Position Summary
The Rural Outreach Coordinator supports the efforts of the Gage Development Coalition by building relationships with rural communities, employers, and partners across Gage County to strengthen local business success, talent attraction, and community vitality. This position operates under the direction and supervision of the Executive Director and carries out outreach and recruitment activities in alignment with the organization’s strategic priorities.
Key Responsibilities
Business outreach and support
- Conduct regular outreach visits to businesses and community leaders in Gage County’s smaller towns and rural areas to understand needs, challenges, and opportunities, following priorities set by the Executive Director.
- Maintain an up-to-date log or CRM of rural business contacts, visits, follow-up items, and outcomes to support ongoing relationship management and internal reporting.
- Connect businesses with available programs and partners (training, financing, marketing, workforce, succession planning, childcare, etc.) and assist them in accessing those resources, in coordination with the Executive Director.
- Identify opportunities for business retention, expansion, and succession in rural communities and relay promising leads to the Executive Director for further evaluation and follow-up.
Community and employer recruitment
- Represent Gage County and its communities at events and outreach activities as assigned by the Executive Director to promote Gage County as a place to “build something here”.
- Build and maintain relationships with employers, schools, workforce programs, and community organizations to support employer recruitment and talent attraction initiatives identified in the organization’s work plan.
- Assist with organizing and promoting employer tours, familiarization visits, and community showcases for prospective businesses, employees, and partners, under the Executive Director’s guidance.
- Support targeted outreach campaigns (digital, social media, print, and in-person) that highlight rural Gage County communities, available sites/buildings, and quality-of-life assets, working with internal staff as directed.
Program coordination and communication
- Help plan and implement rural-focused initiatives such as business roundtables, workshops, and networking events in small towns across Gage County, in coordination with the Executive Director and other staff.
- Work with internal staff to gather and share stories of local businesses, entrepreneurs, and community projects for newsletters, social media, and partner communications.
- Maintain accurate information on rural community assets (downtowns, tourism assets, housing developments, childcare, infrastructure, etc.) for use in outreach and recruitment materials, updating the Executive Director regularly.
- Provide basic technical assistance to rural communities on topics such as downtown promotion, business visibility, and connecting to regional programs, referring more complex items to the Executive Director, Deputy Director or designated staff.
Data, reporting, and coordination
- Track outreach activities, contacts, and outcomes, and prepare regular summary reports for the Executive Director and board on rural business engagement and key themes.
- Monitor trends and needs emerging from rural communities (workforce gaps, childcare, housing, infrastructure, youth outmigration, etc.) and provide input to the Executive Director to help inform local strategies and grant efforts.
- Coordinate closely with internal staff working on business services, marketing, tourism, and community initiatives to ensure rural communities are consistently included in programs and promotions, as directed by the Executive Director.
- Assist with basic research on rural business clusters, available buildings/sites, and local assets as needed to support recruitment conversations and project development.
-Maintain LOIS database for site development and shovel ready projects
Qualifications
Education and experience
- Associate’s or bachelor’s degree in business, communications, public administration, community development, agriculture, or related field; or equivalent combination of education and experience.
- Two or more years of experience in community outreach, business services, chamber, nonprofit, workforce, or related work preferred.
- Familiarity with rural communities and small-town dynamics, preferably in Nebraska or similar regions
Skills and abilities
- Strong relationship-building and interpersonal skills, with the ability to work effectively with business owners, local officials, and community volunteers.
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including comfort presenting in small-group settings and at community events.
- Organized and detail-oriented, able to manage multiple projects, track follow-up, and meet deadlines with direction from the Executive Director.
- Comfort working in the field across Gage County, including frequent local travel to rural communities and occasional evening or weekend events.
- Proficiency with standard office software and basic CRM or database tools; willing to learn organizational systems for tracking outreach and contacts.
Working conditions
- Full-time position based in Gage County, with regular travel throughout rural communities in the county and occasional regional travel as assigned by the Executive Director.
- Some evening and weekend hours required for community meetings, events, and outreach activities.
Compensation: $19-21/hr
Pay: $19.00 - $21.00 per hour
Benefits:
- Dental insurance
- Health insurance
- Paid time off
- Parental leave
- Professional development assistance
- Retirement plan
- Vision insurance
Work Location: In person
