Community and Destination Development Specialist

St. Johns County Board of County Commissioners is seeking a Community and Destination Development Specialist for our new Department of Community and Destination Development whose headquarters are located in beautiful St. Augustine, Florida. 

St. Johns County residents enjoy a healthy quality of life with many perks including one of the top rated public school systems in the State of Florida, miles of beach shoreline, peaceful estuary scenery of the St. Johns River, long established agriculture and equestrian scene, and the nation’s oldest city, historic St. Augustine. In 2019 St. Johns County was ranked the 10^th fastest growing county in the United States showcasing that there is truly something for everyone in St. Johns County!

The St. Johns County Community and Destination Development Department is responsible for providing quality tourism programming and meaningful community enhancements. 

Employees work both independently and in a team oriented environment in a variety of settings. 

The newly selected Community and Destination Development Specialist will performs a variety of professional duties including contract management, community coordination and administrative support, for the purpose of providing quality tourism programming and meaningful community enhancements.

The ideal Community and Destination Development Specialist candidate must share St. Johns County’s core values of Dedication, Openness, Adaptability, Visionary, Fiscal Responsibility, Integrity, Humility and must work well both independently and in a collaborative team environment. Some of the specific tasks include but are not limited to:

• Manages the Arts and Cultural Heritage Grants Program, and the Sports Tourism Marketing Grants Program by providing professional and technical guidance for updating grant program guidelines and applications; overseeing grant application scoring; drafting grant awards agreements using approved templates; coordinating execution of agreements; reviewing grant reimbursement requests to ensure compliance; and processing approved requests for payment. 
• Facilitates and implements program and event initiatives which support the objectives of the Community and Destination Development Department. Projects will be diverse and may include but will not be limited to product development, community coordination and procurement of products or services. 
• Provides direct administrative support to the Community and Destination Development Department including creating requisitions and purchase order requests, processing invoices, submitting agenda items, drafting correspondence, presentations, reports and responding to public records requests. 
• Collaborates with County Departments, the County Attorney’s Office and elected or appointed officials to research and analyze information pertaining to assigned projects and coordinate project implementation. 
• Serves as a point of contact with Contractors and vendors to gather information and resolve concerns and issues of non-compliance regarding various projects, programs and complaints.
• Attends and presents at meetings and events on behalf of the County including requirements for evening and occasional weekend attendance.
• Analyze financial reports and available data to determine project feasibility, develop projections, assess return on investment, and develop various reports and analyses as requested.

Candidates for the Community and Destination Development Specialist are encouraged to apply if they meet the following minimum qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in public administration, business, marketing, tourism, or a related field, and three (3) years of professional experience in public relations, tourism/economic development, community relations, or project management; or equivalent combination of education and experience sufficient to successfully perform the essential duties of the position.
• Must possess and maintain a valid Florida driver’s license and any other endorsements necessary to legally operate vehicles used while assigned to this position.
• Must possess good interpersonal and communication skills to serve others.
• Must be able to comprehend, speak and write the English language.
• Must be able to operate a computer.

NOTE TO APPLICANTS: 

Candidates may apply through St. Johns County’s Online Application System: https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/sjcfl

Applications must be submitted through St. Johns County’s Online Application System in order to be considered. Paper documents, emailed resumes or otherwise are not accepted in lieu of an application. All applications must be submitted before the advertised closing date.

St. Johns County Board of County Commissioners is a drug free workplace and equal opportunity employer.

All employment actions are taken without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, handicap, disability, marital status, national origin, veteran status, or genetic information.