Data & Insights Strategist

Tourism Calgary is the destination management organization that enthusiastically shares and promotes the story of our friendly Blue Sky City to those near and far. We think big – like, Canadian Rocky Mountain big – using our sales and marketing expertise to drive an annual visitor spend of over $3B for the local economy and advocating for our growing tourism sector, which includes 84,000 Calgarians employed in the industry. From conventions to leisure travel, sports events to music and arts, Tourism Calgary represents the city’s diverse and unexpected experiences, extending our welcoming hospitality to the estimated 8.7 million people who visit Calgary every year. Here, the possibilities are as limitless as our blue skies.

Position Overview

Tourism Calgary is seeking a Data & Insights Strategist to lead and elevate the organization’s data, research, and business intelligence function.

Working within the Policy, Research & Communications team, this role will be responsible for developing and maintaining Tourism Calgary’s research initiatives, translating data into actionable insights, and supporting evidence-based decision-making across teams. The successful candidate will collaborate closely with sales, marketing, destination development, strategy and event services teams to ensure data informs strategy, performance measurement, and business planning.

This is both a strategic and hands-on role. As Tourism Calgary’s primary data resource, the successful candidate will build systems, lead analysis, steward research, and support organizational reporting — helping position Tourism Calgary as a data-informed and insight-driven organization.

Key Responsibilities

1. Business Intelligence & Data Infrastructure

• Develop and lead Tourism Calgary’s business intelligence framework and reporting systems.
• Design, build, and maintain enterprise-wide performance visualization and reporting systems that consolidate, interpret, and communicate key data across the organization.
• Establish data governance practices, including data standards, definitions, documentation, and quality control.
• Manage internal and external data sources, ensuring integrity, consistency, and accessibility.
• Identify opportunities to automate reporting and improve efficiency.

2. Research Strategy & Management

• Serve as the primary liaison with Tourism Calgary’s external research agency.
• Lead the planning and execution of custom research initiatives aligned with organizational priorities.
• Collaborate with internal teams to identify research needs and develop appropriate research scopes.
• Manage timelines, budgets, and deliverables for research projects.
• Review, interpret, and synthesize research findings into clear recommendations, collaborating and sharing information with key team members and partners.

3. Data Analysis & Insight Development

• Analyze tourism performance indicators including visitation, hotel performance, air access, economic impact, event performance, and marketing metrics.
• Translate complex data into clear, actionable insights that inform business planning and strategy.
• Prepare monthly, quarterly, and annual reporting materials for leadership and the Board.
• Support executive briefings, business cases, funding submissions, and industry updates with accurate and timely data-driven insights.
• Proactively identify trends, risks, and opportunities affecting Calgary’s visitor economy.

4. Cross-Departmental Collaboration

• Partner with teams across the organization to understand their data needs and provide analytical support.
• Support sales and marketing teams with performance analysis, ROI evaluation, and key market insights.
• Assist in setting and collecting measurable KPIs aligned with Tourism Calgary’s business plan and growth targets.
• Educate and support staff in understanding and using data effectively in decision-making.
• Foster a culture of data literacy and insight-driven thinking across the organization.

5. External Reporting & Industry Intelligence

• Monitor industry data sources (e.g., STR, Destination Canada, Travel Alberta, Statistics Canada, Airport data, event impact data).
• Benchmark Calgary’s performance against competitor destinations.
• Prepare industry updates and stakeholder reports that elevate the profile of Calgary’s visitor economy.
• Support advocacy efforts with data-backed analysis when required.

Qualifications & Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in business, Economics, Data Science, Statistics, Tourism Management, Public Policy, or related field.
• 5+ years of experience in data analysis, business intelligence, research management, or performance reporting.
• Experience building dashboards and BI systems (e.g., Power BI, Tableau, Looker, or similar).
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to interpret large datasets and identify meaningful insights.
• Experience managing external research vendors or agencies.
• Familiarity with tourism, economic development, destination marketing, or public-sector data is an asset.
• Advanced Excel skills required; experience with SQL or data modeling tools considered an asset.
• Exceptional communication skills — able to translate data into clear narratives for varied audiences.
• Strong project management and collaboration skills; ability to manage multiple priorities.

Core Competencies

• Strategic thinker with strong business acumen
• Highly organized and detail-oriented
• Comfortable operating independently as a function lead
• Collaborative and service-oriented
• Curious, proactive, and solutions-focused
• Confident presenting data to senior leadership

Living Our Values in This Role

• Think Boldly: Bring curiosity, fresh thinking, and the courage to question assumptions, put ideas forward early, and explore better ways of working with a focus on progress and possibility.
• Care Deeply: Show up with presence, pride, and accountability by listening, supporting others, caring about quality and impact, and having honest conversations that strengthen outcomes.
• Act Together: Collaborate across teams, communicate openly, follow through on commitments, and take shared ownership to create clarity and move work forward together.
• Inspire Possibility: Step forward with initiative, optimism, and energy, celebrate progress and wins, and help others see what’s possible for our work and our city.

Working Conditions

• This is a hybrid home/office position that requires daytime availability from 9am-5pm Monday-Friday. Required in-office days are Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday at Tourism Calgary’s downtown office.
• This role requires occasional evening or weekend work as dictated by business needs.
• To work remotely, candidate must have private high-speed internet and a quiet, ergonomic place to work. Laptop is provided.

Please note, only those selected for an interview will be contacted.

Tourism Calgary values diversity of expertise, talent and opinion which creates an innovative and collaborative environment. We are committed to a respectful and inclusive workplace and welcome applications from all qualified individuals.