What are the responsibilities and job description for the Manager, New Audience Development position at Windstar Cruises?
Overview
Awarded World’s Best Small Ship Cruise line, Windstar Cruises is known for intimate yacht style experience and unique voyages to the world’s best small ports and hidden harbors. Its three sailing yachts and four all-suite yachts carry just 148 to 342 guests and cruise around the world. Our mission is to imagine and deliver personalized and immersive experiences 180 degrees from ordinary. We enrich people’s perspective through inspired travel.
Our Mission: We imagine and deliver personalized and immersive experiences 180 degrees from ordinary
Our Vision: Enriching people’s perspective through inspired travel
Our Values: Welcoming, Innovative, Now, Discipline, Serve, Teamwork, Authentic, Responsible
Job Summary:
The Manager, New Audience Development is responsible for identifying, developing, and activating high‑value niche audience segments to drive demand for Windstar’s new destination‑led products and experiences. This role focuses on audience strategy, segmentation, partnerships, and content activation, ensuring that new products are launched with clearly defined target audiences, compelling messaging, and scalable demand‑generation models.
As part of the cross‑functional New Experiences Task Force, the Manager works closely with New Product Development to align audience strategy with approved product concepts, and with New Experience Development to ensure guest communications and journey touchpoints are aligned with execution. This role owns the audience lens within the task force and is accountable for building awareness, engagement, and conversion within priority niche segments.
Responsibilities
Audience Strategy & Segmentation
Experience
For full-time employees, Windstar offers a comprehensive benefits package including: Medical, Dental & Vision; HSA & FSA; Life & Disability; Accident, Hospital & Critical Illness; Pet Insurance; Vacation, Sick Time and paid Holidays; 401(k) with Company Match; Employee Assistance Plan; Education Assistance and Employee Discounts & Travel Deals.
EEO:
Windstar is committed to a diverse and inclusive workplace. We are an equal opportunity employer. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, disability, pregnancy, genetic information, protected veteran status, or any other legally protected status.
Awarded World’s Best Small Ship Cruise line, Windstar Cruises is known for intimate yacht style experience and unique voyages to the world’s best small ports and hidden harbors. Its three sailing yachts and four all-suite yachts carry just 148 to 342 guests and cruise around the world. Our mission is to imagine and deliver personalized and immersive experiences 180 degrees from ordinary. We enrich people’s perspective through inspired travel.
Our Mission: We imagine and deliver personalized and immersive experiences 180 degrees from ordinary
Our Vision: Enriching people’s perspective through inspired travel
Our Values: Welcoming, Innovative, Now, Discipline, Serve, Teamwork, Authentic, Responsible
Job Summary:
The Manager, New Audience Development is responsible for identifying, developing, and activating high‑value niche audience segments to drive demand for Windstar’s new destination‑led products and experiences. This role focuses on audience strategy, segmentation, partnerships, and content activation, ensuring that new products are launched with clearly defined target audiences, compelling messaging, and scalable demand‑generation models.
As part of the cross‑functional New Experiences Task Force, the Manager works closely with New Product Development to align audience strategy with approved product concepts, and with New Experience Development to ensure guest communications and journey touchpoints are aligned with execution. This role owns the audience lens within the task force and is accountable for building awareness, engagement, and conversion within priority niche segments.
Responsibilities
Audience Strategy & Segmentation
- Define and develop comprehensive audience profiles and ideal customer profiles (ICPs) for priority niche segments (e.g., equestrian, golf, river cruise converters).
- Design CRM driven segmentation and lifecycle journeys aligned to audience motivations, decision behaviors, and booking pathways.
- Identify growth opportunities, acquisition levers, and messaging frameworks unique to each niche audience.
- Develop full funnel audience activation strategies supporting new product pilots and launches.
- Translate audience insights into campaign strategies that drive awareness, engagement, and conversion.
- Align demand plans with product launch timelines, itinerary deployment, and seasonal audience moments.
- Identify, evaluate, and establish partnerships with relevant organizations, events, communities, publications, and influencers aligned to target niche audiences.
- Develop co marketing and partnership programs that support list growth, content amplification, and qualified demand generation.
- Build long term partner activation plans aligned to product roadmaps and deployment schedules.
- Partner closely with Creative and Content teams to develop compelling, audience specific storytelling and campaign assets.
- Translate audience insights into content pillars, creative briefs, and messaging frameworks.
- Ensure content and toolkits are delivered for internal stakeholders and travel advisors to support consistent messaging.
- Develop content strategies aligned with audience specific moments (e.g., competitions, seasonal cycles, major events).
- Work with New Product Development to align audience strategy with approved product concepts, positioning, and value propositions.
- Collaborate with New Experience Development to ensure guest communications, onboard messaging, and journey touchpoints align with delivery models.
- Participate actively in NET operating rhythms, including standups, steering reviews, and shared workflows.
- Track and report on audience growth, lead acquisition, content engagement, PR reach and quality, and contribution to demand for new products.
- Monitor early indicators of audience to pilot velocity and campaign effectiveness.
- Use insights to refine segmentation, messaging, and activation strategies over time.
- Growth and engagement of defined niche audience segments.
- Quality and volume of demand generated for new product pilots and launches.
- Effectiveness of partnerships and co‑marketing initiatives.
- Alignment of audience messaging with product positioning and experience delivery.
- Clear audience insights informing future product and experience development.
Experience
- 8-10 years of experience in lifestyle, luxury, sports, or travel marketing.
- Demonstrated experience marketing to niche or high‑affinity audiences (e.g., equestrian, golf, river cruise, or similar).
- Proven success in partnership development and co‑branded marketing initiatives.
- Strong audience strategy and segmentation expertise, including CRM‑driven lifecycle marketing.
- Experience developing and briefing creative content across channels.
- Analytical mindset with the ability to track performance against KPIs and optimize campaigns.
- Highly collaborative communicator with the ability to influence across Marketing, Product, and Operations.
- Comfortable operating in a test‑and‑learn environment supporting pilots and new initiatives.
- CRM expertise (HubSpot preferred).
- Experience supporting product or experience launches in travel or hospitality.
- Familiarity with PR, influencer marketing, and partnership‑led growth models.
- Experience working within cross‑functional or matrixed team structures.
- Office‑based with periodic travel for partner engagement or experience launches.
- Ability to manage multiple initiatives in parallel under evolving timelines.
- Flexibility to support pilot launches and campaign activations.
For full-time employees, Windstar offers a comprehensive benefits package including: Medical, Dental & Vision; HSA & FSA; Life & Disability; Accident, Hospital & Critical Illness; Pet Insurance; Vacation, Sick Time and paid Holidays; 401(k) with Company Match; Employee Assistance Plan; Education Assistance and Employee Discounts & Travel Deals.
EEO:
Windstar is committed to a diverse and inclusive workplace. We are an equal opportunity employer. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, disability, pregnancy, genetic information, protected veteran status, or any other legally protected status.