Manager, Economic Development Initiatives
Lower Columbia Community Development Team Society (LCCDTS)
Location: Trail, British Columbia — hybrid
Employment: Full-time, permanent
Reports to: Executive Director
Salary: 82,000-96,000 per year, commensurate with experience
Benefits: Extended health benefits, four weeks of paid vacation, 5% employer RRSP match, and eligibility for a discretionary performance bonus
Anticipated start date: As soon as possible, negotiable
Application deadline: November 30, 2026, or until the position is filled

The Opportunity
The Lower Columbia Community Development Team Society is seeking a capable, self-directed professional to lead economic development, industry engagement and strategic initiative delivery in the Lower Columbia region.

As Manager, Economic Development Initiatives, you will be LCCDTS’s primary staff lead for economic development and its award-winning Metal Tech Alley initiative. You will lead the implementation of a major multi-year economic development initiative and coordinate industry roundtables involving businesses, governments, post-secondary institutions, Indigenous partners and community organizations.

This is a hands-on manager position that combines external relationship building with disciplined project execution. On any given day, you might facilitate a meeting of industry leaders, help a company navigate an expansion opportunity, prepare a briefing for senior officials, review a contractor’s deliverable, develop an investment prospectus, write a press release or social media post, or reconcile expenditures against an approved project budget.

This role is particularly well suited to someone who works effectively in ambiguity. Many assignments will begin with an objective, an opportunity or a problem—not a complete set of instructions. You will be expected to determine what information is needed, bring the right people together, recommend a practical course of action and carry the work through to completion.

You will have access to the Executive Director and an established regional network, but you will not require continuous direction to accomplish your goals. Sound judgement will be essential, including knowing when to proceed independently, when to consult and when to escalate a risk or decision.

About LCCDTS and Metal Tech Alley
The Lower Columbia Community Development Team Society is a not-for-profit organization that supports economic development throughout the Lower Columbia region. We bring businesses, governments and community leaders together to advance initiatives that strengthen the regional economy and improve long-term community resilience.

Our Metal Tech Alley initiative promotes the region’s strengths in metallurgy, critical metals, advanced manufacturing, recycling, clean technology and the circular economy. Through Metal Tech Alley, we support existing businesses, attract investment, build partnerships and position the region as a centre for critical-metals recovery, innovation and commercialization.

A significant initial focus of this permanent position will be delivering a multi-year, provincially funded economic development initiative through 2028 while continuing LCCDTS’s broader economic development work.

What you will lead
1. Economic development initiative delivery and administration
You will take ownership of the day-to-day implementation of a major multi-year economic development initiative.

Responsibilities will include:

• Translate approved scope and funding agreements into a detailed workplan, schedule, budget, risk register and performance-measurement framework.
• Maintain the master timeline and monitor milestones, dependencies, expenditures and deliverables.
• Track commitments, invoices, contracts, eligible expenditures and funding contributions.
• Maintain complete, accurate and audit-ready financial, contractual and administrative records.
• Prepare and submit required progress, expenditure and final reports to funders.
• Establish systems to collect and report information on businesses assisted, investment activity, employment, partnerships, participation and other outcomes.
• Identify potential changes to scope, schedule or budget early and prepare recommendations or amendment requests where required.
• Maintain regular communication with program representatives and other funding partners.
• Ensure that public communications, materials and events comply with funding acknowledgement requirements.
• Anticipate implementation risks, investigate emerging issues and develop practical recovery plans before problems become urgent.

2. Contractor, consultant and project-partner oversight

The position is not expected to supervise a large permanent staff team, but it will direct and coordinate contractors, consultants, researchers, interns and other contributors.

You will:

• Develop scopes of work, requests for proposals and contractor-selection criteria.
• Support fair, transparent and competitive procurement processes.
• Review proposals and make recommendations on contractor selection.
• Establish clear deliverables, schedules, budgets and performance expectations.
• Monitor contractor performance and provide timely direction and feedback.
• Review work products for quality, completeness and alignment with organizational objectives.
• Coordinate the contributions of consultants, post-secondary researchers, interns and project partners.
• Confirm that contracts, insurance, invoicing and documentation meet organizational and funding requirements.
• Address performance, schedule or quality concerns promptly and professionally.

3. Economic development and business support
You will be a primary point of contact for businesses, entrepreneurs and prospective investors interested in the Lower Columbia region.

Responsibilities will include:

• Deliver business retention and expansion support to local companies.
• Build relationships with employers and identify barriers to growth, investment, commercialization and workforce development.
• Provide responsive concierge support to companies and investors navigating sites, infrastructure, permitting, regulation, government programs and regional partnerships.
• Help businesses strengthen investment cases, funding applications, presentations and investor materials.
• Develop and deliver investment-readiness support for local small and medium-sized businesses.
• Connect companies with government programs, research institutions, technical expertise, training providers, financing sources and potential partners.
• Respond to investment and site-selection inquiries and coordinate relevant regional information.
• Maintain an organized pipeline of business inquiries, expansion projects, investment prospects and emerging opportunities.
• Identify potential economic development initiatives and move promising concepts from initial discussion to a defined plan.
• Develop new partnerships, proposals and funding applications that support regional economic growth.
• Track activities and outcomes so the value of LCCDTS’s economic development work can be clearly demonstrated.

4. Metal Tech Alley and industry roundtables
You will coordinate the Metal Tech Alley Industry Roundtable and other industry-focused working groups.

You will:

• Convene and facilitate regular meetings involving industry, government, post-secondary, Indigenous and community partners.
• Prepare agendas, background materials, presentations, meeting records and action plans.
• Establish clear objectives, responsibilities, timelines and follow-up processes.
• Transform discussions into defined projects, partnerships and investment opportunities.
• Track commitments and ensure that agreed actions continue to move forward between meetings.
• Build trusted relationships with major employers, small and medium-sized businesses, researchers, investors and public-sector partners.
• Identify shared opportunities related to critical-metal recovery, value-added processing, recycling, advanced manufacturing, commercialization and supply-chain development.
• Coordinate partners around research, infrastructure, workforce and investment opportunities.
• Plan and deliver the Kootenay Critical Metal Summit and other targeted industry, investment or partner events.
• Ensure that roundtables operate as action-oriented working groups rather than discussion forums.

5. Government relations and stakeholder engagement
You will strengthen LCCDTS’s relationships with municipal, regional, provincial, federal and Indigenous governments and organizations.

Responsibilities will include:

• Develop productive working relationships with elected officials, government staff, economic development agencies and funding organizations.
• Prepare briefing notes, correspondence, presentations, proposals and meeting materials.
• Coordinate government meetings, site visits, announcements and stakeholder consultations.
• Monitor government programs, policy developments and funding opportunities relevant to regional economic development and critical minerals.
• Identify opportunities to align local initiatives with government priorities.
• Represent LCCDTS and Metal Tech Alley professionally at meetings, conferences and public events.
• Communicate emerging opportunities, issues and stakeholder concerns to the Executive Director.
• Support meaningful engagement with Indigenous governments and organizations and identify opportunities for Indigenous participation in regional economic development and the critical-metals supply chain.
• Navigate differing organizational interests and help partners establish practical areas of common ground.

6. Marketing and communications
You will lead the ongoing promotion of Metal Tech Alley and the Lower Columbia region’s economic opportunities.

You will:

• Develop and implement an integrated marketing and communications workplan.
• Oversee the production of investment profiles, prospectuses, presentations, videos, web content, business stories and promotional materials.
• Translate technical, industrial and policy information into clear and persuasive language for businesses, governments, investors and the public.
• Develop content for websites, newsletters, social media, media releases and partner communications.
• Manage communications, design, video and other creative contractors.
• Maintain consistent messaging and visual presentation across Metal Tech Alley materials.
• Promote the region’s capabilities in critical metals, metallurgy, recycling, clean technology and the circular economy.
• Support media relations, announcements and public events.
• Ensure that factual and technical claims are reviewed appropriately before publication.
• Evaluate communications activities and adjust tactics based on results.

What success will look like
The successful candidate will:

• Keep major funded initiatives on schedule, within budget and in compliance with applicable agreements.
• Maintain reliable records and provide clear, accurate and timely reporting.
• Develop industry roundtables into focused groups with defined priorities, assigned responsibilities and measurable progress.
• Provide businesses and investors with knowledgeable, practical and timely assistance.
• Build and maintain a credible pipeline of business-expansion, investment and commercialization opportunities.
• Deliver professional marketing and investment materials that communicate the region’s value proposition clearly.
• Strengthen LCCDTS’s relationships with industry, government, post-secondary institutions, Indigenous partners and the broader community.
• Identify risks and obstacles early and bring forward practical solutions.
• Follow through consistently on commitments and close open action items.
• Establish a reputation as a reliable, informed and action-oriented regional economic development professional.

The person we are looking for
You are a practical builder who is comfortable taking ownership of work that begins with a desired outcome rather than a detailed playbook.

You know how to bring structure to ambiguity. You can identify missing information, ask useful questions, distinguish essential work from distractions and develop a realistic route forward. You are comfortable making decisions within your authority and understand when consultation or approval is required.

You are also:

• An excellent listener, facilitator and relationship manager.
• Comfortable engaging with business owners, senior executives, technical specialists, researchers, government officials and community leaders.
• Able to understand competing perspectives and move groups toward a common objective.
• Highly organized without becoming unnecessarily bureaucratic.
• Attentive to detail, particularly when managing public funds, contracts and reporting obligations.
• Persistent about follow-through and comfortable holding others accountable for agreed deliverables.
• Curious and able to learn unfamiliar technical, industrial or policy subjects quickly.
• Diplomatic, credible and confident representing an organization externally.
  Comfortable moving between long-term strategy and detailed administrative work.
• Able to manage several concurrent priorities and adjust when circumstances change.
• Motivated by measurable community and economic outcomes.

Qualifications and experience
We are interested in candidates with a strong combination of the following:

• Five or more years of progressively responsible experience in economic development, business development, government relations, industry engagement, project management, marketing and communications, or a related field.
• Demonstrated experience managing complex initiatives involving multiple organizations, budgets, deadlines and competing priorities.
• Experience preparing and maintaining workplans, budgets, contracts, risk registers and performance measures.
• Experience administering grants, contribution agreements or publicly funded programs.
• Experience overseeing consultants, contractors or other external service providers.
• Strong stakeholder-engagement, meeting-facilitation and consensus-building skills.
• Excellent professional writing, presentation and public-speaking abilities.
• Experience supporting businesses, entrepreneurs, investors or major development initiatives.
• The ability to prepare clear briefings, funding proposals, business cases and public communications.
• Strong financial literacy and experience tracking project expenditures.
• An understanding of government decision-making, programs and funding processes.
• Post-secondary education in economic development, business, public administration, communications, project management, science, engineering or a related discipline, or an equivalent combination of education and practical experience.
• Proficiency with standard office, project-management and online collaboration tools.
• Direct expertise in metallurgy or critical minerals is not required. The successful candidate must, however, be able to learn technical information, ask informed questions and communicate complex subjects accurately.

Assets
The following would be considered assets:

• Experience in rural or regional economic development.
• Knowledge of the Lower Columbia or broader Kootenay region.
• Experience with investment attraction, site selection or business retention and expansion.
• Experience working with local, provincial or federal governments.
• Experience engaging with Indigenous governments, organizations or businesses.
• Knowledge of critical minerals, metallurgy, advanced manufacturing, recycling, clean technology or the circular economy.
• Experience working with post-secondary researchers or supporting technology commercialization.
• Experience planning industry conferences, investment forums or senior-level stakeholder events.
• An established network within business, government, industry or economic development.
• Candidates are encouraged to apply even when their experience does not match every listed asset.

Compensation and working arrangement
The salary range for this position is $82,000 – $96,000 per year, commensurate with experience.

LCCDTS offers:

• Extended health benefits.
• Four weeks of paid vacation.
• A 5% employer RRSP match.
• Eligibility for a discretionary performance bonus.
• A flexible hybrid working arrangement.
• Professional development opportunities.
• The opportunity to lead work with visible and lasting regional impact.

This is a Trail-based position, with a flexible teleworking arrangement. The successful candidate will have flexibility to work remotely for part of the week, provided that organizational, stakeholder and initiative needs are met.

Regular in-person participation will be required for industry meetings, business and government engagement, community events and collaboration with the LCCDTS team. Some travel and occasional evening meetings may be required. A valid drivers licence and passport is required.

Why join LCCDTS?
This position offers the opportunity to:

• Shape the direction of a high-profile regional economic development initiative.
• Work directly with influential industry, government, research and community partners.
• Help existing businesses grow and bring new investment to the region.
• Contribute to the development of a strategically important Canadian critical-metals cluster.
• Work in an environment that values initiative, judgement and practical problem-solving.
• Take meaningful ownership of initiatives rather than simply administering established processes.
• See the results of your work in the businesses, partnerships and communities you support.

How to apply
Please submit the following to info@lccdts.com:

• A résumé outlining your relevant experience.
• A cover letter explaining your interest in the position and how your experience relates to the role.
• As part of your cover letter, briefly describe a situation in which you were given an important but loosely defined objective. Explain how you determined what needed to be done, developed a plan, involved others and moved the work through to a result.
• Please use the subject line “Manager, Economic Development Initiatives.”

Applications will be reviewed as they are received. The initial application deadline is November 30, 2026, and the position will remain open until filled.

LCCDTS welcomes applicants with diverse professional and personal backgrounds. Accommodation is available during the recruitment process upon request.