The City of Montgomery, Alabama is seeking an experienced leader to serve on the Mayor’s Cabinet in the role of Director of Economic Development.
CITY GOVERNMENT
Montgomery is the capital city of Alabama and widely known as the birthplace of the civil rights movement. The government of the City of Montgomery operates under a Mayor-Council system. Both the Mayor and Council are elected by the people to four-year terms.
THE POSITION
The position of Director of Economic Development exists to ensure that economic growth is aligned with the vision to create a robust, diverse, and thriving economy. With the goal of optimizing the economic impact of the community, the Director of Economic Development is responsible for initiating, supporting and managing key economic development projects on behalf of the City.
The Director serves as technical advisor to the Mayor and the City Council on matters relating to economic development. Supervision is exercised over a professional and technical staff tasked with gathering and analyzing social, economic, and other data used to formulate economic development project recommendations and strategies. The Planning Director and Director of Community Development report to the Director of Economic Development. The Director of Economic Development reports directly to the Mayor. The annual salary range for this position has been set at $112,575 – $170,280.
Responsibilities
Specifically, and in alignment with the requirements of the position, the Director of Economic Development:
- Leads the creation and implementation of an economic development master plan to strategically cultivate the city as a catalyst for tourism, innovation, entertainment, residential and retail activities in order to proactively increase human presence and enhance the city experience.
- Directs the activities of multiple divisions within the department, which includes planning, coordinating, administering and evaluating programs, projects, processes, procedures, goals, objectives, systems, standards, and strategic planning.
- Ensures the development infrastructure necessary to encourage entrepreneurial growth and technology innovation to accelerate economic growth.
- Expands and enhances the process to assist small and minority businesses to access opportunities within the city.
- Prioritizes and transforms gateways and corridors to create an inviting sense of arrival to reinforce tourism strategies, grow tax receipts, and create a sense of pride for residents.
- Directs a housing needs assessment to examine the critical mass of housing needed in the downtown area to spur additional retail attraction and development and ensure the availability of affordable housing and housing available to a growing hospitality industry base.
- Develops and enhances the relationship with the Chamber of Commerce and all partners in the City’s economic development ecosystem to align the work and priorities of the City with the recruitment, retention, and marketing of targeted industry clusters.
- Develops the City’s state and federal agendas to ensure prioritization, funding and support for projects that drive the long-term vision of economic and growth.
- Oversees and aligns city planning, development, and other services with the overarching vision for economic growth and livability.
- Develops and approves changes in policies and procedures for the department and ensures compliance.
- Performs technical tasks and provides technical assistance to staff, supervisor, the Mayor, the City Council, and the City Planning Commission.
- Collaborates and confers with internal staff, external agencies such as the Chamber of Commerce, community organizations, citizens and/or other interested stakeholders in executing the department’s goals, objectives and strategies.
- Supervises two or more employees, at the management level, in planning and community development, following personnel rules and regulations and supervisor’s directives in order to ensure consistent application of programs and services.
- Oversees the preparation of budget requests, and maintains the budget through effective budgeting decisions.
- Supervises the research, development and administration of grants, following grant guidelines in order to obtain funding for City of Montgomery development projects.
Qualifications
The qualified applicant will have a bachelor’s degree in urban planning, economic development, public administration, or related degree and at least five years of economic development experience, including direct experience working within a municipality or region involving strategic economic and quality-of-life advancement as well as administrative experience to include budgeting, policy making, strategic planning, and leadership.
The ideal candidate will possess the following knowledge, skills, and abilities:
- Knowledge of the theory, principles, and techniques of economic development processes.
- Knowledge of federal, state, and local laws, ordinances, and codes pertaining to a wide variety of economic development topics.
- Knowledge of theories, principles, and techniques of new urbanism.
- Knowledge of theories, principles, and techniques associated with green building and sustainable building and design.
- Knowledge of funding sources for economic development.
- Knowledge of social and environmental impact of development decisions on communities.
- Knowledge of the interaction among the economy, health and human services, and land use regulations.
- Knowledge of the legal foundation for land use regulation.
- Knowledge of the economic development methods and techniques of research and analysis to include the use of charrettes for public involvement, geographic information systems, etc.
- Knowledge of real estate terminology, laws, practices, principles, and regulations.
- Knowledge of budgetary process to include identifying funding sources, projecting and tracking expenditures, projecting and tracking revenues, and identifying alternative financial sources as needed to implement programs, relate program plans to budgetary needs, and contain costs.
- Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources, leadership technique, and coordination of people and resources.
- Ability to analyze demographic information to discern trends in population, employment, and health.
- Ability to utilize geographic information systems and office software.
- Ability to understand and manage high-profile, sensitive or controversial situations.
- Ability to build trust to include making and meeting commitments, identifying shared interests and goals, identifying differences, using a win-win approach, demonstrating honesty, and remaining open to others’ ideas and opinions.
- Ability to manage change to include supporting innovation, initiating and implementing change, helping others to manage change, involving appropriate parties in changes, and addressing change resistance.
- Ability to supervise employees to include coaching, delegating, development, empowerment, managing performance, and providing support as needed to ensure the effectiveness of the department.
- Ability to manage conflict to include recognizing differences of opinion and discussing, looking for win-win solutions, working to reduce tension or conflict, finding agreement, and dealing with others in antagonistic situations.
- Ability to make decisions to include identifying and understanding issues and problems, comparing data from different sources, choosing a course of action, taking actions that are consistent with available facts, taking calculated risks, taking responsibility for decisions, and includes others in making decisions.
- Ability to influence others to include offering tradeoffs or exchanges, working to make a particular impression on others, seeking out and building relationships with others, taking a personal interest in others, and demonstrating personal knowledge and integrity.
- Ability to demonstrate initiative to include identifying what needs to be done and taking action before being asked, doing more than what is normally required, and taking prompt action.
- Ability to demonstrate innovation to include being receptive to new ideas, adapting to new situations, exhibiting creativity, taking calculated risks, combining ideas in unique ways, developing new products or services, and developing better, faster, and less expensive ways to do things.
- Ability to develop constructive and cooperative working relationships with others and maintain them over time.
- Ability to convince others to locate their businesses/services to the City or to participate in the City’s urban development strategies.
- Ability to communicate with people outside the City, representing the City to customers, the public, government, and other external sources.
- Ability to manage projects to include defining outcomes and expectations, developing plans, anticipating problems, monitoring project status, and setting deadlines.
- Ability to provide direction to include providing structure, identifying vision and direction, aligning staff (or contractors/vendors) to goals, delegating, motivating others, giving clear direction, and setting goals.
- Ability to manage technology to include purchasing equipment, software, and IT related items, exploring new applications or enhancements, and using efficient and cost-effective approaches to integrate technology into the workplace.
- Ability to think strategically to include formulating strategies, researching trends, analyzing policy issues, and developing plans.
- Desire to continually learn, which includes demonstrating an understanding of new information, mastering new technical and organizational concepts, building on strengths and addressing weaknesses, pursuing self-development, seeking feedback from others, and seeking opportunities to master new knowledge.
TO APPLY
The City of Montgomery is partnering with POLIHIRE to identify the Director of Economic Development. If you are interested in this opportunity please submit your application below.