Sustainable Tourism Manager
Location: San Diego, CA
Hours: Full-time
Compensation: $80,000 - $115,000 (commensurate with experience)
The Waitt Institute is a team of international experts working around the globe to protect the world's oceans and support coastal communities in Blue Prosperity programs. This position will report to the Vice President of Blue Prosperity and work closely with internal teams, partner governments, the private sector, and NGOs to develop sustainable tourism strategies in the emerging economies of our partner countries. This position involves significant international travel (up to 30%).
The Waitt Institute is working with seven national and territorial governments to create sustainable ocean plans to help improve local livelihoods and economies while safeguarding marine life and ecosystems. As a global team, the Waitt Institute is committed to diversity, cultural competence, and inclusivity, and we recognize that these core values enable our success. We seek to employ talented advocates for the ocean and coastal communities, and we welcome all applicants.
Responsibilities
- Work with internal and external partners to develop tourism strategies tailored to each Blue Prosperity program location and its needs, in partnership with government and key stakeholders.
- Develop comprehensive business plans, including pro forma financial models for pilot programs, analyses of business models, market inhibitors, and enabling factors.
- Develop value capture strategies for communities and local economic ecosystems.
- Develop and maintain market valuation profiles for different tourism sectors.
- Ensure tourism work integrates with partner government programs’ marine protection plans and their marine spatial planning, sustainable fisheries, science, legal, and communications portfolios.
- Track the progress of planned activities within the internal management platform.
Professional Qualifications
- 8+ years of experience in the evaluation, development, and/or management of tourism sectors. Experience with community-based and/or linked programs will be a significant plus.
- Strong demonstrated economic and financial analysis skills and experience
- Experience in facilitation, gaining buy-in, and building consensus with governments and private sector institutions
- Reliable, responsive, and comfortable working across time zones
- Bachelor's degree (graduate degree preferred) or equivalent in finance, economics, management, or related field
Personal Attributes
- Ability to inspire trust and facilitate with strong interpersonal skills
- Ability to engage effectively with a range of stakeholders, including private sector business operators, banking and financial institutions, Government, NGOs, and members of small communities
- A superb professional and pragmatic personal presence, with natural leadership and creative problem-solving skills.
- Strong public presentation skills
- Demonstrated program management skills and experience with program management tools like Asana, preferably
Company Benefits
Unlimited Paid Time Off | Excellent Medical, Dental, Vision options | Health Savings Account | 401(k) match up to 6%
Skills Required
- 8+ years of experience in the evaluation, development, and/or management of tourism sectors
- Strong demonstrated economic and financial analysis skills
- Bachelor's degree in finance, economics, management, or related field
- Experience with community-based programs is a plus
- Experience with program management tools like Asana
What We Do
The Waitt Foundation is a grantmaking organization that provides funding and resources for ocean research, policy, marine protection, and Blue Prosperity initiatives globally, aiming to protect oceans from overfishing and facilitate marine protected areas.
