Building Outdoor Communities Project Development Specialist

Purpose:
To drive the success of the region’s outdoor recreation sector and support our communities in growing and attracting outdoor businesses by supporting the strong need and demand for outdoor recreation community assessment, analysis, and planning.
The Core Focus of this position will be:
1) Build capacity and understanding in communities across WNC so that they can develop the infrastructure and programs needed to capitalize on their extraordinary outdoor assets and grow their local economies.
2) Partner with state and regional planners to utilize a nation-leading outdoor community assessment framework in creating assessments of WNC communities across our 25-county region that can assist them in outdoor business development, business recruitment, supply chain connectivity, and being better positioned to capture tourism dollars from visitors utilizing their outdoor recreation opportunities.
3) Assist communities in putting their analysis into action, through a competitive small grants fund dedicated to assisting communities in getting their projects investment-ready and securing funding to carry them out.

Position Responsibilities/Essential Functions:
● Work with the Growing Outdoors Director in establishing & implementing an outdoor assessment & investment framework that will be used to guide all 25 counties in WNC (plus the Qualla Boundary, home of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians) through an asset-based outdoor infrastructure opportunity and gap identification process.
● Collaborate with the Growing Outdoors Director and regional + state partners in analyzing communities’ outdoor recreation assets and opportunities, and making recommendations for future development prioritization.
● Participate in the development of programmatic content for the Outdoor Economy Conference and Building Outdoor Communities Workshops to ensure they support the growth and development of WNC community outdoor recreation projects, and capacity building in our recreation communities.
● Support our university research partners in the development and implementation of a regional outdoor infrastructure utilization and economic impact assessment tool.
● Work alongside the Growing Outdoors leadership team in the development and implementation of the organization’s overall strategy, implementation, and communications.
● Track key community development metrics, identify opportunities for continual improvement and report regularly to the Growing Outdoors team.
● Provide the Growing Outdoors Communications & Brand Manager with content from across WNC for the development and production of Growing Outdoors marketing materials and support communications with key community stakeholders.
● Take an active role in occasional Growing Outdoors and WNC MADE X MTNS brand events.
● Represent the Growing Outdoors Partnership and Mountain BizWorks in a professional and effective manner at events when needed.

Minimum Required Education, Skills, and Attributes:
● At least two years of demonstrated experience implementing similar community development and outdoor recreation planning activities; a bachelor’s degree in recreation or urban planning, parks and recreation management, or equivalent; or a combination of equivalent experience and education.
● Must live in Western North Carolina, or be willing to relocate here shortly after accepting the position.
● Highly organized and able to manage and keep up to date databases, spreadsheets, and planning documents for multiple projects.
● Project management experience, coupled with organizational, time management, and multi-tasking skills, successfully handling multiple priorities simultaneously while meeting deadlines both independently and in coordination with colleagues and community partners.
● Communicates in a professional and friendly manner with co-workers, clients, partners, and the public.
● Self-driven initiative and performance of the highest quality, with keen attention to detail.
● Successful experience writing, editing, and other content creation for planning documents.
● Excellent public speaking, meeting facilitation, and community organizing skills.
● Quality written and oral communication skills; the ability to effectively communicate in
one-on-one and in group settings; and experience communicating to diverse
communities and stakeholders.
● High level of computer proficiency including Microsoft Office, Google suite, and Adobe
Suite.
● Proficiency in GIS with demonstrated spatial analysis experience preferred.
● Ability to work with clients and partners from various backgrounds.
● Availability to participate in occasional evening and weekend events across WNC.
● Commitment to the Growing Outdoors and Mountain BizWorks Vision, Mission, andValues and passion for the work we do.

Other (Supervisory Responsibilities, Schedule, Travel):● This position has no supervisory responsibilities.
● Normal business hours are 9am – 5pm with opportunities for flexibility; however, this
position may require weekend and/or evening work to accommodate the services offered
by Mountain BizWorks & the Growing Outdoors Partnership.
● This position may require up to 50% travel within Western North Carolina. Occasional
overnight travel may be required to attend meetings, seminars, and events.