Community Marketing Manager

Overview

Thrifty Traveler is seeking an experienced Community Marketing Manager to join our team. Our ideal candidate is a deeply passionate traveler based in Minneapolis, Minnesota with a proven track record of building and fostering communities online and in person.

This employee will develop and execute a long-term strategy to grow and engage our communities across online platforms, in-person events, partnerships, advocacy, and in-person experiences. This role blends community management, experiential marketing, ambassador development, partnership coordination, and brand stewardship.

• Build a community engagement strategy across online channels, including Reddit, Facebook (public & Premium-only), Slack/Discord (new), and other channels
• Develop guidelines and etiquette for communities to keep them helpful, inclusive, and aligned with our values
• Monitor conversations, answer questions, and proactively join discussions in ways that highlight Thrifty Traveler’s expertise
• Identify recurring community needs, questions, or frustrations and turn them into insights for marketing, product, and content teams
• Track community health KPIs: engagement, sentiment, membership growth, churn risk indicators, and referral program performance

• Pitch, plan and execute Thrifty Traveler meetups in key cities
• Organize live podcast recordings and community Q&As
• Lead logistics for Thrifty Traveler events, from concept to execution (venue, AV, staffing, attendee experience)
• Recruit and train “event ambassadors” from our membership base
• Pitch, organize, and manage travel conference attendance (speaking engagements, panels, booth presence, etc.)
• Design, manage, and grow aThrifty Traveler Premium referral program
• Build a free newsletter referral flow that drives word-of-mouth awareness
• Create incentive structures, gamification elements, and recognition programs
• Manage Thrifty Traveler gear store (for purchase)
• Oversee surprise & delight gifting campaigns (new Premium members, milestone achievements, contest winners, community leaders)
• Coordinate shipping, inventory, and vendor relationships
• Partner with the social & editorial teams to amplify community stories, wins, and travel hacks
• Help collect testimonials and success stories for marketing

In the first year, you will:

• Launch and grow a thriving Slack/Discord/similar community
• Reduce subscriber churn by improving engagement and connection
• Grow Thrifty Traveler event attendance and create a consistent event cadence
• Increase community-driven referrals for Premium and the free newsletter
• Improve sentiment and engagement in Reddit + Facebook forums

• 3–6 years of experience in community management, experiential marketing, or audience engagement
• Proven track record of building and nurturing online communities
• Experience in planning and executing events (small and large scale)
• Strong communication skills: professional, concise, empathetic
• Highly organized, detail-oriented, and capable of working independently without needing step-by-step supervision
• Comfortable taking direction from leadership and collaborating with multiple teams
• A passion for travel and Thrifty Traveler’s mission

• Experience launching referral programs or ambassador programs
• Familiarity with Reddit community norms
• Basic data analysis skills to report KPIs
• Experience with Active Campaign or equivalent engagement tools
• A background in content creation, social media, or influencer partnerships

• Base salary: $70,000 – $85,000, depending upon experience and event/community background
• Hybrid work environment (with access to an on-site gym)
• 401k matching up to 5%
• Company-sponsored health, dental, and vision insurance
• 15 days of vacation to start
• Paid parental leave
• A growing, values-driven team of people who are passionate about travel