explore St. Louis is the sales and marketing organization responsible for selling and promoting St. Louis as a convention, meeting site, and leisure travel destination. Explore St. Louis manages and operates the America’s Center Complex which includes the Cervantes Convention Center, the Dome at America’s Center, the Ferrara Theatre, and the St. Louis Executive Conference Center.
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Statement: Explore St. Louis values diversity and we are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. All employment decisions are based on business needs, job requirements and individual qualifications, without regard to race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, age, national origin, physical or mental disability, past or present military service, marital status, gender identification or expression, medical condition or any other protected characteristic as established by law.
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