Job Overview
The Director, Local Growth plays a key mid-level role focused on supporting the growth and scalability of all-sized businesses across Jefferson County. This position helps bridge economic development, community development, and retail development by implementing strategies that drive job creation and commercial corridor development. The role involves strategic account management—serving as a trusted advisor to a portfolio of businesses—while identifying barriers to growth and connecting companies to the right mix of resources, partners, and capital.
Responsibilities
- Lead Generation and Prospect Development: Identify and cultivate relationships with key corporate executives and small business owners to generate a steady pipeline of qualified business retention/expansion prospects.
- Project Management and Deal Facilitation: Manage business retention/expansion projects from start to finish, including initial outreach, proposal development, site visit coordination, incentive structuring, and final negotiations.
- Strategic Business Outreach and Account Management: Proactively manage a portfolio of all-sized businesses using the organization's BRE strategy to regularly engage business owners and key decision makers and identify challenges to provide tailored support.
- Support Local and Growing Businesses: Serve as a primary point of contact for Jefferson County businesses, helping them access capital, workforce, real estate, and technical assistance to grow and scale.
- Relationship Management: Build and maintain strong relationships with local and state economic development partners, utilities, real estate professionals, and workforce organizations to ensure coordinated responses to business prospects.
- Retail Development Opportunities: Identify major commercial corridors and vacancies in Jefferson County ripe for new retail development; build relationships with commercial real estate brokers and owners on national retail recruitment; work with the Market Development team to identify prospects.
- Small and Local Businesses: Identify key partners and organizations to facilitate small and local business growth including opportunities for funding (e.g., Small Business Tax Credit, METCO), assistance in navigating regulatory systems, and procurement/contracting in partnership with the Chamber Services/Investor Development team.
- Data Tracking and Reporting: Use CRM tools to track project activity, maintain prospect records, and report on performance metrics to leadership and stakeholders.
Qualifications
Education: Bachelor's degree in business, economics, planning, or a related field required; master's degree and/or CEcD certification preferred.
Experience: Five (5) years of progressively responsible experience in economic development, commercial real estate, business development, or a related field.
- Experience managing attraction projects: Demonstrated ability to lead or contribute to business attraction projects, including preparing RFIs/RFPs, coordinating site visits, and supporting companies through the decision-making process.
- Business development and outreach skills: Experience conducting outbound prospecting, engaging with corporate decision-makers or site selectors, and representing an organization at trade shows or industry events.
- Data-informed decision making: Comfort using research, economic data, and CRM tools to track activity, analyze trends, and guide outreach strategies.
- Project coordination and organizational skills: Ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously with attention to detail, follow-through, and a commitment to meeting deadlines.
Certifications: Professional certifications preferred, but not required.
Pay: From $70,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- 401(k)
- 401(k) matching
- Cell phone reimbursement
- Dental insurance
- Flexible spending account
- Health insurance
- Health savings account
- Life insurance
- Paid parental leave
- Paid time off
- Professional development assistance
- Vision insurance
Work Location: In person
