Listing Summary

Salary: $115,884.39 Annually

Location: College Park, GA

Job Type: Full-Time

Job Number: 7520-001

Department: Development

 

Summary

A successful candidate will play an active role in the City of College Park’s existing operational success. The purpose of the position is to manage the development of the City. Successful performance helps ensure the orderly development of the City, affects the quality of economic opportunity for city residents, and affects the image of the City.

 

Essential Functions

Independent judgment is required to identify, select, and apply the most appropriate available guidelines and procedures as well as interpret precedents. The Director of Economic Development is responsible for planning, organizing, directing, and managing the day-to-day operations of the Economic Development Department, staff and Economic Development Committee, and other city staff in promoting the business and economic development interests within the community. This position will include working with all noted departments associated with the City’s strategic goal for economic growth, in providing guidance to individuals and companies to establish, relocate, or expand their businesses within the community. This member of the team is the lead position in the retainment and recruitment of businesses for the City. The position will include assistance in the planning and coordination of community development projects, assisting business and residential applicants with local and state permitting processes, and providing research for City-sponsored projects. This position is a direct report to the City Manager. The successful candidate will be one who thrives in a collaborative, dynamic, and at times ambiguous environment that keeps the big picture in focus and can help the organization grow. Must be able to work with methods that include analytics from a variety of web and social media applications. Responsible for design, execution, project management, and engagement, the Director of Economic Development will be a key translator, navigator, and ambassador for the organization and its mission.

 Strategy & Management

• Provides business development and financing advice to local business owners and entrepreneurs.
• Facilitates target marketing of the City to new business development and business expansion efforts through meetings and various advertising strategies.
• Manages and negotiates the sale and disposition of City-owned real estate and right-of-ways.
• Handles a variety of land acquisition projects.
• Facilitates meetings between developers, real estate investment trusts, engineers, and architects, to promote business activity within the City.
• Aids in the development of short and long-term economic and community development plans, as well as the gathering of information and preparation of studies, reports, and recommendations to achieve such goals. This will involve the preparation and maintenance of information on utilities, taxes, zoning, transportation, community services, financing tools, and incentives, in order to respond to requests for information for economic development purposes and coordinate with other departments and agencies as needed.
• Provides professional economic development advice, assists in the application and permitting process, and serves as an advocate for economic development in line with the Comprehensive Plan, zoning ordinances, and goals as established by the City Manager.
• Promotes the 6 West Redevelopment Project, promoting the sale of lots, and the orderly development of projects within 6 West.
• Works closely with 6 West Mainstreet Advisory Board to identify areas of concern in the promotion of business location and expansion within Mainstreet.
• Maintains a liaison with various local, State, and Federal agencies, coordinating projects with agencies as deemed necessary and appropriate.
• Provides information and/or makes presentations to supervisors, boards, commissions, civic groups, businesses, individuals, and the general public on economic development issues, programs, services, and plans.
• Become familiar with the existing inventory of available buildings and business and residential development sites within the community. This will include both public and private buildings and land areas.
• Prepares grant proposals and applications, contracts, and other necessary documents as may be required for necessary community services.
• Serves as a member of economic development groups or task forces that promote economic and community development at the local, state, or federal level, as deemed necessary or appropriate.
• Assists with negotiation and the management of professional service contracts, property sales or acquisition, and economic development-oriented negotiations, as assigned.
• Administers the City’s Micro Loan Program.
• Monitors legislation and regulations relating to economic development, and reports findings to the appropriate impacted parties, i.e. the City Manager, the Business Industrial Development Agency (BIDA), the City Council, etc.
• Plans, directs, and supervises Economic Development employees engaged in the day-to-day activities which directly relate to business recruitment and retention.
• Schedules, assigns, inspects, and evaluates work; instructs and trains correct methods and procedures; monitors work daily; reviews and evaluates employee performance.
• Develops and recommends annual department operating budget; monitors and administers approved budget.
• Engages developers and investors as a function of new business development and business expansion efforts.
• Provides administrative and technical support to the City’s Main Street Program.
• Develops strategies to eliminate blight and stimulate development in target districts throughout the City.
• Conducts demographic and market trend analyses of the City.
• Coordinates strategies and processes with the Planning & Zoning Department to help eliminate blight in the City.
• Serves as liaison for the College Park Business and Industrial Development Authority.
• Performs other duties as required.
• The omission of specific duties does not preclude the supervisor from assigning duties that logically relate to the position.

 We seek candidates who are flexible, well-organized, creative, inquisitive, resourceful, detail-oriented, ethical, collaborative, and committed to inclusive educational excellence. The ability to prioritize and juggle multiple tasks in a dynamic environment while maintaining quality work products is essential for success in this position. The candidate will have experience planning, directing, and supervising personnel, ensuring the timely and efficient completion of projects, and the completion of the annual budget for the Department.

 

Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Knowledge of economic development and real estate principles and practices, zoning, land use, and availability of vacant property and buildings in the local market.
• Knowledge of the State and Federal Economic Development Program.
• Knowledge of marketing principles and strategies.
• Knowledge of the City’s zoning ordinances and land use plans.
• Knowledge of development regulations concerning land use.
• Knowledge of economic development and business retention and recruitment.
• Knowledge of socio-economic and demographic research techniques.
• Skill in dealing with large-scale financial transactions.
• Ability to develop and implement an economic development strategy for the City.
• Ability to network and develop relationships with real estate and site selection professionals.
• Knowledge of the organization, administration, budget, and personnel administration principles.
• Ability to coordinate and manage several projects simultaneously using effective time management and problem-solving techniques.
• Must be able to present information clearly and in an interesting manner to elected officials and the general public.
• Must be able to establish and maintain effective working relationships with City officials, employees, area businesses, clients, the media, and the public.
• Must be able to analyze and evaluate procedures and work processes and exercise appropriate judgment in establishing priorities and work methods.
• Must be able to establish and maintain effective working relationships and deal effectively and courteously with others, to work independently and in team settings.
• Must be able to type or use a personal computer with word processing and related software and to enter and retrieve information with reasonable speed and accuracy.
• Moderate physical activity. Requires handling objects of average weight up to fifty (50) pounds, standing and/or walking for more than four (4) hours per day.
• Note: In compliance with the American Disabilities Act (ADA), those functions of the job which are identified as essential are required to be performed with or without reasonable accommodations. Requests to facilitate the performance of essential functions will be given careful consideration.

 

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required with coursework in Business Management, Public Administration, City Planning, or Economic Development; Master’s degree preferred.
• Seven (7) to nine (9) years of progressively responsible experience.
• Must possess a valid State of Georgia driver’s license.
• Strong creative, strategic, analytical, organizational, and personal skills, with the experience of managing multiple projects at a time
• Experience overseeing the design and production of online and print collateral and   publications
• Commitment to working with shared leadership and in cross-functional teams.
• Excellent people skills, with experience collaborating in multi-disciplinary, diverse, and dynamic teams
• Extensive hours and weekends will be required at times.
• Pre-employment screening is required: criminal background check and drug testing.

 

Agency

College Park, City of (GA)

Address

3667 Main Street

College Park, Georgia, 30337