Announcement

Summer Job with Bronte BIA

With the support of a federal Canada Summer Job grant, the Bronte BIA is hiring an Economic Development Coordinator for the summer to work on research, promotion and data collection projects. A local post-secondary student with a background in commerce, economic development, business analysis or small business is ideal.

Economic Development Coordinator

Background

The Bronte Village district, located on the shores of Lake Ontario in Oakville, is home to 30,000 residents and 200+ small businesses. The district is at the beginning of a major transformation that will evolve the residential, commercial and tourism aspects of the neighbourhood over the next 20 years. With a new residential development opening June 2021 welcoming 1,000 new residents and more re-development imminent, Bronte is changing to meet the demands and challenges of the next generation.

To prepare for, champion and manage this change, the Bronte Business Improvement Area (BIA) is leading a visioning exercise in Winter/Spring 2021 to create a collective dream of what the area will look, feel, smell and taste like in 2040. The BIA has partnered with non-profit 8 80 Cities to create and manage an inclusive public engagement process to develop the vision. The vision will create a common inspirational and aspirational goal that will ideally unite and support the neighbourhood and its partners and set direction for the future.

In the short-term, it will inform a new three-year strategic plan for the district that will be developed in Summer 2021. Two anticipated focusses of that plan will be the creation of a 15-minute neighbourhood economic development, including a retail recruitment and retention plan. And, Another focus

Under new BIA leadership, the visioning exercise will also serve as an engagement opportunity for the local business community to both re-connect with the BIA and their business neighbours.

A Business Improvement Area (BIA) is an association of business people within a specified district who join together, with official approval of the Municipality, in a self-help program aimed at stimulating local business. As a local Board reporting to the Municipality of the Town of Oakville, the Bronte BIA operates in line with its annual business plan and budget approved by its elected Board of Directors. Its mandate is to promote economic prosperity within its commercial core boundaries through marketing, beautification, advocacy, economic development and tourism promotion.

Responsibilities

  • Translate vision outcomes into tangible strategies to retain and recruit businesses in the district
  • Research best practices for retail mixes in successful 15-minute neighbourhoods
  • Inventory current businesses and sector gaps
  • Develop a retail mix strategy, including retail marketing and data collection programs
  • Research and write business/business owner profiles for social media platforms
  • Contribute to re-opening strategies or campaigns as required

Tasks

  • Create work plans to establish target audiences, measurable objectives, tactics and measurement of each major responsibility/project.
  • Review all aspects/outcomes of the Bronte Forward! engagement and visioning process
  • Conduct best practice research into the ideal retail mix for similar commercial districts that meet the criteria for 15-minute neighbourhoods
  • Inventory current businesses in the Bronte BIA, Kerr Village BIA and Downtown Oakville BIA by sector and highlight sector gaps
  • Develop a retail attraction strategy, including at least ten specific retailers to target, marketing approaches and contacts
  • Conduct data collection and develop an education campaign for parking
  • Contribute to a marketing campaign profiling local business owners/businesses by researching and writing stories for social media platforms and other mediums
  • Contribute as required to post-COVID re-opening strategies, campaigns and/or events

Language required

English

Additional languages an asset

Hours

35 hours/week; some evening and weekend work will be required

Qualifications

  • Excellent organization and time management skills required to manage multiple projects at once
  • Outstanding written and oral communication skills to liaise with partner organizations, business owners/operators, members of the public and board members
  • Excellent presentation/public speaking skills to deliver and collect information to/from various stakeholders one-on-one
  • Demonstrated understanding and experience with project management, in particular, setting and measuring project outcomes
  • Proficient with data collection, best practice research and analysis of information
  • Marketing and technical skills required to source, create, distribute and measure digital marketing campaigns to promote local events and businesses
  • Demonstrated ability to effectively prioritize and meet deadlines
  • Experience with event organization, including site plans, timelines and staging
  • Ability to walk and/or access businesses in person as per health & safety protocols
  • Proficient use of Microsoft office, social media platforms, Canva or other graphics programs

Assets:

  • Experience in customer service and/or sales or tourism
  • Confidence in talking to strangers, cold-calling businesses
  • Eager to learn and be mentored
  • Ability to work independently as part of a small team
  • Ability to work outside standing or walking for periods of time

COVID-19 Measures

As provincial health & safety measures allow, this position will work out of the Bronte BIA office. One or two other staff members will be working onsite and/or working alternate days. The office allows for physically separated office space more than 2m apart for both the student and other staff with the ability to move about within the office (kitchen, 2 washrooms) safely and apart wearing masks.

Staff/student will follow daily routines to clean their workspace and common areas prior to starting work and after being outside the office.

While the office is a street-level storefront, the front door to the office remains closed and will through the rest of the year. Any visitors or inquiries will be done through the closed glass door, via telephone or email.

A portion of work, in particular, the research, can be done by the student at home as computer access allows. Other portions of data collection require being outside in the district standing, counting and observing for periods of time.  

When out in the neighbourhood liaising with business owners, all Personal Protective Equipment precautions will be provided and followed, including teaching the student how to maintain physical distancing and the wearing of non-medical masks when physical distancing cannot be maintained. The student will not be expected to enter premises that do not follow current health & safety protocols and/or if they don’t feel safe to do so.

If feeling unwell, the student will be required to remain at home; other staff will follow the same protocol.

Note: as restrictions are eased and/or ramped back up, the BIA will follow the direction of Halton Region Public Health.

Parking

Parking costs are not covered, although access to free parking (pass) may be available some days. Bronte is accessible by the No. 3/3A and No. 14/14A Oakville Transit buses. 

Contact

Forward a cover letter and resume to Maureen Healey, Executive Director, Bronte BIA, at info@brontevillage.net. Deadline: June 24, 2021.