Economic Development Director

General Nature of Work

The purpose of this classification is to develop, promote and implement plans, programs, and policies to attract and retain business and industry to the City, to attract and facilitate new real estate development and capital investment in the City, and to supervise department staff.
 

JOB RESPONSIBILITIES

The following duties are normal for this position. The omission of specific statements of the duties does not exclude them from the classification if the work is similar, related, or a logical assignment for this classification. Other duties may be required and assigned.
 

• Supervises, directs, and evaluates assigned staff, processing employee concerns and problems, directing work, counseling, disciplining, and completing employee performance appraisals.

• Coordinates daily work activities; organizes, prioritizes, and assigns work; monitors status of work in progress and inspects completed work; consults with staff, assists with complex/problem situations, and provides technical expertise.

• Develops and/or identifies potential short and long term economic development opportunities; plans and coordinates strategies to implement economic development in the City; designs strategies to attract appropriate quality businesses to the City; recruit new real estate development and investment, provides management and overview of incentive projects; promotes the City to business sectors; attends trade shows and impact trips; builds relationships with business prospects.

• Develops and implements the City’s economic development strategic plan; researches, analyzes and reports on economic and market trends; monitors local, state and federal legislation and regulations relating to economic development; makes recommendations regarding programs, activities, policies and procedures to further development goals.

• Coordinates with City’s communications and marketing staff to develop and implement marketing and public relations efforts related to economic development; maintains database of related information; maintains cooperative marketing efforts with a variety of local, state and federal agencies and educational institutions; establishes and recruit’s members for economic development teams and commissions.

• Coordinates and develops proposals and plans for industry representatives, real estate and development sectors and banks; conducts site tours and provides information materials; creates public/private partnerships to enhance economic development and retention activities; maintains communication and works closely with a variety of other local, state and federal agencies to bring economic development to the City.

• Assists interested businesses industries, and real estate developers in locating sites, securing City approvals, securing financing, or solving other problems involved with relocation or expansion; develops and maintains a comprehensive inventory of available buildings and sites; negotiates for the acquisition/disposition or lease of properties needed for development projects; meets with affected property owners to represent the City’s economic development interests; tracks business movement into and out of the City.

• Develops and implements departmental budget; monitors expenditures and revenues to ensure compliance with approved budget.

• Maintains a comprehensive, current knowledge of applicable policies, procedures, codes, regulations; conducts research and maintains an awareness of new issues, methods, equipment, trends and advances in the profession; reads updates and other professional literature; maintains professional affiliations; participates in continuing education activities; attends meetings, conferences, workshops and training sessions as appropriate.

• Attends meetings, serves on committees, makes presentations, and represents the department at community events as needed. Provides support and overview to Development Authority, Downtown Development Authority, and Urban Redevelopment Agency as they relate to public/private partnerships, real estate acquisition, and bond issues.

• Communicates with supervisor, City official and employees, business owners, public officials from other government agencies, the public, and other individuals as needed to coordinate work activities, review status of work, exchange information, or resolve problems; responds to requests for service or assistance.

• Prepares or completes various forms, reports, correspondence, marketing materials, resolutions, proclamations, ordinances, grant applications, budget documentation, or other documents.

• Receives various forms, reports, correspondence, proposals, economic and resident data, procedures, handbooks, reference materials, manuals, or other documentation; reviews, completes, processes, forwards or retains as appropriate.

• Operates a personal computer and other general office equipment as necessary to complete essential functions, to include the use of word processing, spreadsheet, database, or other system software.

Additional Functions:

Performs other related duties as required.
 

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS and ABILITIES

Data Utilization:  Requires the ability to coordinate, manage, and/or correlate data.  Includes exercising judgment in determining time, place and/or sequence of operations, referencing data analyses to determine necessity for revision of organizational components, and in the formulation of operational strategy.

Human Interaction:  Requires the ability to function in a managerial capacity for a division or organizational unit.  Includes the ability to make decisions on procedural and technical levels.
 

Equipment, Machinery, Tools, and Materials Utilization:  Requires the ability to operate, maneuver and/or control the actions of equipment, machinery, tools, and/or materials used in performing essential functions.

Verbal Aptitude:  Requires the ability to utilize a wide variety of reference, descriptive, advisory and/or design data and information.

Mathematical Aptitude:  Requires the ability to perform addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division; the ability to calculate decimals and percentages; the ability to utilize principles of fractions; and the ability to interpret graphs.

Functional Reasoning:  Requires the ability to apply principles of influence systems, such as motivation, incentive, and leadership, and to exercise independent judgment to apply facts and principles for developing approaches and techniques to resolve problems.

Situational Reasoning:  Requires the ability to exercise judgment, decisiveness and creativity in situations involving broader aspects of organizational programs and operations, moderately unstable situations, or the direction, control and planning of an entire program or set of programs.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

Bachelor’s degree in Urban Planning, Economics, or Public Administration; supplemented by five (5) year(s) of progressively responsible experience in economic development or local government management; or any equivalent combination of education, training, and experience which provides the requisite knowledge, skills, and abilities for this job. Must possess and maintain a valid Georgia driver’s license. Must attain or already hold certification as Georgia Certified Economic Developer and complete the Georgia Academy for Economic Development. 
 

ADA Requirements:

Individuals applying for the posted position must be able to perform the essential functions of the position with or without a reasonable accommodation.
 

Physical Requirements: Tasks require the ability to exert light physical effort in sedentary to light work, but which may involve some lifting, carrying, pushing and/or pulling of objects and materials of light weight (5-10 pounds). Tasks may involve extended periods of time at a keyboard or work station.
 

Sensory Requirements: Tasks require the ability to perceive and discriminate colors or shades of colors, sounds, and visual cues or signals.  Most tasks require the ability to communicate orally.
 

Work Environment: Essential functions are regularly performed without exposure to adverse environmental conditions.

Position will be open until filled. 

City of Kennesaw-Growing City, Growing Careers

From its pre-Civil War beginnings in the 1800s, to its current reputation as a Best City to Live In, Kennesaw has been recognized throughout the U.S. for its standards of excellence and quality of life. Kennesaw has grown to a community of 36,000 residents within a 9-square-mile area. Located 26 miles north of downtown Atlanta near I-75, Kennesaw has taken advantage of its convenient location and the willingness of its employees to provide a strong base of services to businesses, residents, and visitors alike.

The City of Kennesaw is an Equal Opportunity Employer and the Kennesaw Police Department actively recruits any qualified person regardless of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, or age.

We participate in the E-Verify program as required by law. To find out more, visit. www.everify.gov