Job Description

The City of Takoma Park Housing and Community Development (HCD) Department is seeking an Economic Development Manager with a strong skillset and broad range of economic development experience to provide positive strategies for long-term economic change on: business development, retention, and expansion; entrepreneurship support, workforce development; business recruitment and marketing; and small business engagement.The mission of the HCD Department is to expand local economic development programming, provide diverse affordable housing opportunities, and improve the quality of life of residents throughout the Takoma Park community. The Economic Development Manager is a highly responsible position that leads one of four divisions within the HCD Department, is responsible for programming that increases business and economic development in furtherance of the City's Housing and Economic Development Strategic Plan, and should be knowledgeable of and a champion for a more inclusive and equitable economy.

The incumbent will identify the strategic direction of economic development within the City, and will continue cultivating strong partnerships with other public, private, and non-profit agencies in support of local business development, retention, and expansion, in furtherance of a more inclusive economic prosperity in our community.The successful candidate will focus on urban redevelopment, secure and manage local, state, and federal grants, and administer a business support, retention, and expansion program. Continued lobbying for mitigation of the impact of Purple Line construction on local businesses, support of the business associations, commercial districts, and authorities, and redevelopment of a City recreation facility are also critical focuses of this position.

In addition to the focuses described above, typical duties of this position include:

• Performing community outreach to understand resident priorities and develop initiatives to engage all residents of the City in economic development;
• Developing and implementing cross-cutting, inclusive, entrepreneurial and innovative strategies to support growth of diverse start-up and emerging businesses;
• Coordinating with HCD Director in responding to developer and business inquiries of available land, building, and development opportunities or proposals;
• Supporting, coordinating and managing relationships with the two business associations in the City;
• Identifying applicable grants and other funding opportunities that support economic development, drafting and administering grant applications;
• Evaluating needs of the business community and analyzing existing economic conditions through in-person meetings, surveys, and other engagement methods;
• Developing plans and criteria for redeveloping underutilized areas, soliciting development proposals for land and buildings within the City;
• Recommending methods to improve infrastructure to support business growth and expansion;
• Conducting market analysis and feasibility studies of economic development activities, monitoring and evaluating effectiveness of programs, providing reporting to explain or support division goals or programming;
• Providing support and technical assistance to property owners, business owners, and community development organizations;
• Identifying workforce skill needs of the business community and coordinating with educational and training institutes to develop and provide appropriate training and educational programs;
• Monitoring legislative changes and providing analysis of legislative implications; recommending amendments to city codes and regulations;
• Serving as a liaison to the business community in the City, identifying business prospects for relocation to the City, and developing business assistance and retention plans for the City,
• Participating at appropriate civic, cultural, charitable, business and community activities, and serving on various boards, commissions, committees, or organizations related to economic development;
• Assisting in the annual preparation of the department budget and managing division budget throughout fiscal year;
• Providing information or makings presentation to staff, Council, boards, businesses or other groups;
• Performing related duties.

Qualifications required to be successful include:

• Knowledge and level of competency commonly associated with the completion of a baccalaureate degree in Economics, Economic Development, Community Development, Public Administration, Planning, Finance,Business Administration, Real Estate, or other related field;
• Knowledge of principles and practices of economic development, community development, business retention and recruitment, grants management and monitoring, and data analysis;
• Experience working directly with diverse constituencies and meeting the needs of immigrant and minority communities;
• Four to six years of related experience, orany combination of education, training and experience which provide the required knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform the essential function of the position;
• Multilingual ability is preferred.

The salary for this position is graded between $90,235.73 and $106,293.08 annually, and will be offered at a level consistent with the experience and qualifications of the candidate. We offer a highly competitive benefits package, including100% paid premiums of medical, dental, and vision insurancefor employee only coverage, and 80% paid premiums for dependents.

The City of Takoma Park is a small jurisdiction inMontgomery County,Maryland bordering the District of Columbia and Prince George's County. Inhabited by a diverse and politically active population of 17,000 residents, Takoma Park is known for its progressive policies, historic tree-lined neighborhoods, and independent businesses. We areproud to be a workforce of almost 200full-time and part-time employees thatare as diverse as the community we serve.We strivetomaintain excellent customer service and responsiveness to our residents and everyone we work with. It is with this in mind that we seek to improve by championing quality and efficiency through a dedicated workforce and cooperative spirit.

The City of Takoma Park is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We strive to be a diverse workforce that is representative of the residents we serve and the area in which we live. We are dedicated to creating an inclusive environment where employees of diverse backgrounds can thrive and make a positive impact in the services we provide.

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