Senior Economic Development & Tourism Officer

Position summary:

Reporting to the Director of Strategic Initiatives, the Senior Economic Development & Tourism Officer serves as a senior advisor and leads the Town’s economic development and destination management portfolio. The role builds and maintains strong relationships with local businesses, community partners, the Town’s Destination Marketing Organization (DMO), regional stakeholders and other orders of government to identify opportunities, enable investment, drive business growth, and strengthen the Town’s year‑round visitor economy.

The Senior Economic Development & Tourism Officer leads research, strategic planning, program design and implementation for major Town initiatives, including Community Improvement Plan incentives, investment attraction, workforce and sector supports, Municipal Accommodation Tax (MAT) initiatives, and sustainable destination management. The role provides advice and presents analysis, risks, and recommendations to senior leadership, Council, and external partners.

What you will need:

• Post-secondary degree or diploma in economic development, business, public administration, tourism management, planning, or a related field (or an equivalent combination of education and experience).
• Minimum of seven (7) years of progressive senior-level experience in economic development and/or tourism/destination management, preferably in a municipal or broader public-sector environment. Experience in rural economic development and/or sector development (e.g., agriculture/agri-tourism) is an asset.
• Membership with EDCO/EDAC and/or an Ec.D. designation (or certificate in economic development) is considered an asset.
• Demonstrated experience developing and delivering strategies, multi-partner initiatives and programs with measurable outcomes.
• Demonstrated experience advising senior executives or elected officials on economic development or tourism strategy
• Strong knowledge of economic development and tourism/destination principles, practices and stakeholder environments.
• Demonstrated ability to provide concierge-style client service to businesses, investors and landowners, including managing sensitive issues with professionalism and discretion.
• Proven ability to build partnerships and strategic alliances with businesses, not-for-profit and community organizations and other orders of government.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including facilitation, conflict resolution, change navigation and the ability to influence decisions.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to exercise sound judgment in complex situations.
• Demonstrated ability to manage competing priorities and deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality and handle sensitive information appropriately.
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively in cross-functional teams and build cooperative relationships across all levels of the organization.
• Experience presenting to Council or Boards is an asset.
• Demonstrated time-management skills with the ability to prioritize workloads, work on multiple projects simultaneously, and meet deadlines with minimal supervision.
• Demonstrated commitment to applying a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) lens to work activities and community engagement.

What we offer:

This is a new full-time opportunity at the Town. The Town offers the following to our employees:

• Perks & Discounts
• Wellness Programs
• Health & Dental Benefits * full-time & 12 month + contracts only
• OMERS
• Work / Life Flexibility
• Professional Development & Education Opportunities