The Economic Development Director, reporting to the Deputy Town Manager, will oversee the town’s economic development priorities through its newly created Economic Development department.
 
In close collaboration with town leaders, staff, and other stakeholders, the Economic Development Director will prioritize establishing and executing Morrisville’s economic development workplan, which will focus on economic prosperity and smart growth, community advancement and collaboration, and brand identification and placemaking. The Director will refine and revise the town's economic development policies to best support the town's economic growth and ensure sustainability and viability given that Morrisville is more than 80% built out with no ETJ (Extra Territorial Planning Jurisdiction). The Director must explore and create opportunities to creatively recruit and retain businesses who will build “up, not out” and redevelop existing properties.
Key priorities include but are not limited to the following:

• Work with the Town Council, and the town’s senior leadership team and current economic development consultant to establish a clear path forward from among a number of viable priorities.
• Recruit new businesses while enhancing and improving small business support and retention, explore commercial and industrial real estate opportunities, and cultivate industry clusters—expanding on current industries. 
• Increase visibility within the community through targeted strategies that enhance engagement, collaboration, communication, and education while expanding the town's local and regional collaborative partners and stakeholders and creating an innovation ecosystem—where innovation-induced profit increases the commercial economy. 
• Explore opportunities to enhance the quality of life for community members while developing a brand identity for the town and crafting a marketing strategy to unite the organization and community around a shared vision and identity. 
• Collaborate with the Morrisville Chamber of Commerce to ensure they are providing the defined support for the Town’s economic development program, particularly in the area of small business support through the Town’s “Morrisville Means Business” program.

 
Morrisville’s first Economic Development Director has a collaborative mindset and: 

• is a visionary, strategic, big-picture thinker who successfully communicates and executes visions and demonstrates creativity in achieving identified measurable goals and objectives. 
• thrives in building relationships with others – connecting diverse stakeholders, collaborating with local, state, and regional partners, and establishing and enhancing connections across the community; 
• outstanding interpersonal communication, facilitation, presentation, conflict resolution, and problem-solving skills; 
• advocates confidently and proactively for best practice solutions; conducts thorough research, data analysis, and report writing and demonstrates the ability to gather, analyze, interpret, and report research findings utilizing metrics; 
• considerable knowledge of the federal, state, and local laws about economic development and planning, zoning and permitting processes, and sources of demographic, social, political, and economic databases relevant to municipal governance; 
• knowledge of management and supervisory principles and practices, including program planning, contract and grant requirements, budgeting, direction, coordination, and evaluation; and,
• is a highly effective project manager who has a successful system for managing multiple high-end projects with excellence and ease.

Required Qualifications: 
Any combination of education and experience equivalent to graduation from an accredited college or university with a bachelor's degree in economic development, business, public administration, or a related field with training in economic growth and considerable professional experience in business or economic development.
Preferred Qualifications: 
A master's degree and 10 years of demonstrated economic development experience, with 3-5 years of experience in urban municipal government, along with familiarity with the state of North Carolina. To apply, please visit https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/developmentalassociates and click on the title of Economic Development Director – Morrisville, NC. 

• All applications must be submitted online via the Developmental Associates application portal (link above) – NOT the Town’s employment application portal or any other external website. 
• Resumes and cover letters must be uploaded with the application. 
• Applicants should apply by July 12, 2024. 
• Successful semi-finalists will be invited to participate in virtual interviews and skill evaluation interviews on August 12-13, 2024. Candidates are encouraged to reserve these dates for virtual meetings should they be invited to participate.
• In-person interviews with the leadership team are tentatively scheduled for August 22-23, 2024.
• Direct inquiries to hiring@developmentalassociates.com 

 
The Town of Morrisville, NC, is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Developmental Associates, LLC manages the recruitment and selection process for this position. To learn more about our selection process, visit https://developmentalassociates.com/client-openings/, select "Client Openings," and scroll down to "Important Information for Applicants."