Business & Economic Development Specialist

Description

The City of Fort Myers strives to be an employer of choice and most of our employees turn jobs into long term careers. The salary shown in the job description is the full range for this position from entry to later career.

NEW EMPLOYEES ARE HIRED AT, OR NEAR THE ENTRY POINT SHOWN, DEPENDING ON QUALIFICATIONS AND RELEVANT EXPERIENCE.

FLSA Status: Exempt Safety Sensitive: No Level II Screening: No

Under the general direction of the Director of Economic Development, the incumbent manages the city's economic development programs and is responsible for business attraction, business retention and expansion. The manager will implement strategies and tactics as outlined in the City's fiscal strategic plan, specifically those outlined in the Economic Prosperity section. The manager, working in conjunction with the Director, will build relations with strategically targeted site selectors, key business sector leadership, decision makers, and with strategic partners and stakeholders.

Responsibilities and Reporting During an Emergency Situation:

Essential Employees may be required to work during a declared emergency. Depending on the nature of the emergency, this may require working around the clock for several days on short notice.

Non-Essential Employees will not be required to work during a declared emergency. The employee's Department Head will determine when the employee will be required to work.

Perks and Benefits

• Free city-paid employee health coverage, additional for spouse or family

• 3 weeks Paid Time Off (sick & vacation)

• 13 paid holidays

• Pension plan & optional Deferred Compensation

• City-paid life insurance

• Optional Vision, Dental, and Disability Insurance

• Tuition reimbursement

• On-site Gym facility

• And much more!

Duties/Responsibilities

• Conducts research and provides analysis on real estate trends and commercial development of property including business recruitment, job development, and business retention strategies.

• Works with the city's marketing department and marketing manager to implement an economic development marketing and communication program targeting site selectors and specific business sector decision makers.

• Designs, monitors, and coordinates the planning and implementation of the economic development work program including business attraction, retention, job creation, capital investment, business assistance, marketing, and related functions.

• Coordinates and communicates with companies interested in establishing business in the city of Ft. Myers. Meets with site selectors, developers, and companies interested in developing and/or establishing facilities in the city of Ft. Myers.

• Works with site selectors to inform them of the many benefits to companies locating their business in the city of Ft. Myers.

• Prepares solicitations and proposals to solicit new business opportunities and site selector clients to the city.

• Analyzes economic data and prepares related reports for use with city council, economic development advisory board, and community.

• Prepares written reports and oral reports and presentations for committees and city council.

• Responsible for the management of the client relation management system Salesforce, and the economic development impact reports system Implan.

• Stays abreast of legislative developments which may impact economic development programs, policies and/or procedures.

• Builds collaborative relationships with strategic partners and stakeholders in the public, private, academic, and non-profit sectors.

• Develops, prepares, and monitors the economic development office budget to ensure that all expenditures are within the established budget limits.

• Provides city representation and serves as a liaison for a variety of meetings, committees, agencies, and related groups. Attends and participates in professional group meetings, as well as city council and committee meetings as directed. Stays abreast of new trends and innovation in economic development.

• This position requires regular and reliable attendance and the employee's physical presence at the workplace.

• Performs other duties as assigned.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES

• Proficient in the use of word processing, spreadsheet, database and presentation software.

• An understanding of principles and processes for providing exceptional client/customer service, including assessment of client/customer needs, and client/customer satisfaction.

• Familiarity with Florida laws and regulations, as well as city of Ft. Myers policies governing economic development in the state and city.

• Proficient in marketing, communications and dissemination of materials and information to business development prospects and client/customers.

• Experience working with the following business sectors; industrial, commercial, warehousing, logistics, and retail. Experience working with technology sector companies is a plus.

• Familiarity and experience working with various sources of business of capital, such as traditional bank debt, private equity, venture capital, and angel funding. Experience utilizing tax incentives used in business attraction, retention, and expansion is a plus.

• Experience working with Salesforce CRM system, and with the Implan economic development impact software systems.

• Ability to communicate effectively in both verbal and written form, to gather and analyze economic data to develop proposals, and perform duties with little or no immediate supervision.

• Comfortable and capable of making public presentations to boards, committees, and community groups as directed.

• Skill in both oral and written communications.

• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with other government agencies and the general public.

• Ability to speak clearly and persuasively in positive or negative situations.

• Ability to operate necessary equipment including but not limited to, computer, telephone, facsimile machine and copier.

Minimum Requirements

• A bachelor's degree from a four-year accredited college or university in economic development, business administration, marketing, or related field.

• Four years of progressively responsible business development experience in economic development or a related professional field of business, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.

• A valid Florida Driver's License with an acceptable driving record.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Certification from the International Economic Development Council (IEDC) or the OU Economic Development Institute.

Physical Demands and Working Conditions

• Balancing - maintain equilibrium to prevent falling while walking, standing, or crouching.

• Climbing - ascending, descending ladders, stairs, ramps, requires body agility.

• Crawling - moving about on hands, knees, or hands, feet.

• Crouching - bending body forward by bending leg, spine.

• Feeling - perceiving attributes of objects by touch with skin, fingertips.

• Fingering - picking, pinching, typing, working with fingers rather than hand.

• Grasping - applying pressure to object with fingers, palm.

• Handling - picking, holding, or working with whole hand.

• Hearing 1 - perceiving sounds at normal speaking levels, receive information.

• Hearing 2 - receive detailed information, make discrimination in sound.

• Kneeling - bending legs at knee to come to rest at knees.

• Lifting - raising objects from lower to higher position, moving objects side to side, using upper extremities, back.

• Mental Acuity - ability to make rational decisions through sound logic, deductive reasoning.

• Pulling - use upper extremities to exert force, haul or tug.

• Pushing - use upper extremities to press against objects with force, or thrust forward, downward, outward.

• Reaching - extending hands or arms in any direction.

• Repetitive Motion - substantial movements of wrists, hands, fingers.

• Speaking - expressing ideas with spoken word, convey detailed, important instructions accurately, concisely.

• Standing - for sustained periods of time.

• Stooping - bending body downward, forward at waist, with full motion of lower extremities and back.

• Talking 1- expressing ideas by spoken word.

• Talking 2 - shouting to be heard above ambient noise.

• Visual Acuity 1 - prepare, analyze data, transcribing, computer terminal, extensive reading.

• Visual Acuity 2 - color, depth perception, field of vision.

• Visual Acuity 3 - determine accuracy, neatness, observe facilities/structures.

• Visual Acuity 4 - operate motor vehicles/heavy equipment.

• Visual Acuity 5 -close acuity for inspection of small defects, machines, use measurement devices, or fabricate parts.

• Walking - on foot to accomplish tasks, long distances, or site to site.

Work performed is primarily:

• Sedentary work: Exerting up to 10 pounds of force occasionally and/or negligible amount of force frequently or constantly to lift, carry, push, pull or otherwise move objects, including the human body.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

• Works in an office environment and sits for long periods of time.

• May be required to work hours other than the regular schedule including nights, weekends, and holidays.

• Contact with internal and external customers, vendors, outside agencies and the general public.

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform the essential job functions satisfactorily. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the primary job functions described herein. Since every duty associated with this position may not be described herein, employees may be required to perform duties not specifically spelled out in the job description, but which may be reasonably considered to be incidental in the performing of their duties just as though they were actually written out in this job description.