Tourism & Economic Development

Summary

This newly created position offers an exciting opportunity to lead, promote, and develop tourism and economic activities within the Discovery Coast region. It is a hands-on role responsible for day-to-day operations, strategic execution, and advocacy for community, environmental, social, and governance priorities.

The successful applicant will oversee the implementation of the DCTC strategy, ensuring sound policies and procedures are in place. They will actively discover, develop, and build opportunities for regional growth and expansion, ensuring KPIs and strategic objectives are met. This is a role that combines strategic leadership with practical, operational oversight, requiring the ability to manage daily operations while driving long-term initiatives.

You will manage business-as-usual programs and functions, ensuring financial stability through effective budgeting and resource allocation. As a tech-savvy leader, you will leverage digital tools and platforms to run a modern, flexible operation, enabling a dynamic and collaborative work environment without a central office. Proficiency in digital marketing is essential, including managing online campaigns, social media, and analytics tools to maximise visibility and measure success.

The role also involves encouraging collaborations to support a diverse calendar of events, ensuring DCTC-managed initiatives are profitable, sustainable, and strategically aligned. You will identify and develop new opportunities to grow membership, engage sponsors, and create commercial partnerships, contributing directly to the region’s economic growth.

Through efficient and targeted destination marketing, you will promote the Discovery Coast as a premier destination, ensuring resources are maximised and efforts are aligned with existing tools and initiatives. You will analyse data and insights to inform campaigns and provide regular updates to stakeholders on performance and return on investment (ROI).

To excel in this role, you will bring senior operational management experience, strong leadership skills, and a proven track record of guiding organisations through growth and change. You will oversee multiple projects, demonstrate adaptability, and foster collaboration with diverse stakeholders, including government bodies, industry partners, and community groups.

Experience in tourism management within a membership-based or not-for-profit organisation, combined with an understanding of volunteer engagement, is highly desirable. A background in financial management, strategic planning, and team building is essential, along with expertise in destination branding and marketing to enhance visibility and drive economic outcomes. Political maturity, resilience, and the ability to foster trust and credibility across diverse audiences are critical to success in this role.

Reports to: Executive committee 

Position description

Part-Time | $50K–$65K (Based on Relevant Experience)

This newly created role offers an exciting opportunity to lead and promote tourism and economic development within the Discovery Coast region. The Tourism & Economic Development Manager will play a pivotal role in advancing the area’s growth while advocating for community, environmental, social, and governance priorities. The objective of the role is to also develop strong relationships with industry, government, and event organisers to create a portfolio of events spread across the 12 months of the year. These events will be strategically leveraged to deliver maximum benefit to the region.

Key Responsibilities

• Strategic Leadership:
  • Drive the successful implementation of the Discovery Coast Tourism Council (DCTC) strategy, ensuring alignment with key policies and procedures.
  • Identify, develop, and execute opportunities for growth and expansion, meeting KPIs and strategic objectives.
• Operational Management:
  • Oversee day-to-day operations, programs, and business-as-usual activities to achieve strategic and commercial goals.
  • Ensure effective financial management, including budgeting and resource allocation, to maintain stability and sustainability.
• Staff Management:
  • Manage, supervise and lead part-time staff
  • Oversee volunteer operations for events.
• Event Management & Collaboration:
  • Support and expand a dynamic calendar of events, ensuring DCTC-managed initiatives are sustainable, profitable, and strategically aligned.
  • Foster collaborations with stakeholders to attract new members, sponsors, and commercial partnerships.
• Data-driven Destination Marketing:
  • Lead efficient and effective destination marketing initiatives, leveraging existing tools to avoid duplication of efforts and maximise resources.
  • Position the Discovery Coast as a premier destination to attract visitors, businesses, and investment.
  • Utilise data and analytics tools to optimise marketing strategies and measure success, including Google Analytics, stakeholder surveys and social media insights.. Regularly analyse and report on campaign performance to refine efforts and demonstrate ROI to stakeholders.
• Grant Writing & Funding Expertise
  • Responsible for  securing external funding, including grant applications, sponsorships, and partnerships. 
  • Completion of acquittals

Selection Criteria

• Proven experience in senior operational management, demonstrating strong leadership and the ability to guide organisations through growth and change.
• Expertise in organisational management, strategic planning, and financial oversight, with a track record of achieving measurable outcomes.
• Exceptional stakeholder engagement skills, including the ability to build relationships with government bodies, industry partners, and community organisations.
• Experience in tourism management, particularly within membership-based or not-for-profit organisations, with an understanding of volunteer engagement.
• Expertise in digital marketing and digital back office: website management, SEO, social media strategy, CRM and email marketing tool, tracking ROI and Google Workspace.
• Demonstrated success in destination branding, marketing, and initiatives that enhance visibility and stimulate economic growth.
• Political acumen, resilience, and the ability to foster credibility and trust with diverse stakeholders.

Applications

Applications need to be submitted using the form below.