Business Development Manager (Contractor)

Business Development Manager — National (East)

Full-Time | Independent Contractor | Greater Toronto/Ottawa, Ontario

Why Discover Saskatoon

Discover Saskatoon is a non-profit Destination Management and Marketing Organization in Saskatoon. We work to grow Saskatoon’s visitor economy by attracting meetings, conventions, sport events, cultural experiences, and leisure visitation that generate economic impact and social wealth for our city and our industry partners.

We are a collaborative and ambitious organization that believes in the power of destination development, sales, relationships, and community. We are positioning Saskatoon nationally and internationally as a vibrant, growing, and competitive destination for business events and major experiences.

Position Summary

The Manager, Business Development — National East serves as Discover Saskatoon’s lead representative in Eastern Canada, focused on generating and converting national business event opportunities for Saskatoon.

Based in Toronto or Ottawa, this role exists to ensure Saskatoon remains visible, relevant, and competitive in a highly relationship-driven market where most national associations, organizations, and decision-makers are headquartered.

You are expected to actively build and manage a pipeline of national meetings, conventions, sport events, and major event opportunities through strategic prospecting, industry engagement, relationship management, and full bid cycle leadership.

You will spend significant time

• attending industry events,
• hosting and meeting with clients,
• building trusted relationships,
• identifying opportunities,
• leading bids,
• hosting site visits,
• and positioning Saskatoon as a destination capable of delivering meaningful event experiences and strong business outcomes.

You will serve as Saskatoon’s voice in the Eastern Canadian market and play a direct role in driving room nights, economic impact, and destination growth.

This role requires a highly entrepreneurial and self-directed individual who thrives in relationship-based sales environments, understands complex stakeholder management, and is motivated by winning business and creating long-term impact.

Key Responsibilities

Business Development & Sales Leadership

● Generate, qualify, and advance national business event, convention, and sport tourism leads aligned with Discover Saskatoon’s strategic priorities.

● Lead full bid cycles from prospecting through to submission, presentation, negotiation, and conversion.

● Build and maintain a healthy pipeline of future opportunities that support long-term room night growth and economic impact.

● Develop compelling proposals, presentations, and bid strategies that position Saskatoon competitively.

Relationship Management & Industry Presence

● Build and maintain trusted relationships with:

o National association executives

o Corporate meeting planners

o Third-party planners

o Rights holders

o Industry partners

o Government and sector organizations

● Maintain a strong and consistent presence within the national business events industry through active participation in networking events, conferences, tradeshows, and client engagement opportunities.

● Represent Discover Saskatoon at industry events including CSAE, MPI, PCMA, CMEE, Tête-à-Tête, Ottawa Meet Week, CanSPEP, and other strategic industry opportunities.

● Lead Discover Saskatoon’s participation in the Cities in Sync partnership alongside Victoria and St. John’s.

Destination Representation & Strategic Positioning

● Act as a passionate and informed ambassador for Saskatoon and its visitor economy.

● Ensure Saskatoon is consistently represented in national conversations and considered alongside larger competing destinations.

● Communicate Saskatoon’s value proposition with confidence, authenticity, and strategic insight.

● Support in-market activations, client hosting, FAM tours, and site visits designed to strengthen relationships and drive conversion.

Reporting, Accountability & Collaboration

● Maintain accurate reporting and pipeline management within Discover Saskatoon’s CRM platform (Simpleview).

● Provide regular reporting on:

o lead generation,

o bid activity,

o conversions,

o market intelligence,

o and competitive trends.

● Work collaboratively with Discover Saskatoon’s Business Development, Marketing & Communications, Sport & Major Events, and industry partners to align strategy and maximize conversion opportunities.

● Operate with a high level of professionalism, accountability, responsiveness, and autonomy.

Toolset

CRM & Pipeline Management Systems

• Experience using Simpleview or comparable CRM platforms to manage leads, contacts, opportunities, reporting, and conversion tracking.

Microsoft Office Suite

• Strong working knowledge of Outlook, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint for client communication, reporting, proposal development, presentations, and sales tracking.

Virtual Meeting & Presentation Platforms

• Ability to confidently host and participate in client meetings, presentations, and industry discussions using Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and related virtual platforms.

Sales Prospecting & Relationship Management Tools

• Experience leveraging LinkedIn Sales Navigator, industry directories, association databases, and market intelligence tools to identify and qualify new business opportunities.

Board & Document Platforms

• Comfort working within shared document environments and cloud-based collaboration systems, including SharePoint and board management platforms where applicable.

Reporting & Performance Tracking

• Ability to manage reporting dashboards, pipeline updates, expense tracking, and KPI reporting with accuracy and consistency.

Travel & Remote Work Management

• Ability to operate effectively within a remote, travel-intensive environment, including managing schedules, travel logistics, client hosting, and multi-market coordination independently.

Qualifications & Experience

● Minimum 7–10 years of experience in destination sales, business events, sport tourism, hospitality sales, or a related business development environment.

● Existing relationships within the Canadian meetings, conventions, and/or sport tourism industries are considered a strong asset.

● Proven ability to develop business, manage long sales cycles, and close complex opportunities.

● Strong communication, presentation, and relationship-building skills.

● Ability to work independently while remaining highly collaborative with a remote team.

● Strong organizational and pipeline management skills.

● Willingness and ability to travel frequently throughout Canada.

Working Environment

This role operates independently within a fast-moving, relationship-driven sales environment. The successful candidate must be highly organized, responsive, and comfortable managing a national pipeline remotely while remaining deeply connected to the Discover Saskatoon team.

What Success Looks Like

● Qualified lead generation

● Bid activity and conversions

● Room nights contracted

● Industry relationship development

● Strategic visibility for Saskatoon

● Contribution to Discover Saskatoon’s broader destination growth objectives

Most importantly, success means ensuring Saskatoon is consistently present, competitive, and winning in one of the country’s most important business events markets.

How to Apply

Please submit your cover letter and resume to ***email_hidden***.

Applicants are encouraged to apply early.

We thank all applicants for their interest but only those being interviewed will be contacted.