Business Retention and Expansion Specialist

This is a professional economic development position assisting with the attraction of new businesses to the City, the retention and expansion of existing City businesses, and the creation of new businesses. The position will manage multiple marketing and communication projects and department messaging initiatives to help the carry out the mission of the department.

• Carries out department outreach, marketing, and communication initiatives.
• Communicate the department's initiatives and accomplishments through various means.
• Develop digital and printed marketing materials based on data, strategic plans, and other initiatives and documents.
• Represent the organization at various economic development functions.
• Develops, implements, plans, schedules, monitors, and supervises large and complex department-specific marketing and communication projects.
• Liaisons with local, regional, and state organizations related to the program.
• Performs targeted industry communication for business attraction and retention.
• Oversee updates to the printed and digital versions of the Technology Resource Book.
• Investigate and identify growth opportunities for business relocation and existing business expansion;
• Research and support recruitment efforts for qualified companies.
• Work with external organizations charged with regional marketing, business recruitment, business retention, and business expansion efforts.
• Work with key retail districts to identify messaging strategies that would increase their vitality.
• Foster entrepreneurship and small business growth communication.
• Performs data analysis.
• Collect and organize industry specific market data and analyze economic trends.
• Provide strategic advice and information on economic development activity, trends and issues.
• Coordinate department participation on economic assumptions and forecasts.
• Help identify processes and regulations that hinder business establishment and work towards streamlining and simplifying.
• Help coordinate economic development initiatives with a diverse group of internal and external stakeholders.
• Participate in established internal teams to coordinate large-scale development projects.
• Review proposals for development opportunities and assist with multi-party negotiations for significant economic development projects.
• Management and City Governance
• Assess performance as compared with comprehensive economic development strategic plan.
• Draft memos and reports for submittal in BoardDocs and other professional written correspondence;
• Coordinate and oversee contracts with outside agencies associated with economic development.
• Perform other duties as assigned.
• Must have a valid Virginia Driver’s License.

Minimum Education and Experience:

• Bachelor’s Degree from an accredited college or university in Business Administration, Public Administration, Marketing, Public Administration, Urban Planning, Community or Economic development, or related field. Master’s Degree in related field or Economic Development Institute course completion preferred. Must have 3-5 years of experience in economic development at the local, state or regional level or any equivalent combination of education and experience that provides the knowledge, skills, and abilities as described below.

Licenses and/or Certifications:

• Valid driver’s license in the Commonwealth of Virginia.

Knowledge:

• Modern economic development principles and practices.
• Industrial, commercial, tourist, and entrepreneurial development.
• Principles and practices of business location, public relations, and marketing.
• Community development principles as they relate to economic development such as land use and zoning.
• City and state tax structures as they apply to commercial and industrial activity.
• Incentive programs to retain existing business and attract new ones.
• Knowledge of relevant Federal, State, and Local regulations relative to the operations of specific projects and programs;

Skills:

• Strong analytical, research, communication, presentation, organization, and time-management skills.
• High proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite and in the use of census data.
• Strong interpersonal skills to include the ability to work with varying personalities.
• Strong project management, leadership, negotiating, and consensus building skills.

Abilities:

• Ability to articulate a clear vision for economic development in the city.
• Ability to work directly with business owners, media, developers, planners, engineers, architects, attorneys, and public officials to implement economic development goals.
• Demonstrated ability to plan, organize, and carry out complex research projects effectively and simultaneously and to present the results of research effectively in clear oral, written, and graphic form.
• Ability to act as a representative of City of Hopewell Government to the public

Work Environment:

• Work is primarily performed in an indoor, climate-controlled, pleasant environment.

Essential Physical Activities:

• Stooping, walking, pulling, lifting, hearing, seeing up close, talking, standing, and finger movement.

Salary : $75,000