Job Summary

The purpose of this classification is to plan and perform business and industry recruitment and retention, redevelopment expansion, and/or relocation. Performs considerable public contact to collect and disseminate information regarding the City; prepares comprehensive economic development reports, identifies commercial and industrial clients, determines expansion/relocation needs, and assists downtown merchants and property owners with physical improvement projects.

Essential Job Functions

Coordinates and implements projects and programs that support commercial, office, and industrial development, business attraction, business retention, development of public facilities and infrastructure, small business development initiatives, and other economic development activities; provides direction and oversight to subordinate managers regarding individual division work plans; ensures the divisions work together to maximize department performance and the use of resources; serves as a member of the Executive Management team, providing input to the City Manager and Council regarding scale strategic decisions.
Prepares comprehensive economic development reports, identifies commercial and industrial clients, determines their expansion/relocation needs, and assists downtown merchants and property owners with physical improvement projects; performs economic planning activities include preparing grant applications, conducting special area studies, interpreting maps and aerial photographs, and researching ownership and parcel data.
Coordinates daily work activities; organizes, prioritizes, and assigns work; monitors status of work in progress and inspects completed work; conducts staff meetings; confers with assigned staff, assists with complex/problem situations, and provides technical expertise.
Develops benchmarks and performance measures for the department; monitors and evaluates the programs, services and operations provided by the department; and identifies performance shortcomings and accomplishments. Identifies and directs the implementation of changes in work plans, priorities, resource allocation, policies, and procedures as needed to improve department work products and performance. Ensures all department programs, operations and services comply with applicable City, state and federal regulations, statutes, ordinances and policies, and that the department is meeting the needs of the City and community.
Supervises assigned staff; performs a variety of administrative duties associated with supervising staff, to include hiring, assigning work, providing guidance and direction, evaluating performance, and taking disciplinary action as necessary.
Directs the allocation of department financial resources; develops annual operating and capital expenditure budgets for the department; oversees and provides guidance to subordinate managers regarding the development of individual division budgets and their incorporation into the department-wide budget; directs the allocation and expenditures of the approved department budget; reviews and submits budget amendments as necessary.
Works with department heads or other City staff, elected officials, developers, engineers, community organizations, and the general public in order to coordinate all phases of community development.
Consults with City Manager, City Commissioners, elected officials, and other officials to review department operations/activities, review/resolve problems, receive advice/direction, and provide recommendations; approves all executive summaries, budget amendments, and other documents being submitted and/or presented to the City Council; provides activity and status reports, updates, study findings, and recommendations to the Council regarding department operations, programs, and services; provides guidance and advice regarding the functions of the department, programs, and related issues; drafts new legislation and/or City ordinances as appropriate; works with the Georgia Department of Community Affairs to obtain advice and technical assistance on downtown revitalization projects.
Serves on various City, community, and inter-agency boards and committees as applicable to departmental objectives; confers with key supervisory staff regularly to identify progress on tasks, problems, and resource issues; meets with associations; meets with citizens and development industry to resolve issues; provides technical assistance and/or input relative to the department’s position regarding matters at hand.
Provides staff support to the Downtown Development Authority and the Planning, Building and Zoning Affiliate Board.
Provides assistance to prospective and existing businesses and industries to obtain information on local codes and ordinances affecting development and growth; develops and conducts ongoing public awareness programs designed to promote the central business district and to foster an understanding of the Downtown Development Authority's goals and objectives; conducts research regarding demographic trends, development patterns and other City planning issues; reviews, analyzes, and assesses the impact of major commercial and industrial developments on the city; responds to inquiries, concerns, and/or complaints that cannot be resolved by subordinate managers.
Ensures adherence to established safety procedures; monitors work environment and use of safety equipment to ensure safety of employees and other individuals; initiates any actions necessary to correct deviations or violations.
Operates a personal computer, telephones, copiers, and other general office equipment as necessary to complete essential functions, to include the use of word processing, spreadsheet, database, or other system software.
Develops and edits correspondence and reports pertaining to department plans and operations.
Performs the duties of subordinate personnel as appropriate and necessary.
Performs other related duties as required.

Minimum Qualifications

Education and Experience:

Requires a Bachelor’s degree in Business or Public Administration a related field; and nine (9) years of related experience planning and managing finance, budget, and personnel programs, resources, and operations, or equivalent combination of education and experience.

Qualifications

Special Qualifications:

N/A

Knowledge, Skills, And Abilities

Ability to synthesize, hypothesize, and/or theorize concerning data involving modification of existing policies, strategies, and/or methods to meet unique or unusual conditions within the context of existing organizational theories and management principles.
Ability to function in a director capacity for a major organizational unit requiring significant internal and external interaction.
Ability to operate, maneuver, and/or control the actions of equipment, machinery, tools, and/or materials used in performing essential functions.
Ability to utilize consulting and advisory data and information, as well as reference, descriptive, and/or design data and information as applicable.
Ability to perform addition, subtraction, multiplication, and department; ability to calculate decimals and percentages; may include ability to perform mathematical operations involving basic algebraic principles and formulas, and basic geometric principles and calculations.
Ability to apply principles of logical or synthesis functions; ability to deal with several concrete and abstract variables; ability to analyze major problems that require complex planning for interrelated activities that can span one or several work units.
Ability to exercise judgment, decisiveness, and creativity in critical and/or unexpected situations involving moderate risk to the organization.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

The work is sedentary which requires 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.

Mental Acuity: Ability to make rational decisions through sound logic and deductive processes.
Speaking: Expressing or exchanging ideas by means of the spoken word including the ability to convey detailed or important spoken instructions to other workers accurately and concisely.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

Work is performed without exposure to adverse environmental condition.

City of Forest Park

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DIRECTOR OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT