Managing Director, North America

Managing Director, North America

The Opportunity

As a member of the Invest Alberta Corporation (IAC) leadership team, reporting to the Chief Operating Officer, you’ll collaborate with team members within the United States, Canada and regions beyond to foster business success for the province. You will ensure that IAC’s regional presence operates soundly, and effectively coordinates and facilitates across all service delivery models on its human, physical and financial resources. This role will develop strong business networks in the Canadian and United States markets while managing a team that builds awareness, the sales funnel, and provides exceptional client management. You will serve as a representative in advancing and upholding the reputation of the Corporation with key decision makers and policy influencers, acting in accordance with IAC’s values and vision.

The ideal candidate must currently reside in Canada or the USA and have experience in foreign direct investment and the Canadian and United States business and investment landscape, as well as a working knowledge of the Alberta value proposition. You will manage a team of investment attraction advisors to attract businesses and investment to Alberta by developing highly creative outreach strategies that align with the mandate and business plan of IAC.

Primary duties include:

• Advancing IAC’s investment objectives and leading the regional-based investment team towards successful completion of key objectives.
• Coordinate regional staff in obtaining, preparation and communication of relevant information on evolving political, economic, technological, and socio-cultural landscape of the host region and provide comments on events which may be significant in their economic impact.
• Encourage the participation of Canadian and regional representatives in major events likely to increase general cooperation and partnerships and foster commercial developments and exchanges between the region and Alberta businesses and agencies.
• Providing leadership, strategic direction, and coordination in the regional market to IAC’s efforts to increase awareness of Alberta as an important investment destination and promote opportunities in priority sectors within the region.  
• Working closely with all IAC team members, partners, and stakeholders to create and execute a cohesive investment attraction strategy.
• Proactively leading a team of experts promoting investment to Alberta by identifying and building relationships with business entities and investors within the region.
• Display business acumen by using limited information to make strategic decisions that align with organizational goals and stakeholder expectations.
• Manage issues with a solutions-oriented mindset.
• Creation and management of departmental budgets.
• Ensuring effective use of IAC’s CRM system to share our activities and tell our story.
• Drive positive outcomes and lead the team through the sales process by:
• ensuring the team has the skills needed to secure new leads and close files
• setting and monitoring sales performance and addressing issues when necessary
• fine-tuning the sales process end to end
• completing sales reports and other administrative work
• addressing customer service issues that need to be escalated
• helping the team negotiate and close deals

Team coordination duties include:

• Function as a resource to the entire Invest Alberta team. 
• Lead, guide, direct, and evaluate the work of the regional investment attraction team. 
• Provide ongoing coaching, mentorship, and training to direct reports.
• Working collaboratively with all internal staff, and with local representatives in the market.  
• Providing the tools needed for staff to successfully perform in their roles.  
• Providing support to team members in reaching team and individual objectives.
• Actively building and maintaining an inviting company culture.
• Maintaining a strategic view of organizational mandates while ensuring team accountabilities are met.
• Supporting initiatives and objectives of IAC by working closely and collaboratively with Invest Alberta on:  
• gathering and disseminating information and regional market intelligence on agreed upon priority sectors.  
• building knowledge of trends and opportunities in the local economy, and 
• establishing local contacts and providing introductions to appropriate stakeholders.  
• Developing and maintaining collaborative and consultative relationships and networks with senior representatives of Invest Alberta, the private sector, and stakeholder organizations with interests in Invest Alberta’s mandate. 
• Providing support to the team; working to prevent and solve problems which may arise from working relationships among individuals and/or teams.
• Coordinate regional staff and associated resources to host incoming delegations of companies, business associations, municipalities, or other economic agencies from and to Alberta.
• Provide appropriate levels of in-market follow-up to support the efforts of Alberta companies and other economic agencies to develop ongoing business relations or partnerships in the host region.
• Staying current by continuously updating job and industry knowledge – exhibiting a keen desire to self-develop and improve.
• Acting as a brand ambassador and ensuring brand reputation is upheld internally and externally.
• Other duties as required.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in related fields of study.  
• Ideally, a minimum of 15 years in client relationship management, professional services, business development, team leadership. 
• Strong leadership capabilities.
• Excellent relationship management skills while keeping organizational objectives top of mind.
• Superior written and verbal communication skills. 
• Demonstrated creativity, problem solving and critical thinking abilities. 
• Strong negotiation skills.  
• Ability to work with technological applications relating to daily tasks. 
• Ability to perform multiple tasks simultaneously. 
• Comfortable managing uncertainty and defining problems in a sometimes ambiguous environment.
• Willingness to work at odd times to support the international nature of the work.

About the Organization

IAC works directly with investors to attract high-value and high-impact investments to the province. We bring industry, government partners, and economic organizations together to offer seamless services that make it easy for investment to flow into the province. With a strong entrepreneurial culture, we are taking new and innovative approaches to investment attraction.

Our clients come from a wide variety of backgrounds, and so do we. IAC is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace. In recruiting for our team, we welcome the unique contributions that you can bring in terms of your education, culture, gender, race, sexual orientation, religious or ethnic backgrounds or physical abilities.

How to Apply

Interested in being a part of a dynamic organization that was designed to have a positive impact on Alberta’s future? If you are looking for an exciting and unique opportunity, to make a difference, and make connections while earning a competitive salary with comprehensive benefits, apply by including a cover letter, resume, and salary expectations to hr@investalberta.ca.

Closing Date: Open until a suitable candidate has been found.

Thank you for your interest in IAC.

Only those candidates selected for interviews will be contacted. No phone calls please.

• To learn more about IAC & this position please visit: investalberta.ca