Government Tourism Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Salary: $75,000.00 - $85,000.00 Annually
Location : Richland County, SC
Job Type: FTE - Full-Time
Job Number: 191526
Agency: Department of Parks, Recreation & Tourism
Division: Policy & Research Team
Opening Date: 08/10/2026
Closing Date: 8/24/2026 11:59 PM Eastern
Class Code:: AL09
Position Number:: 61160717
Normal Work Schedule:: Other
Normal Work Schedule (Other):: Monday-Friday, 37.5 hours weekly.
Pay Grade: GEN10
Hiring Range - Min.: $75,000.00
Hiring Range - Max.: $85,000.00
EEO Statement: Equal Opportunity Employer
Agency Specific Application Procedures:: Supplemental questions are considered part of your official application. Any misrepresentation will result in your disqualification from employment. Please complete the State application to include all current and previous work history and education. A resume will not be accepted nor reviewed to determine if an applicant has met the qualifications for the position. A State application MUST be submitted electronically through the www.careers.sc.gov website.
Veteran Preference Statement: South Carolina is making our Veterans a priority for employment in state agencies and institutions.
Job Responsibilities
The South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation & Tourism is a cabinet agency assigned to operate and manage South Carolina's state parks, market the state as a preferred vacation destination and provide assistance to communities to develop recreation assets.
Job Purpose and Duties:
Executes agency's economic impact analyses efforts related to parks, recreation and tourism; Executes agency's marketing research program related to marketing South Carolina as a tourism destination; plans and designs ad hoc data analyses and research projects; Presents research findings; Respond to requests from the general public for tourism-research related information. Participates in agency teams as needed.
1) Provide tourism-related data and technical support to agency staff, government officials, industry partners and the general public on an ad hoc or periodical basis. Perform special duties as requested by the Agency Director, Chief of Staff, or Director of Recreation, Grants & Policy.
2) Produce macro-economic analyses that benchmark and measure the contributions of tourism-related economic performance at state and local levels.
3) Produce marketing research studies to provide strategic direction for SCPRT's advertising/marketing programs and evaluate their effectiveness.
4) Recommend, coordinate and execute research activities that support and inform agency strategic planning, goals and objectives.
5) Practice and promote teamwork within the program area, throughout the agency and with external agency stakeholders. Represents Section as an active member on agency teams assigned throughout the year.
Minimum and Additional Requirements
Master's degree in economics, statistics or a related field and at least four (4) years experience in applied research related to economic development or marketing research or a bachelor's degree in economics, statistics or a related field with at least six (6) years experience in economic development or marketing research.
Additional Requirements:
1) Ability to plan and manage projects and meet deadlines. Ability to plan, assign, direct and review the work of others. Ability to understand and carry out complex oral and written instructions. Ability to coordinate multiple activities simultaneously while exercising exceptional attention to detail; ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with others. Ability to exercise discretion. Working knowledge of agency mission, policy, and procedure.
2) Extensive knowledge of and experience with macro-economic modeling, preferably related to tourism; considerable knowledge of inferential statistics and consumer research methods, preferably related to marketing research; ability to design complex research studies; knowledge of sampling and other data collection methods; Knowledge and experience with data handling and creating complex analyses; Extensive knowledge and experience related to presenting findings in written and oral format. Extensive knowledge of Microsoft Office products; Extensive knowledge of and experience with economic and statistical analysis software (e.g. IMPLAN, REMI, SAS, SPSS, R); Some experience with using LLMs to conduct research.
Additional Comments
Actual Job Location: Recreational Grants & Policy

• This position is Monday-Friday, onsite (not a remote position).
• This position will supervise the Research Coordinator position.

The South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation & Tourism is an Equal Opportunity, Affirmative Action employer.
Benefits for State Employees
The state of South Carolina offers eligible employees generous benefits, including health and dental insurance; retirement and savings plan options; and paid vacation and sick leave. Plus, work-life balance programs such as telecommuting and flexible work schedules are available to employees of some state agencies.
Insurance Benefits
Eligible employees may enroll in health insurance, which includes prescription coverage and wellness benefits. Other available insurance benefits include dental, vision, term life insurance, long term disability and flexible spending accounts for health and child care expenses.
Retirement Benefits
State employees are also offered retirement plan options, including defined benefit and defined contribution plans. Additionally, eligible employees may elect to participate in the South Carolina Deferred Compensation Program, which is a voluntary, supplemental retirement savings plan offering 401(k) and 457 plan options.
Workplace Benefits
State employees may also be eligible for other benefits, including tuition assistance; holiday, annual and sick leave; and discounts on purchases, travel and more.
Note: The benefits above are available to most state employees, with the exception of those in temporary positions. Employees in temporary grant and time-limited positions may be eligible for all, some or none of these benefits as benefits are associated with each position type. For these positions, contact the hiring agency to determine what benefits may be available.
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