What are the responsibilities and job description for the Economic Development Specialist position at City of San Bernardino?
Unlock Your Potential with the City of San Bernardino – Join Our Economic Development Team!
Are you ready to take your career to the next level? The City of San Bernardino's Economic Development Department is seeking an Economic Development Specialist to drive growth, foster business relationships, and contribute to the community’s future.
Why San Bernardino?
San Bernardino is a city steeped in rich history and diverse culture, with influences from Native American, Mexican, and Spanish traditions. From its picturesque landscapes to its strategic location, San Bernardino is a hub of opportunity. As the largest city and county seat in San Bernardino County, we are home to a vibrant community of 222,203 residents, and we’re proud to offer a place where your career can thrive.
About the Position:
As an Economic Development Specialist, you’ll work directly with the Economic Development Director to support key initiatives that promote business attraction and retention. Your role will include creating marketing materials and campaigns to elevate local and regional activities, collaborating with the Chamber of Commerce, and engaging with the County Economic Development Agency. You will also play an integral part in organizing and executing events that stimulate economic growth within the community.
Key Responsibilities:
Assist the Economic Development Director with strategic initiatives
Support business attraction and retention programs
Develop marketing strategies for local and regional activities
Collaborate with local, regional, and county partners to strengthen business ties
Contribute to special events aimed at promoting economic development
The Ideal Candidate:
We’re looking for a motivated, detail-oriented professional who excels in economic development, business retention, and marketing. Your skills in research, data analysis, relationship building, and navigating city processes will set you up for success. Strong communication, organizational, and problem-solving skills are essential to effectively support businesses and foster community development.
Take the Next Step in Your Career Today!
- Performs a wide variety of professional level research, administrative support, and analysis in support of the City's Economic Development functions, operations, and programs; performs research and studies including economic or financial studies.
- Coordinates with City staff to facilitate project processing and permitting; provides information and assistance to those who contact the Economic Development Division for permit assistance.
- Assists in the preparation of staff reports for various groups, committees, commissions, and boards; prepares meeting agendas, summaries, and information packets as needed.
- Conducts site location assistance for business locators; researches, gathers, and provides data on available properties; collects data from brokerage companies on available property; prepares and sends information packages to clients; coordinates and conducts business assistance meetings.
- Maintains and enhances the Economic Development Division web page on the City's website; gathers current data; writes narratives; organizes changes in web page layout and design; coordinates economic development web page updates and changes with City information systems staff.
- Assists in the operations of the Business Retention and Attraction efforts; attends meetings, conferences, events, and City sponsored initiatives, coordinates follow-up meetings regarding expansion and relocation; assists in solving problems and coordinating solutions to business issues.
- Provides support to and participates in various meetings of various community groups and service organizations.
- Maintains and analyzes a variety of data including Business Retention and Attraction data.
- Performs a variety of general administrative and clerical duties in support of the Economic Development Division; prepares articles for newsletters; provides over-the counter information to the public; responds to requests involving business development; prepares necessary correspondence; organizes data in spreadsheets; responds to surveys.
- Develops marketing materials intended to attract new business and industries to the city.
- Assists the Department Director and Economic Development Managers in responding to RFPs from Site Selectors, Real Estate Representatives, Executives, and other decision makers involved in the site selection process.
- Assists in arranging conferences, seminars, and meetings. Performs related duties as required.
- Expected to exercise limited discretion and independent judgment with respect to matters of significance.
- Performs other duties as assigned.
Knowledge of:
- Methods and techniques of research, and report preparation.
- Basic economic development concepts and strategies.
- Basic marketing practices.
- Business, commercial and retail markets, and economic indicators and trends.
- General planning, zoning, project processing, and permitting processes.
- City organization and functions of the various departments in the City.
- Principles and practices of record keeping and records management.
- Pertinent federal, state, and local laws, codes, and regulations.
- English usage, spelling, grammar, and punctuation.
- Modern office procedures, methods, and equipment including computers and supporting software applications including but not limited to Microsoft Office Suite (Excel, Word, and PowerPoint).
- General marketing concepts and principles.
- Principles and practices of customer service.
Ability to:
- Conduct research and prepare complete and accurate analysis, reports, and recommendations.
- Assist with promoting and implementing the City's economic development programs, initiatives and activities.
- Speak and present in public to business owners, community members, neighborhood associations, civic groups and other governmental agencies.
- Develop and maintain effective interdepartmental relationships.
- Represent the City in a professional and customer service-oriented manner when working with boards, community groups, and the general public.
- Facilitate and streamline permit processes for developers, investors, businesses and brokers.
- Understand the organization, operation, and services of the City and of outside agencies as necessary to assume assigned responsibilities.
- Interpret and apply federal, state, and local policies, laws, and regulations.
- Operate office equipment including computers and supporting word processing, spreadsheet, and database applications.
- Utilize computer applications to perform analysis and prepare reports, charts, graphs, and related materials.
- Demonstrate an awareness and appreciation of the cultural diversity of the community.
- Communicate clearly and concisely, both orally and in writing.
- Establish and maintain effective working relationships with those contacted in the course of work.
For more detailed information on this position, please visit the job description.Education and Experience: Possession of a Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university with major course work in planning, public administration, business administration, economics, marketing, or a closely related field;
AND
One (1) year of professional experience related to economic development activities and programs in an Economic Development Department, private sector economic development firm, chamber of commerce, or business improvement district; or an equivalent combination of education, training, and experience.
If a candidate does not have a Bachelor’s degree, an equivalent combination of education, training, and experience can be considered. Based on typical substitution standards, an acceptable substitution would be:
Five (5) years of professional experience related to economic development activities and programs in an Economic Development Department, private sector economic development firm, chamber of commerce, or business improvement district in lieu of a Bachelor's degree.
This ensures that candidates with extensive hands-on experience in economic development but without formal education still have a pathway to qualify.
Licenses, Certifications, and Equipment: Possession of a valid California driver’s license and the ability to maintain insurability under the City’s vehicle insurance policy may be required for certain assignments.
Qualified applicants will be placed on an eligible list. Top candidates may be referred to the hiring department for further consideration. All communication regarding your application status and next steps will be sent via email only—please ensure your contact information is current and check your inbox regularly.
** All dates are subject to change at the discretion of the personnel officer**
Pre-Employment Process:
The selection process may include, but is not limited to:
- Application Review
- Oral Examination
- Background Investigation (California Department of Justice and FBI)
- Pre-employment Medical Examination, including drug screening
- Employment and Professional Reference Checks
The City of San Bernardino reserves the right to adjust the selection process as needed to meet administrative or operational requirements.
E-Verify Participation
The City of San Bernardino participates in the E-Verify program. In compliance with federal law, all employers are required to verify the identity and employment eligibility of individuals hired to work in the United States. Accordingly, the City will provide information from each new employee’s Form I-9 to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the Social Security Administration to confirm authorization to work in the United States. For more information about E-Verify, please visit the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services website at www.uscis.gov.
Disclaimers
The City of San Bernardino is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer. The City follows a nepotism policy, which may impact hiring decisions if an applicant has relatives currently employed by the City. In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the City provides reasonable accommodations for individuals with disabilities. Each request is evaluated on a case-by-case basis. To request an accommodation, please contact the Human Resources Department directly at (909) 384-5104. For information regarding employee rights under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), please refer to the attached PDF: Employee Rights under FMLA (PDF) Please note that smoking is prohibited in all City offices, vehicles, and designated areas.
This bulletin is intended for informational purposes only and does not constitute a contract, expressed or implied. Its contents may be modified or withdrawn without prior notice.
For questions regarding this recruitment, contact Human Resources at 909-384-5104 or email Lizette Fernandez at Fernandez_Li@sbcity.org. Additional information is available at www.sbcity.org.
Salary : $71,740 - $87,198
