Career Ads Title:
Communications Specialist - Visit Alexandria

Post Date
9/29/2025

Expiration Date
10/29/2025

Details:
Position Summary
The Communications Specialist plays an integral role in Visit Alexandria’s award-winning Marketing & Communications department, helping drive PR-driven storytelling and providing communications support and project management. This role serves as the right-hand person for the Director of Communications, supporting overall communications objectives and public relations strategies and managing tasks related to press releases, pitching, media hosting, monitoring media coverage and more. The Communications Specialist collaborates with the Senior Content Manager on website updates and cultivating storytelling ideas. The position also supports coordination of the Alexandria Film Office. The ideal candidate has communications and/or public relations experience, excellent writing skills, is detail-oriented, has project management experience and embodies a strong time management skillset.

The Communications Specialist is required to live in or relocate to the Washington, D.C. region, within a reasonable distance of Alexandria, VA, to adhere to the hybrid schedule and in-person responsibilities.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Communications Support and Project Management
• Acts as right-hand person for Director of Communications in supporting the execution of communications strategies and project management.
• Organizes communications and content production timelines for Visit Alexandria’s content and special initiatives, utilizing the Microsoft Planner project management tool, and facilitates status updates during team meetings.
PR-Driven Storytelling
• Demonstrates unwavering journalistic curiosity to help uncover what’s new in Alexandria and the deeper stories of member businesses throughout the city’s neighborhoods by monitoring local media, keeping an ear to the ground in the community and mining updates from the membership team while understanding travel trends.
• Work with Director of Communications to write emotionally compelling story ideas/key messages that distinguish Alexandria from other destinations, promote our member businesses, tie to larger national trends, and align with media editorial interest.
• Maintains an up-to-the-minute spreadsheet of new and coming-soon businesses and experiences. Identifies stories and trends among member businesses/experiences that can be elevated by the communications team via media relations tactics, and also in our content.
• Collaborates with communications team to identify compelling personalities and maintains a “Cast of Characters” story bank featuring member stories for use in PR, website and blog content and broader storytelling initiatives.
• Drafts compelling, buzzworthy copy about Alexandria experiences for PR pitches and responses.
• Researches and provides details and fact checking for member stories and local event information.
• Visits member businesses and maintains visibility and relationships in the community as a representative of Visit Alexandria.
Website Content Support and Press Room Management
• Supports the Senior Manager of Content to maintain and update content on VisitAlexandria.com, including landing pages, blog posts and other content across the site.
• Collaborates with internal teams to ensure timely updates to website copy, ensuring that businesses, restaurants, attractions and events are accurately represented — including the addition of new members and experiences.
• Facilitates cross-departmental coordination to ensure the online events calendar remains current and accurate.
• Supports quality assurance efforts including proofreading, link-checking and visual formatting across the site.
• Manages the VisitAlexandria.com online press room, ensuring timely and accurate uploads of story ideas, press releases, media coverage, monthly news clips, and other content.
Media Relations
• Supports Director of Communications on media relations strategies that result in strong destination storytelling among targeted journalists and publications.
• Manages and executes media relations tasks including but not limited to PR timeline management and contributing writing for press releases and pitches.
• Supports PR agency on organizing and hosting travel writer visits, giving tours of the destination and meeting with hosted media during visits, as needed.
• Communicates with members and stakeholders regarding press opportunities, including but not limited to gathering information for pitches and press releases.
• Oversees PR agency’s press clip tracking by monitoring coverage utilizing Google Alerts, proactively reviewing sites and publications, and by maintaining a list of upcoming coverage following interaction with writers/editors/producers. Provide clip tracking edits to PR agency for reporting accuracy.
• Analyzes reports on press coverage and uploads into CRM for member tracking, monthly board reports, VIP news clip emails, etc.
• Supports Director of Communications during broadcast media opportunities and other speaking engagements.
• Works regularly with partners including Virginia Tourism Corporation and Northern Virginia Tourism Partnership (NVTP) on group and individual press trips.
Alexandria Film Office
• Assists the Creative Director by serving as a backup for managing film applications submitted through Visit Alexandria’s film office.
• Supports communication with designated City department contacts to gather input before projects are approved and permits issued.
• Provides timely responses to film applicants and guides them through the permitting process.
• Coordinates logistical steps such as collecting fees, requesting insurance documentation, and issuing permit letters once approval is granted.
• Offers additional support for high-profile projects (e.g., feature films or national commercials), including helping scout locations and coordinating City involvement.
• Helps fulfil periodic information requests from the Virginia Film Office.
• Assists with compiling the annual economic impact report related to film projects in the city.
Additional Duties
• Works closely with Director of Communications on writing responsibilities as they relate to industry award applications, corporate communications and emergency communications planning.
• Spearheads compilation of monthly board reports for the Marketing & Communications department.
• Coordinates quarterly VIP News Clips & Marketing Highlights email for stakeholders.
• Coordinates other reports and recaps as needed.
• Other duties as assigned.



Qualifications:
Qualifications
• 1-3 years of public relations and/or communications experience.
• B.A. degree in communications, PR, journalism, creative writing or related field.
• Excellent project management skills with a strong attention to detail.
• Outstanding written and oral communication skills.
• Demonstrated initiative, ownership and time management skills.
• Positive energy and excellent interpersonal skills; ability to interact with a wide variety of people, both internally and externally.
• Ability to creatively approach problems and assigned projects.
• Available to work occasional evening and weekend hours as needed.
• Familiarity with Alexandria and/or the tourism/hospitality industry is a plus.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office and WordPress a plus.


Comments:
To Apply: Please send a cover letter and resume to apply@visitalexva.com with “Communications Specialist” in the subject line. Please include how you learned about this job posting.

No unsolicited phone calls, direct messages to staff or office visits, please.


Employer:
Visit Alexandria
Contact:
Mary Rinaldo

Address:
277 S Washington Street
Suite 210

Work Phone:
7036525380

Email:
apply@visitalexva.com

Website:
277 S Washington Street

Mobile Number:
7036525380