Director Of Sales

Director Of Sales

Salary: $97,000.00 - $121,000.00 Annually

Location: Fort Myers, FL

Job Type: Full-Time Regular

Job Number: 07678HB

Department: Visitor And Convention Bureau

Opening Date: 09/24/2025

Closing Date: 10/10/2025 11:59 PM Eastern

FLSA: Exempt

Description

The Lee County Visitor & Convention Bureau (VCB) is seeking a strategic, team-oriented, and results-driven leader to serve as Director of Sales. This position will lead the VCB's group (meetings, weddings, and SMERF), travel trade (travel advisors, motorcoach, and tour operators), and leisure sales efforts, positioning Lee County as a premier destination for business and leisure travelers.

The ideal candidate is a visionary leader with experience in destination, convention, or hotel sales strategy, market development, and stakeholder collaboration. The individual will inspire a talented team of eight, establish strong partnerships with hospitality partners, and adapt to an evolving marketplace to achieve organizational goals.

This individual is also responsible for providing their expertise to the group and travel trade audiences to benefit the VCB in partnership with the VCB marketing team. The Director of Sales serves as a visible community steward for Fort Myers -Islands, Beaches, and Neighborhoods' hospitality industry.

This role reports to the Deputy Director and manages the performance of the group sales team, along with international and domestic travel trade and contractors.

Duties And Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership

Develop and implement a comprehensive sales strategy to attract meetings, conferences, group travel, and leisure visitors to Lee County.

Collaborate with industry partners and stakeholders to advance the VCB's objectives.

Leverage market research and data analytics to identify and capitalize on new domestic and international opportunities.

Sales Strategy Development

Build and strengthen strategic partnerships with accommodations, venues, and other industry partners to maximize revenue and address need periods.

Identify new business opportunities to increase visitation and economic impact.

Actively engage with key committees, boards, and organizations to enhance Lee County's visibility and sales potential.

Destination Representation

Represent Lee County at trade shows, sales missions, and conferences, reinforcing the destination as the premier location for meetings, groups, and leisure travel.

Serve as the VCB's expert on meetings, groups, domestic and international travel, providing insights to the Tourist Development Council (TDC), VCB staff, contractors, and executive leadership.

Create and deliver sales team updates and activities recap at TDC meetings, partner communications and tourism events, and community organization education opportunities.

Team Leadership

Provide leadership for the VCB sales team and contractors, driving consistent excellence in sales, new business development, and lead generation.

Inspire and guide the sales team to attain targets, deliver exceptional results, and align with the organization's mission.

Conduct sales staff recruitment, training, and performance evaluations.

Set, track, and achieve sales goals while fostering collaboration across sales, marketing, PR, and visitor services.

Manage budgets, measure ROI, and ensure efficient resource allocation for optimal results.

Manage team activities in trade and appointment shows, sales calls and missions, client events, destination educations, familiarization tours, and site visits.

Determine and manage sales activities offered in the annual coop program.

Provide resources and develop sales staff through internal and external professional development opportunities (i.e., professional certifications/licenses, continuing education courses, community service, Lee County training programs).

Marketing

Share expertise of the group and travel trade audiences to benefit the integrated marketing efforts, including work by the VCB's agency of record and internal teams directly related to creative, content, production, and media strategies.

Collaborate with the marketing and PR teams, along with the advertising agency of record, to develop promotional content, social media engagement, and industry storytelling.

Ensure consistent brand messaging for group and travel trade marketing, including website content and sales collateral development.

Education, Experience, Licensing

Minimum Requirements

Requires a combination of education and/or experience equivalent to at least four years in destination marketing, hotel group sales, or related hospitality sales, with an additional two years in a supervisory or leadership sales role.

A bachelor's degree in business, marketing, communications, public relations, and hospitality/tourism management, or related field, is equivalent to four years of related experience.

Driver's License: Possession of a valid driver's license with an acceptable driving record is required.

Preferred Requirements

Experience in a Destination Marketing Organization (DMO)/Convention/Visitor Bureau (CVB/VCB) or hotel brand sales leadership role, including team and budget management. Active participation in industry associations.

Supplemental Information

Proven experience leading a team, preferably in a destination marketing organization, hotel, or hospitality/travel-related sales environment

Advanced ability to communicate effectively in verbal, written, and presentation formats with customers, stakeholders, and other audiences

Strong proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook

Proficiency in Simple View or other CRM databases

EMERGENCY RESPONSE/RECOVERY ACTIVITIES:

All County employees are required to work before, during, or after an emergency as needed. This may include temporarily being assigned to work and performing duties outside of the normal scope of their position, location and work schedule to fit the needs of the County and its citizens.

DISCLAIMER: The above information on this description has been designed to indicate the general nature and level of work performed by employees within this classification. It is not designed to contain or be interpreted as a comprehensive inventory of all duties, responsibilities and qualifications required of employees assigned to this classification. All positions are subject to a criminal background check. A conviction in and of itself may not necessarily preclude employment. Some positions may be subject to a pre-employment drug screening. Certain service members and veterans, and the spouses and family members of such service members and veterans, who claim and meet eligibility requirements of veterans preference, receive preference and priority in employment and are encouraged to apply.

Lee County Board of County Commissioners offers a comprehensive, and affordable benefits package. Our Board works in the best interest of employees and strives to provide the most complete, high-quality benefits package available at the lowest possible cost to the employee. Our Board continues to remain steadfast in maintaining one of the lowest levels of employee costs in our area.

Lee County's benefits package is offered to both regular Full-time positions and Part-time positions that are regularly scheduled to work 60 hours or more bi-weekly. Medical benefits may be offered to On-Call, Temporary, Seasonal, and Intern employees who meet the Affordable Care Act eligibility criteria.

Lee County employees eligible to participate in the Florida Retirement System (FRS) are required to contribute 3% of each paycheck to FRS. If you have retired from the Florida Retirement Pension plan you will not be eligible for renewed membership in either of the FRS retirement plan options. Retirees of the Investment Plan are eligible for renewed membership in the Investment Plan only. FRS reemployment rules apply for both.

Below is a brief breakdown of what's included in the benefits package that is offered to our employees.

For a more detailed look into our benefits package, please visit our webpage at www.leegov.com/hr/Documents/Employee%20Benefits/2024%20Benefits/FULLTIME%20ACTIVE%20LCBOCC%202024%20Plan%20Year%20OE%20Guide%20FINAL%20AON%202023.09.12.pdf.

To view our employee paid premiums, please visit: https://www.leegov.com/hr/Documents/Employee%20Benefits/2024%20Benefits/2024%20Active%20Employee%20Rates.pdf.

Health Benefits:

Medical Insurance

Plans include, but are not limited to: routine,