Community Tourism Development Lead

University of Minnesota; Saint Paul (MN); On-site; USD 75,000 - 83,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive wages and benefits

Paid holidays and generous time off

Professional development opportunities

Retirement plans and PSLF pathway

Job summary

University of Minnesota Extension seeks a Community Tourism Development Specialist to lead CTD programs and coach Minnesota communities. The role partners across the Tourism Center, Extension, and the university system to advance community tourism development.

You will design and deliver research-based CTD programs, build an AoE, and expand applied scholarship while fostering collaboration with stakeholders and external partners.

Qualifications

• Master’s degree in tourism, community development, or a related field is required at time of application.
• Two years of professional experience in designing, developing, and delivering CTD programming and coaching.
• Ability to apply research to program design, delivery, and evaluation.
• Proven ability to develop and maintain effective relationships with stakeholders, communities, colleagues, partners, and participants.
• Experience in applying for external resources to support programs and applied research, including grants and third-party reimbursement.
• Ability to design, implement and report on community-based applied research to help communities inform decisions.
• Demonstrated ability to use technology for communication, information gathering, research, program delivery and reporting.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills in English.
• Experience with Google and Microsoft Office applications.

Responsibilities

• Contribute to implementing the Tourism Center 2026-2030 strategic plan by leading the CTD work portfolio.
• Revamp programs to offer greater flexibility and coaching opportunities for communities.
• Create and deliver research-based educational programs to support CTD in Minnesota.
• Initiate, lead, and contribute to CTD programs that meet community needs.
• Develop and lead the Area of Excellence (AoE) in CTD with department colleagues and Tourism Center support.
• Collaborate on evaluation and reporting of program outcomes.

Skills

Program design & delivery

Stakeholder relationships

Applied research

Communication skills

Technology for planning

Grant/funding outreach

Team collaboration

Community coaching

Public speaking

Education

Master's degree in tourism / community development or related field

Job description

University of Minnesota Extension seeks a Community Tourism Development Specialist to lead CTD programs and coach Minnesota communities. The role partners across the Tourism Center, Extension, and the university system to advance community tourism development.

You will design and deliver research-based CTD programs, build an AoE, and expand applied scholarship while fostering collaboration with stakeholders and external partners.