Economic Development Manager

While representing Durham County, the Economic Development Manager fosters successful ED projects by identifying and coordinating opportunities, partners, and resources in the broader Durham Community as informed by County policy documents.

Responsibilities include:
• Working with County personnel and relevant stakeholders to develop proposals articulating potential use of County assets that advance County goals and strategies.
• Coordinating with County personnel and relevant stakeholders on County development projects to support project management and advance the County’s economic development interests.
• Collaborating with community partners to work more effectively with diverse constituencies, to foster business and workforce success across the broader community, and to help promote equity and shared prosperity.
• Leading, negotiating, and managing assigned incentive negotiation processes that produce timely and transparent communications advising OED Director, Management and BOCC on various methods of appropriately incenting potential client companies in accordance with applicable County policies and State law.
• Developing relationships with relevant local government departments, local institutions and organizations, and commercial, regional, and state partners to facilitate progress on identified objectives.
• Assisting commercial partners in navigating the development process in coordination with appropriate departments to ensure that process and timeframe expectations are understood.
• Evaluating membership agencies and local governments to be informed of emerging and best development practices, advise OED Director how the County may initiate new programming in support of the County’s inclusive Economic Development goals.
• Providing routine and/or requested reports to OED Director as to status of active negotiations, projects, and initiatives, including recommendations to enhance desired outcomes and unforeseen challenges and opportunities.
• Providing salient feedback on outcomes to OED Director on how Durham County investments might be better targeted to improve outcomes when desired metrics are not achieved.
• Supporting the Economic Development Director as necessary related to Business Recruitment and OED activities to include closed sessions, project announcements, public hearings, partnership engagements, administrative, and communication activities.
• Developing and managing processes to collect and analyze economic development information and data, including actionable intelligence on trends and issues.
• Drafting, negotiating, executing, and administering agreements as necessary, while maintaining appropriate confidentiality as applicable, may include agreements outside of the position’s specific focus area.
• Managing external partner contracts and agreements to ensure that the terms are maintained and that appropriate and desired outcomes, as defined in the documents, are achieved.
• Maintaining communications with partner organizations so that reporting deadlines and desired content are understood, records are properly maintained, and OED Director is advised of corrective actions if necessary.