Travel is still booming, and so are we. We're looking to fill another critical role on our team.

We're aiming to hire a savvy and experienced Community Marketing Manager to help nurture and expand our growing community of diehard travel lovers – both online and in person. Think you fit the bill? Keep reading for the full details, job description, and qualifications.

But here's the gist of it: We’re on the hunt for a strategic, creative, and fun community manager based in the Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area to manage and grow our online communities, spearhead in-person events, expand our word-of-mouth reach, and strengthen the bond between our Thrifty Traveler Premium members and our team of fellow travel lovers.

At Thrifty Traveler, we're laser-focused on one mission: helping people travel more for less — and we’ve been doing it since 2015. From mistake fares to award alerts to smarter travel strategies, we show our members how to stretch their points, miles, and money. We're a small, agile, and mission-driven team based in Minneapolis, and we’re looking for someone who’s ready to grow with us.

Sound like a job you want? We want you! But keep reading for more details.

Apply now via this form! Please submit your application by Sunday, Jan. 25!

 

Thrifty Traveler Community Marketing Manager: About the Job

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.

To begin the application process, fill out this form!

Please submit your application by Sunday, Jan. 25!

 

Key Responsibilities

Community Development & Engagement

  • 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

 

Events & Experiences

  • 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.)

 

Customer Engagement

  • Design, manage, and grow a Thrifty 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

 

What Success Looks Like

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

 

Qualifications

Required

  • 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

 

Preferred

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

 

Salary & Benefits

  • 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

 

Applications for this position close Sunday, Jan. 25 – apply now!