Manager of Economic Development

Job summary

Develop and implement strategies to attract businesses, support local business growth, and promote the city as a competitive destination, while building relationships with employers, government agencies, educational institutions, and regional partners. Manage economic research, data, projects, grants, and investment opportunities, and report progress and risks to the Director of Economic Development and Strategic Initiatives.

Job details

The Manager of Economic Development is responsible for identifying, cultivating, and securing new business opportunities in alignment with the organization's strategic goals. Reporting directly to the Director of Economic Development and Strategic Initiatives, the Manager will play a critical role in driving the growth and success of the city. The duties listed are not meant to provide a description of every job performed but only those which represent the core functions of the job. Conduct market research and analysis to identify potential customers, industry trends, and competitive landscape. Build and maintain relationships with key stakeholders, including government agencies, industry partners, and potential clients. Collaborate with cross-functional teams to develop tailored solutions that meet the needs of clients and drive business growth. Stay up to date on industry trends, best practices, and emerging technologies to inform business development strategies. Identify and cultivate relationships with key stakeholders, such as local businesses, industry leaders, and government agencies, to promote economic development initiatives. Implement strategic business development plans to attract new businesses to the city and support existing businesses in their growth and expansion efforts. Work closely with economic development partners to create a supportive business environment that facilitates growth, innovation, and job creation. Collaborate with the marketing and communications team to promote the city as a competitive and attractive destination for businesses. Represent the organization at business conferences, networking events, and other industry gatherings to promote economic development opportunities within the region. Forster trust with businesses, identify potential issues and when necessary, elevate them to senior management for early risk mitigation. Seek out, apply for, and manage grants and sponsorships to help fund economic development initiatives. Respond to enquiries and provide status reports on current leads; share and coordinate with Planning and Building divisions. Maintain a current inventory of available land and space. Identify, track and project demands, trends and issues related to supply of available industrial and commercial supply and work interdepartmentally to identify ways of delivering the required supply in the appropriate configurations/locations. Encourage business growth and job creation, by actively promoting the full range of support, information, and advice available to businesses in the municipality. Participate in team Niagara meetings, task forces and roundtables. Maintain strong relationships with employers, educational institutions, and other regional partners to ensure key workforce services are available. Connect employers with workforce service providers and educational institutions and organize networking and educational events. Maintain strong connection with youth and young adults to ensure long term health of workforce. Support small businesses by providing guidance, resources, and incentives to help the businesses thrive. Manages the preparation, assembly, and dissemination of data and analysis, in support of the local economy. Manages research, projects, and studies relate to economic trends, sectors, industries, and funding sources/incentives. Reports on economic development projects, investment opportunities and economic development support programs to the Director of Economic Development and Strategic Initiatives. Qualifications: A University Degree in Business Administration, Marketing, or similar, or equivalent in experience and education. Five (5) years of progressively responsible experience including experience in managerial capacity, preferably in a Municipal Government setting, or a similar type of public sector organization. Ec.D. Certification from Economic Development Association of Canada (EDAC). Valid passport and ability to travel within and outside of the province and country, to support economic development initiatives, stakeholder engagement, and business attraction efforts. Strong knowledge of marketing, and communications strategies. Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including experience with proposal writing. Excellent interpersonal with the ability to interact courteously, diplomatically, and tactfully with employees, officials, members of the public and members of Council. Strong organizational skills to ensure proper work planning and scheduling, as well as the ability to expedite issues to promote effectiveness and efficiency. Well-developed computer skills, particularly with Microsoft Office Suite, and a strong working knowledge of relevant software programs. Ability to work flexible hours, including evenings and weekends, to attend meetings, events, conferences, and business development activities as required. Closing date: Tuesday, October 13, 2026 at 4:00pm Salary: $110,059-$128,754 (2026 rates) How to apply: Submit a current application which includes a current cover letter and resume. View a detailed job description and apply by visiting: Careers

What you’ll do

Develop and implement strategies to attract businesses, support local business growth, and promote the city as a competitive destination, while building relationships with employers, government agencies, educational institutions, and regional partners. Manage economic research, data, projects, grants, and investment opportunities, and report progress and risks to the Director of Economic Development and Strategic Initiatives.

Requirements

Requires a university degree in Business Administration, Marketing, or a similar field, or equivalent education and experience, plus five years of progressively responsible experience, including managerial experience; municipal or public-sector experience is preferred. The posting also requires Ec.D. certification from EDAC, a valid passport and ability to travel, strong marketing and communication skills, proposal-writing experience, interpersonal and organizational abilities, computer proficiency, and flexibility to work evenings and weekends as needed.

Listed skills

• Data analysis · Preferred
• Grant Management · Preferred
• Microsoft Office · Preferred
• Project management · Preferred
• Business development · Preferred

Other relevant skills

Identified from the job description. Confirm important requirements above.

• Market Research
• Business Development
• Economic Development
• Stakeholder Relationship Management
• Strategic Planning
• Marketing and Communications
• Proposal Writing
• Grant Management
• Data Analysis
• Project Management
• Workforce Development
• Interdepartmental Collaboration
• Written and Verbal Communication
• Organizational Skills
• Microsoft Office
• Public-Sector Management

Job areas

• Government & Public Sector
• Management & Leadership
• Marketing
• Data & Analytics