Economic Development Specialist

Economic Development Specialist

Have you considered building your career at one of Southwest Washington’s premier employers?

At the Port of Vancouver, USA, you’ll be part of the dynamic team that makes us a vital link in global trade. As an economic engine, our work supports 20,000 local jobs. As a convenient hub of marine, rail, and highway transportation, we’ve been successfully moving cargo for more than a century. Our Terminal 1 redevelopment is helping transform Vancouver’s waterfront.

There’s a reason the Port of Vancouver, USA has been one of the most storied employers for 112 years and counting. Beyond offering a meaningful career and competitive salaries, the port provides unmatched benefits and work-life balance. We offer generous vacation, the potential for flexible work hours (including work from home), great health and dental care and a VEBA to help with health-related expenses, and more. We value teamwork, creativity, and customer service – and we center our organization on being a rewarding and inclusive place to work.

We seek a professional, knowledgeable, Economic Development Specialist for a regular, full-time position. The essential responsibilities for the Economic Development Specialist may include, but are not limited to, the following:

Essential responsibilities of this position include, but are not limited to the following:

• Develops and maintains educational partnerships with Washington State University Vancouver, Clark College and local K-12 school districts to ensure a strong, capable, local workforce pool into the Port and maritime industry.
• Develops and maintains key stakeholder relationships in the community related to small business support, workforce development, and education.
• Develops and maintains local, regional, and industrial relationships necessary to assist businesses with growth and retention opportunities at the Port.
• Manages Community Fund Grant.
• Assists the economic development team to develop short-term goals and long-range objectives for the department.
• Assists with tenant outreach program to ensure regular communication and resource connections to Port tenants and to improve Port understanding of tenant business needs, opportunities, and challenges.
• Assists in the development and promotion of tourism assets for the Port, particularly at the Terminal 1 location.
• Assists Chief Economic Strategy Officer with local government affairs projects.
• Assists the Economic Development Project Manager in promoting and administering economic development programs such as the Foreign Trade Zone.
• Assists with community and business events, and engages with multi-cultural communities.
• Presents recommendations and updates to the Commission as requested.
• Actively supports the Port’s mission and vision and demonstrates values consistently.
• Works effectively as a team player with all Port employees.
• Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications:

Education: Bachelor’s degree in business, economics, marketing, transportation, or other related degree and/or at least three (3) years progressively responsible experience in related fields.

Experience: Two (2) years of recent business development/business retention and expansion (BRE) experience with responsibility for leading a major department, division, or program. Thorough knowledge of the current principles, practices, and procedures of the economic development in our region. Ability to understand regulatory requirements applicable to the port and multimodal transportation industry. This position requires a significant understanding of economic development, public affairs, community and public agency relationships, politics from a local to national level, community issues, communication strategies, and public relations.

License/Certification: Valid, unrestricted driver’s license. Ability to obtain and maintain a valid Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC Card) upon hire.

Analytical skills: Able to gather relevant data from appropriate sources; identify all relevant factors or restrictions; apply logical reasoning to determine relationship of variables; develop results-oriented conclusions; test assumptions, observe results, and incorporate revisions or corrections.

Communication Skills: College level written and verbal communications skills. Must be able to communicate effectively up, down, and across the entire organization clearly and succinctly in a variety of styles to get messages across that have the desired effect. The ability to develop and deliver formal presentations in a variety of settings. (i.e., one-on-one, small, or large groups). Excellent social skills for effective interaction with groups and individuals, including elected officials, officials of various government agencies and other opinion and decision makers. Bi-lingual (Spanish or Russian) desirable, but not required.

Organizational skills: Able to prioritize and organize numerous tasks and complete them under time constraints. Must have the capacity to balance both short- and long-term issues effectively and handle many simultaneous, and often conflicting, changing priorities.

Problem solving skills: Logically think through and solve problems involving several variables. Remain objective in gathering information and investigating issues.

Computer Skills: Intermediate level computer skills with emphasis on Microsoft Office suite; must be comfortable using Word, Excel, and PowerPoint programs.

Physical Requirements:

Physical ability to sit, stand, and bend for extended periods throughout the workday; talk, hear, walk, push/pull, and reach on a frequent to regular basis. May stoop or kneel on a regular to seldom basis. Repetitive hand motions on a frequent basis including fingering, grasping, and handling. Ability to read handwritten and typed documents on paper and/or on computer screens. Ability to lift or carry objects weighing up to 25 lbs., and drive on an as-needed basis. Work is performed in an office environment and at various outdoor locations where adverse weather conditions, uneven ground, exposure to moving machinery and moderate to loud noise is common.

Special Working Conditions:

The physical and mental requirements described above are representative of the physical and mental capabilities that must be met by an employee to perform the essential functions of this job. In a normal workday, frequent and continuous refer to more than a 50% requirement; regular refers up to 50%, and seldom refers to approximately 10%. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. The ability to travel on a local and national level is a requirement for this position.

If you are interested in this position, please click the apply button.

If you have any questions or concerns, please submit them to jobs@portvanusa.com

The posting will remain open until February 17, 2025.

The Port of Vancouver provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, or genetics. In addition to federal law requirements, the Port of Vancouver complies with applicable state and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment.

Salary Range: $70,748 – 104,527 annually