We're seeking a creative, commercially minded, and brand-obsessed Director | Marketing to lead the marketing strategy, brand storytelling, and demand generation efforts for The Shenandoah Nature Resort. This role is responsible for translating the resort's vision into a clear, compelling, and revenue-driving marketing strategy across digital, social, PR, partnerships, programming, guest communications, and on-property activations.
This position requires a strategic marketer with experience in luxury hospitality, wellness resorts, lifestyle hotels, or highly programmed destination properties. The ideal candidate understands how to market more than rooms-they can bring a resort ecosystem to life through experiences, retreats, culinary programming, wellness offerings, outdoor recreation, community engagement, and guest journey touchpoints.
The Director | Marketing will be a critical member of the pre-opening leadership team, shaping how the world comes to know-and fall in love with-The Shenandoah from day one.
This is a full-time, on-site, exempt position based in Star Tannery, Virginia, and reports to the Managing Director, with a dotted line to the VP | Portfolio Marketing.
The salary range for this position is $125,000-$150,000.What You Will Be DoingPre-Opening & Launch Strategy- Lead the development and execution of the resort's pre-opening marketing strategy, including awareness campaigns, launch messaging, media storytelling, and experiential activations.
- Build the marketing infrastructure from the ground up: analytics frameworks, content systems, agency scopes of work, channel mix strategy, and CRM architecture.
- Partner with the Managing Director, ownership, and brand leadership to position The Shenandoah in the luxury wellness and nature travel market ahead of opening.
- Shape the resort's digital presence, direct booking strategy, and PR narrative during the pre-opening phase.
- Identify and secure pre-opening partnerships, media relationships, and influencer collaborations to drive awareness and brand momentum at launch.
Brand Strategy + Storytelling- Serve as the on-property marketing lead and brand steward for The Shenandoah Nature Resort, translating the resort's positioning, mission, and guest experience into clear marketing strategies, campaigns, and content.
- Ensure all marketing, programming, collateral, photography, social media, PR, and guest communications reflect the resort's brand voice and visual identity.
- Partner with ownership, corporate marketing, operations, sales, revenue management, and programming teams to ensure the brand is consistently expressed across every guest touchpoint.
- Own the resort's marketing strategy across all channels: digital, social, email, PR, content, paid media, partnerships, and direct booking.
- Build and manage the marketing budget with a performance-oriented mindset; optimize spend based on channel ROI and guest acquisition data.
- Lead or partner with agency resources on campaign development, content production, influencer engagement, and media relations.
- Drive direct booking growth through a deliberate SEO, SEM, and CRM strategy that reduces reliance on OTA channels and builds long-term guest loyalty.
- Cultivate media relationships, trade partnerships, and earned coverage that builds brand credibility in the luxury wellness and nature travel space.
Digital Marketing, Social Media + Content- Oversee website content, SEO, local listings, landing pages, booking paths, and digital merchandising to ensure the resort is positioned effectively online.
- Partner with digital agencies and corporate marketing teams to manage paid media, metasearch, SEO, email marketing, CRM, and campaign performance.
- Monitor digital performance, including website traffic, booking conversion, campaign ROAS, email engagement, and channel contribution.
- Ensure offers, packages, programming, and seasonal campaigns are properly represented across the resort website, booking engine, OTAs, and third-party channels.
- Lead the resort's organic social media strategy, content calendar, and storytelling priorities; oversee content capture needs, including photography, videography, short-form video, and influencer visits.
- Partner with agencies, content creators, and internal stakeholders to ensure social content reflects the property's luxury positioning and experiential depth.
- Develop social campaigns that support brand awareness, engagement, programming, packages, and key revenue periods.
- Partner with PR agencies and corporate marketing to identify media angles, press opportunities, influencer collaborations, and thought leadership moments; support media visits, FAM trips, and VIP experiences.
- Build strategic local, regional, and national partnerships aligned with the resort's positioning, including wellness experts, outdoor brands, culinary partners, conservation organizations, makers, artists, and community leaders.
Programming + Experience Marketing- Build marketing strategies around the resort's full programming calendar, including wellness, culinary, outdoor recreation, retreats, workshops, seasonal events, community gatherings, and signature experiences.
- Collaborate with operations, spa/wellness, food and beverage, recreation, and guest experience teams to develop marketable programming that supports revenue, guest engagement, and brand differentiation.
- Package and promote experiences in a way that drives overnight stays, repeat visitation, membership/community engagement, and ancillary spend.
- Identify opportunities to create signature resort moments that differentiate the property in the luxury wellness and nature resort space.
- Collaborate with the wellness and programming team to develop compelling experience-led marketing that differentiates The Shenandoah in a crowded landscape.
Sales, Revenue + Commercial Alignment- Work closely with sales and revenue management to align marketing strategy with business needs, including need periods, group opportunities, retreat business, seasonal demand, and package development.
- Support sales collateral, group marketing assets, retreat/wellness sales tools, wedding/event materials, and owner-facing performance updates as needed.
- Participate in revenue strategy discussions to ensure marketing campaigns are aligned with pace, segmentation, channel mix, and revenue goals.
- Provide clear reporting on marketing performance, campaign results, programming impact, and key business drivers.
Guest Journey + On-Property Marketing- Oversee marketing touchpoints across the guest journey, including pre-arrival communications, in-room collateral, resort guides, app content, signage, menus, spa/wellness materials, post-stay communications, and loyalty/return-visit opportunities.
- Ensure the guest journey clearly communicates the breadth of available experiences and encourages participation in programming, dining, wellness, retail, and recreation.
- Ensure all marketing initiatives align with Shenandoah's sustainability commitments, regenerative principles, and operational ethos.
- Partner with operations to ensure marketing promises are operationally executable and consistently delivered.
What You Bring to the TableExperience & Qualifications- 10+ years of marketing experience, preferably in luxury hospitality, wellness resorts, lifestyle hotels, destination resorts, private clubs, travel, or experiential brands.
- Prior experience marketing a highly programmed property or destination with multiple revenue centers, such as rooms, spa, wellness, food and beverage, events, retreats, recreation, or retail.
- Strong understanding of luxury guest expectations, experiential travel, wellness tourism, and destination storytelling.
- Proven experience leading both external agency partners and on-site marketing teams, including managing scopes of work, timelines, budgets, performance expectations, and cross-functional execution across digital, social, PR, content, programming, and on-property marketing initiatives.
- Experience managing digital marketing, social media, PR, content, email marketing, website content, and agency partners.
- Strong commercial acumen with the ability to connect marketing strategy to revenue performance.
- Excellent writing, communication, project management, and cross-functional collaboration skills.
- Experience with pre-opening, brand launch, repositioning, or resort ramp-up strongly preferred.
- Ability to work collaboratively with ownership, corporate teams, operations, sales, revenue management, agencies, and on-property leaders.
- Comfortable working in outdoor resort environments with variable weather, terrain, and event logistics.
- Ability to speak Spanish or other languages is a plus.
Leadership & Behaviors- Purpose-Driven Leadership: Leads with clarity, intention, and alignment to Shenandoah's guiding experience-Relax, Release, Connect, Love-ensuring the team understands why we do what we do, not just what we do.
- Commercial Visionary: Combines market intelligence, creative instinct, and analytical discipline to build brands that resonate with discerning, values-aligned travelers-and connects every marketing decision to measurable business outcomes.
- Storyteller + Creative Lead: A confident, articulate communicator and storyteller who embodies the resort's identity and can translate our mission into compelling, authentic marketing that cuts through.
- Strategic Thinker with Executional Depth: Balances big-picture positioning with granular operational follow-through; uses data, guest feedback, and market trends to inform decisions and improve outcomes.
- People-First Leader: Builds, develops, and retains high-performing commercial teams through clarity of expectations, accountability, coaching, and genuine investment in people's growth.
- Emotionally Intelligent: Demonstrates strong judgment, discretion, and composure in complex stakeholder environments; leads with empathy and earns trust through consistent behavior.
- Adaptive & Resilient: Operates effectively in pre-opening ambiguity and the evolving rhythms of a nature-based resort; remains solutions-oriented and calm under pressure.
- Collaborative & Community-Minded: Builds strong partnerships with operations, wellness, ownership, and external stakeholders; leads with a regenerative mindset and a genuine commitment to place.
What's In It for You- Competitive compensation package, including quarterly incentive plan.
- Generous health, dental and vision insurance, plus 401K.
- Comprehensive onboarding and training plan to set you up for success.
- Coaching, feedback, and mentorship to develop yourself and your team.
- Personalized development plan to fit your individual role and career goals.
- Leadership courses to improve your personal and interpersonal effectiveness.
- Monthly fitness and transportation credits.
- Unlimited PTO and 9 paid holidays.
- Opportunities to volunteer and give back to our local communities.
- Paid Parental Leave.
- Tuition reimbursement opportunities - when you grow, we grow!
- Long-term growth opportunities within The Shenandoah platform, including potential participation in future incentive or partnership programs aligned with performance and tenure, subject to formal plan adoption.
- A leadership environment designed for sustainability-where success is not expected to come at the expense of your health, family, or sense of purpose.
- Supportive executive partnership and ownership engagement focused on long-term success, professional fulfillment, and shared accountability.
Non-Negotiables (Our Core Values)- SERVE OTHERS.
- LIVE 360.
- BUILD A POSITIVE TEAM.
- COMMUNICATE.
- BE WILDLY PASSIONATE.
