Tourism Development Advisor - Planning and Development Officer 1-2

Government of Nova Scotia; Windsor; On-site; CAD 52,000 - 89,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Career development resources

Engaging workplace culture

Multiple career paths

Dynamic office environment

Job summary

The Government of Nova Scotia in Windsor is seeking a Tourism Development Advisor to lead market-ready tourism experiences that match visitor demand and strategic priorities. In this role, you will coach operators, design capacity-building tools, evaluate investments, and build partnerships across industry and government to drive high-impact development.

The position emphasizes collaboration, project management, and strong communication to support communities and businesses across Nova Scotia.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Tourism, Public Relations, Community Development, Economic Development, Planning, or related field plus one year of tourism development experience.
• Strong facilitation, communication, relationship-building, and stakeholder engagement skills with ability to work across communities, sectors, and partners.
• Demonstrated project management skills and strategic orientation with ability to lead initiatives, manage multiple priorities, and deliver results.
• Strong interpersonal, organizational, and time management skills with sound judgement and discretion.
• Experience managing meetings, handling sensitive situations, and representing an organization professionally.
• Experience managing projects or programs with coordinating multiple priorities and timelines.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including briefing materials and presentations.
• Analytical and problem-solving skills to evaluate proposals and make sound recommendations.
• Ability to exercise sound judgement, discretion, and professionalism in government or client-service environment.
• Experience using Microsoft Office 365 applications and digital tools.

Responsibilities

• Lead tourism product and experience development initiatives to improve quality, sustainability, and market-readiness of Nova Scotia’s offerings.
• Support communities, industry, and government in preparing and implementing strategic tourism plans.
• Provide coaching and advisory services to tourism businesses and communities for planning, development, and market alignment.
• Design, deliver, and implement development programs across their full lifecycle, including intake, evaluation, stakeholder coordination, contract management, monitoring, and reporting.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with tourism stakeholders and partner organizations to advance development priorities.
• Evaluate proposals and investment opportunities, providing analysis and recommendations aligned with strategic objectives.
• Lead or support tourism development and research initiatives to inform decision-making.
• Contribute to departmental communications, including briefing notes, stakeholder correspondence, and presentations.

Skills

Facilitation

Stakeholder engagement

Project management

Communication skills

Organizational skills

Analytical thinking

Office 365

Public sector experience

Education

Bachelor's degree in Business or Tourism

Tools

Microsoft Office 365

Job description

Competition # : 49022

Department: Communities, Culture, Tourism & Heritage

Location: WINDSOR

Type of Employment: Permanent

Union Status: NSGEU - NSPG

Closing Date: 25-Oct-26 (Applications are accepted until 11:59 PM Atlantic Time)

About Us

The Department of Communities, Culture, Tourism and Heritage supports communities across the province to be welcoming, inclusive, and accessible, providing a great quality of life for Nova Scotians and a memorable experience for visitors. We value the collective diversity of our heritage and our people and believe in the transformative nature of culture to help create healthy, active, growing communities.

Tourism Nova Scotia, a division of CCTH, is focused on attracting visitors to the province and maximizing the value of tourism to Nova Scotia’s economy through experience and sector development, business coaching, marketing, and visitor servicing. This work is guided by the Tourism Sector Strategy for Nova Scotia, a shared strategy with industry and partners that aligns efforts around a vision for sustainable, year-round tourism growth.

About Our Opportunity

As a Tourism Development Advisor, you will play a key role in advancing Nova Scotia’s tourism sector by leading the development of market-ready tourism experiences that align with visitor demand, travel trends, and strategic priorities.

Working as part of the Experience Development team, you will implement product and experience development initiatives that enhance the quality, competitiveness, and distinctiveness of Nova Scotia’s tourism offerings. Using a strong understanding of consumer motivations and market insights, you will support businesses and communities in developing compelling tourism products, experiences, and destinations that increase traveller appeal and strengthen the province’s tourism offering.

In this role, you will provide advisory services and coaching to tourism operators, non-profits, and communities; design and deliver tourism capacity-building tools, resources, and development programs; evaluate tourism investment opportunities; and support research and planning initiatives that inform product and experience development. You will also build strong partnerships across industry and government to advance coordinated, high-impact development efforts.

This position operates in a dynamic, relationship-driven environment and requires strong facilitation, collaboration, communication, and strategic thinking skills, along with the ability to manage multiple priorities.

This position reports to the Manager, Experience Development.

Primary Accountabilities

• Lead and implement tourism product and experience development initiatives that improve the quality, sustainability, and market-readiness of Nova Scotia’s tourism offerings
• Support communities, industry, and other levels of government in the preparation and implementation of strategic tourism plans
• Provide coaching and advisory services to tourism businesses, communities, and organizations to support planning, development, and market alignment
• Design, deliver, and implement development programs across their full lifecycle, including application intake, evaluation, stakeholder coordination, contract management, monitoring, and reporting
• Build and maintain strong relationships with tourism stakeholders, community partners, and federal, provincial, and municipal organizations to advance development priorities
• Evaluate tourism-related proposals and investment opportunities, providing analysis and recommendations aligned with strategic objectives
• Lead or support tourism development and research initiatives in collaboration with internal teams and external partners to inform decision-making
• Contribute to departmental communications, including briefing notes, stakeholder correspondence, presentations, and participation in industry events and committees

Qualifications and Experience

• A bachelor’s degree in Business, Tourism, Public Relations, Community Development, Economic Development, Planning, or a related field focused on stakeholder engagement, community development, or program delivery, plus one (1) year of related experience in tourism development.
• Strong facilitation, communication, relationship-building, and stakeholder engagement skills, with the ability to work collaboratively across communities, sectors, and partners
• Demonstrated project management skills and strategic orientation, with the ability to lead initiatives, manage multiple priorities, and deliver results
• Strong interpersonal, organizational, and time management skills, with sound judgement and discretion
• Experience managing meetings, handling complex or sensitive situations, and representing an organization in a professional capacity
• Experience managing projects or programs, including coordinating multiple priorities and timelines
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including experience preparing briefing materials and delivering presentations
• Demonstrated analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to evaluate proposals and make sound recommendations
• The ability to exercise sound judgement, discretion, and professionalism in a government or client-service environment
• Experience using Microsoft Office 365 applications and digital tools

While not required, it is considered an asset if you possess:

• Public sector experience, including knowledge of public sector policies, programs, and services
• Ability and willingness to travel (valid driver’s license considered an asset) Written and verbal communication skills in French

Candidates may be assessed using one or more of the following tools: written examination, standardized tests, oral presentations, interview(s), and reference checks.

Equivalency

An equivalent combination of training, education and experience will be considered. Applicants relying on education and experience equivalencies must demonstrate such equivalencies in their application.

An equivalency may be considered, such as five (5) years of related experience in the tourism industry.

Benefits

Based on the employment status and union agreement, the Government of Nova Scotia offers its employees a wide range of benefits such as a Defined Benefit Pension Plan, Health, Dental, Life Insurance, General illness, Short and Long Term Disability, Vacation and Employee and Family Assistance Programs.

Working Conditions

Normal work week is 35 hours/week, 7 hours/day.

May be required to work overtime on occasion.

What We Offer

• Career development where you have access to career guidance, tools, resources, and ongoing training for every stage of your career
• Engaging workplace: our employees feel valued, respected, connected, and tuned in, we have forward-thinking policies and strategies
• Countless career paths
• A Dynamic, client-focused office environment where service excellence and teamwork are our focus.

Pay Grade: PR 05 - PR 13

Salary Range: $2,025.08 - $3,410.48 Bi-Weekly

Employment Equity Statement: Our goal is to be a diverse workforce that is representative, at all job levels, of the citizens we serve. The Government of Nova Scotia has an Employment Equity Policy, and we welcome applications from Indigenous People, African Nova Scotians and Other Racially Visible Persons, Persons with Disabilities and Women in occupations or positions where they are under-represented. If you are a member of one of these equity groups, you are encouraged to self-identify on your electronic application.

Accommodation Statement: We are committed to providing an inclusive and accessible recruitment process. Candidates may request accommodations based on any grounds protected by the Human Rights Act. If you require an accommodation throughout the recruitment process, please contact us at [e-mail].

This Is a Bargaining Unit Position Initially Restricted To Current Civil Service Employees Represented By The Nova Scotia Government Employees Union (NSGEU). If Applying From Outside a Government Office, Employees Must Apply Correctly Via This Link Failure to apply correctly means that your application will not be given first consideration as a bargaining unit applicant, and will only be included if external applications are pursued. External applicants and current casual employees will only be considered if there are no qualified civil service bargaining unit candidates. PLEASE NOTE: Candidates will not be considered for an interview if applications are incomplete or are missing information. If you are receiving a pension from the Nova Scotia Public Service Superannuation Plan (PSSP) or any related plans, you cannot receive pension payments while contributing to the same plan. If you accept a position that requires PSSP contributions, your pension payments must be stopped. Please contact the Nova Scotia Pension Services Corporation for more information. Offer of employment is conditional upon the completion of all applicable background checks and confirmation of credentials, the results of which must be satisfactory to the employer. We thank all applicants for the interest, however, only those selected for an interview will be contacted. All questions and concerns may be directed to [e-mail].