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Home · State of Mississippi · Chief Sales Officer

About the Agency
The Mississippi Development Authority (MDA) is the state's lead economic and community development agency. MDA recruits new companies to Mississippi, helps existing companies expand and provides support to foster growth and new opportunities in a variety of areas, including energy, small and minority business, trade, film, retiree recruitment and more. Additionally, MDA attracts millions of visitors to the state each year through Visit Mississippi, the tourism division of the agency. MDA also supports pass-through funding and provides support for a variety of grant programs and non-profits, such as Innovate Mississippi and Mississippi Main Street Association.

About the Position
This is a Non-State (X-16) position. — Visit Mississippi seeks a dynamic, strategic, and results-driven Chief Sales Officer (CSO) to lead and oversee all sales initiatives that drive visitation, economic impact, and brand growth for the state of Mississippi. The CSO will manage domestic and international sales, sports and outdoor adventure, and cultural tourism initiatives, which include the Blues, Country Music, and Freedom Trails. This executive role requires strong leadership, relationship-building skills, and a deep understanding of tourism sales strategies across diverse markets. This is a Non-State Service Position.

Duties and Responsibilities include, but are not limited to

Leadership & Strategy

  • Develop and execute a comprehensive sales strategy targeting leisure travelers, business groups, meetings, conventions, and consumers to increase visitation, overnight stays, and economic impact across Mississippi.
  • Lead and mentor sales teams, fostering collaboration, accountability, and innovation.
  • Collaborate with the Director of Tourism and senior leaders to align sales initiatives with tourism marketing and development strategies.

Domestic & International Sales

  • Oversee development of domestic group, leisure, and meetings/conventions markets.
  • Direct international tourism sales efforts, including partnerships with travel trade, tour operators, and global tourism organizations.

Sports & Outdoor Adventure Tourism

  • Lead sales efforts to attract sporting events, tournaments, and outdoor adventure travelers.
  • Build partnerships with sporting organizations, outdoor recreation groups, and event rights-holders to increase Mississippi’s share of the sports tourism market.

Cultural Tourism Development

  • Promote and expand Mississippi’s cultural tourism assets, including the Blues Trail, Country Music Trail, and Freedom Trail.
  • Build partnerships with cultural institutions, attractions, and local communities to elevate authentic experiences that drive visitor interest.
  • Leverage music, history, and cultural assets to grow heritage and cultural tourism markets.

Partnerships & Stakeholder Engagement

  • Cultivate relationships with industry stakeholders, destination marketing organizations, attractions, hotels, and event organizers to maximize tourism growth and shared success.
  • Proactively cultivate relationships with travel agents, tour operators, meeting planners, and other decision makers to generate leads and sales opportunities.
  • Collaborate with regional and national tourism partners to strengthen Mississippi’s position as a top-tier destination.

Performance and Reporting

  • Manage daily operations of the Domestic Sales Office, including supervising, training, performance management, productivity, and staff support.
  • Analyze market trends and sales data, adjust strategies, and report progress regularly to the Director of Tourism.
  • Manage departmental budgets and allocate resources efficiently.
  • Stay informed on industry trends, competitor activities, and emerging opportunities.
  • Work with the marketing team to develop sales materials and messaging aligned with sales initiatives.

What you'll need to be Successful
To be successful a candidate must possess and maintain a valid Mississippi Driver’s License, be a strategic thinker with the ability to innovate and adapt to a changing tourism landscape, have a passion for Mississippi’s culture, music, history, and natural assets, be a collaborative leader who inspires teams and builds strong partnerships, must be results-oriented with a focus on driving measurable impact, and must be able to travel

  • Results-oriented with a focus on driving measurable impact.
  • Collaborative leader who inspires teams and builds strong partnerships.
  • Strategic thinker with the ability to innovate and adapt to a changing tourism landscape.
  • Passion for Mississippi’s culture, music, history, and natural assets.

Preferred Qualifications

Typically requires a Bachelor's Degree and 3-5 years of experience. — Hiring Agency Preferred: The minimum qualifications in this job class are based upon a job analysis and the essential functions of the job. Experience demonstrating the candidate’s ability to perform all essential functions of the position is beneficial.

Education and Experience Requirements

Typically requires a Bachelor’s Degree and 3-5 years of experience. Agency preferred qualifications:
Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution and minimum 3-5 years of relevant tourism sales experience including supervisory/management experience.

Preferred Experience

  • Demonstrated experience leading personnel, including staff supervision, workload management, constructive coaching, and employee performance reviews.