Director of Community Development
Located on the Eastern shores of Lake of the Woods in Northwestern Ontario, Sioux Narrows-Nestor Falls is a quaint community who thrives on Tourism. It has a permanent year-round population of 727 and is 156,358 hectares in size. The local economy is based primarily on cottaging and tourism, with an emphasis on lake based recreational activities.
The municipality has over 1400 households, and has over 60 customer service facilities. Kenora and Fort Frances are the two nearest regional services centers. The median age is 46.3 years, and many of the residents are seasonal, choosing to reside at their lakefront residences from May thought to mid-October. Tourism is the mainstay of the local economy, with over 80% of businesses directly reliant on it.
Primary Duties
Reporting to Chief Administrative Officer and working in collaboration with the other Department Leads, the Director of Community Development is responsible for the leadership of the community development department. They will act as the principal staff liaison to the business community, providing overall coordination and oversight for the implementation of the various projects and activities which are contained in the strategic plan. They will undertake analysis and evaluation of economic and business development opportunities and identify strategies to develop these opportunities, as well as secure funding for economic development activities and programs. They will manage programs and services to improve the business environment in the community. They will also oversee major economic growth initiatives such as housing development and land acquisition for the municipality. They will work to diversify Tourism within the community including oversight of the expansion of our trails network, and community marketing strategies. They will oversee capital infrastructure and community improvement projects. This position will be responsible for leading a team that delivers community services in our small community including our visitor information centers, parks, and trails among others.
Preferred Qualifications
- Graduation from an accredited college or university with a Degree in Community Economic Development, Marketing/Communications, or Tourism Development or equivalent experience is required.
- Additional accreditation in Economic or Community Development would be an asset. Ec. D and RPP designations are preferred.
- 3-5 years’ experience working in municipal planning, or Economic/ Tourism development, or community services type roles.
- Demonstrated understanding of a wide variety of Municipal processes, including but not limited to Land Use Management, Strategic Planning, Business Attraction Retention and Growth, Capital Project oversight, Community Services and Recreation.
- Demonstrated ability to follow prescribed legislative process.
- Supervisory experience preferred.
- Completion of the Municipal Administration program (or willing to complete within 2 years).
- Customer Service training, or significant customer service experience considered an asset.
- Computer skills including Microsoft Word, Excel, Email, Internet.
- Valid Driver’s License.
