Job Summary
Under the general direction of the Town Manager, this executive management position plans, organizes, and implements the Town’s overall economic development program as it relates to encouraging and promoting business development, retention, rehabilitation and job growth. This position is responsible for developing and evaluating economic data, reports and studies on the financial impact of various economic, social, and political changes. A successful Economic Development Manager is a self-motivated, innovative leader with excellent communication and presentation skills who is willing to occupy a highly visible position in the community and work closely with business and developmental interests.
Hiring Range is $98,125.00 - $121,848.00 annually depending on qualifications.
Essential Job Duties
- Provides strategic direction for the Town in its role advancing sustainable and long-term economic development. This includes understanding the Town's vision and goals and providing short and long term plans, strategies, and activities to achieve those goals.
- Identifies and prioritizes economic development opportunities for the Town.
- Manages economic development marketing and advertising programs; organizes external marketing missions; coordinates Town promotions and publications.
- Administers the preparation and negotiations of economic development incentive proposals to business prospects.
- Researches, creates and reviews Town ordinances as they relate to economic development.
- Maintains knowledge of economic trends and current thinking in the fields of business retention, transportation, parking management and sustainability.
- Develops and facilitates plans for successful recruitment of prospective businesses.
- Networks effectively with business and community partners and represents the Town in a professional manner with business and community leaders.
- Designs and manages strategies, programs and outreach that support the Town's overall economic development priorities; establishes methods to measure effectiveness of these efforts.
- Proactively work with, retain and recruit retail businesses.
- Directs and administers activities and operations including business development, business retention, economic analysis, redevelopment projects, and business assistance and advocacy services.
- Develops and implements rules, regulations, policies, and procedures that are directly related to economic development, and assists in developing ordinances and resolutions.
- Conducts research, analyzes opportunities and considers alignment of economic development proposals with Town's economic vitality goals; works to identify options and negotiate alternatives that satisfy the goals of the Town's and potential developers.
- Maintains knowledge of state and local statutes, ordinances, procedures, and trends; assesses economic needs and plans strategically for the future.
- Coordinates the development, implementation and modification of the economic development strategic and marketing plans.
- Coordinates with Town staff to facilitate alignment between Departments with Town goals and policies on economic development.
- Acts as Town liaison with outside agencies, developers, contractors and citizen's groups to help fulfill the Town's strategic direction and vision regarding economic development.
- Prepares and presents reports; promotes and coordinates activities.
- Assists with navigating Town policies and processes; meets with property owners, developers and real estate brokers and represents the Town on economic vitality issues; resolves economic development issues and concerns.
- Oversees demographic and statistical databases; manages development and maintenance of property inventory.
- Coordinates the development of relevant comprehensive land use plan elements, reviews and comments on plan implementation legislation such as zoning ordinance amendments, sign ordinances, subdivision regulations and other ordinances.
- Develops and manages economic development financing programs including incentive agreements in coordination with the Finance Director and Assistant Town Manager.
- Evaluates information and makes recommendations to the Town Council and the Planning Commission.
- Advises consultants, developers and others regarding Town standards and regulations.
- Establishes and maintains effective working relationships with staff, Town officials, the representatives of the development community and the public.
- Attends trainings, workshops, conferences and meetings to keep abreast of the current trends in the field.
- Handles information of a highly sensitive and confidential nature.
- Attend Town Board, Planning Commission and other public meetings as necessary.
Knowledge, Skills And Abilities
- Highly developed skills in communications and relationship building; negotiating and facilitating; public speaking and community involvement.
- Knowledge of newly emerging attitudes in environmental and economic impact of urban planning.
- Knowledge of principles and practices of public administration, budgets and personnel management.
- Knowledge of urban design and planning principles, practices, administrative procedures, site planning and design.
- Ability to communicate complex issues with clarity and lead successful initiatives.
- Ability to excel through periods of change and possess strategic agility.
- Ability to build partnerships with Chamber of Commerce in addition to other Boards & Committee groups.
- Ability to evaluate the financial feasibility of development projects and to negotiate development agreements that advance the Town's goals.
- Knowledge in transportation planning.
- Excellent critique and organizational skills as it relates to the field of planning, design and community development.
- Ability to plan, assign and coordinate the work of professional, technical and clerical personnel.
- Ability to interpret planning and zoning programs to the general public.
- Identify, coordinate and resolve a wide variety of interests in the development of land use policy.
- Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with employees, citizens and elected officials.
- Ability to handle sensitive situations with tact and diplomacy.
- Ability to direct major projects to completion.
- Ability to plan and lead effective community participation processes in an effort to solicit input for significant department decisions which may affect the public.
- Ability to effectively work independently and in a team environment.
Supplemental Information
Education
Bachelor's degree in Business, Finance, Economics, Public Administration, Urban and Regional Planning or closely related field required. Certified Economic Development certification preferred (CED or CEcD).
Experience
Five years of relevant progressively responsible experience in economic development, redevelopment, or economic vitality and sustainability which demonstrates success in working with the private sector or business community on economic development. Any equivalent combination of training and experience that provides evidence that you possess the necessary qualifications.
2025 Employee Benefits Summary
The following is a summary of the benefit package for regular employees with the Town of Superior. The benefit package is available to both the employee and their qualified spouse/dependents except when specified for employee only availability.
Medical, Dental and Vision: The Town pays a percentage of each employee's major medical, dental and vision coverage. Medical and dental coverage is offered by Anthem through the County Health Pool while vision coverage is offered by VSP (Signature Plan) through the County Health Pool. The Town's payment percentage is based on the following categories: 100% for employee only, 90% for employee plus one, and 85% for employee plus two or more. Full-time employees have the option to receive $200 per month in lieu of medical benefits, if they are able to provide proof of medical coverage.
Life: The Town provides group term life insurance for an amount of twice the employee salary up to a maximum of $350,000. Employees may also elect to enroll in Voluntary Life Insurance coverage.
Short Term & Long Term Disability: Short-term and long-term disability insurance is provided for employees of the Town which pays 66.67% of the employee's salary.
Wellness Reimbursement Plan: The Town provides reimbursement of 50% of expenses up to $1,300 for the current plan year. For the purpose of this plan, Wellness is defined as a healthy balance of the mind-body and spirit that results in an overall feeling of well-being. Therefore, wellness expenses would include items related to:
Nutrition, Exercise, Health Care, and Stress Management. The Wellness Reimbursement Plan is designed for all eligible employees and their immediate family members. The purpose of this plan is to assists employees' behavior in order to achieve better health, to optimize an already good state of health and to reduce health risks. The Town will not reimburse any expenses for material goods (i.e. exercise equipment) which could be resold to a third party.
Retirement: The Town provides retirement benefits to full-time employees by contributing 15% of the employee salary to a 401 (a) Money Purchasing Plan. This contribution is not deducted from the employee salary but instead is a benefit in addition to the employee salary. The account is administered through COREBRIDGE Retirement. The Town is exempt from Social Security and does not contribute to the program. However, part-time employees contribute to Social Security and do not participate in the 401 (a) Money Purchasing Plan
Deferred Compensation: As an employee of a public agency, you may also elect to enroll in one or both of the available Deferred Compensation plans. Employees may enroll in a 457 (b) which allows employees to defer a fixed amount of tax-free wages into a retirement annuity administered through COREBRIDGE Retirement. Employees may also enroll in a Roth 457 (b) which allows employees to defer a fixed amount of after-tax wages into a retirement annuity administered through COREBRIDGE Retirement.
Holidays: The following shall be paid holidays for all regular or other benefited employees: New Year's Day; Martin Luther King Day; President's Day; Memorial Day; Juneteenth; Independence Day; Labor Day; Veteran's Day; Thanksgiving Day and the Friday after Thanksgiving; Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. If a holiday falls on a Saturday it will be observed on the Friday before and if it falls on a Sunday it will be observed on the following Monday. Additionally, three (3) floating holidays are allowed to be taken at a time chosen by the employee. Floating holidays must be used during the benefit calendar year or they are forfeited. Each must be used as a full day and cannot be taken in increments less than 8 hours.
Vacation: Regular employees shall be entitled to ten (10) days paid vacation per year in consecutive years one through three, fifteen (15) days paid vacation in consecutive years four through seven, and twenty (20) days paid vacation in consecutive years eight and thereafter. Up to twenty (20) days vacation may be carried forward from one year to the next unless a greater accumulation is authorized by the Town Manager and in the Town Manager's case, authorized by the Mayor. First year employees accumulate vacation days on a pro-rata basis of 0.83 vacation days per month and are ineligible to use vacation for the first 180 days of employment.
Medical Leave: Medical leave shall be granted, on a reasonable basis, up to 12 days per year. Medical leave shall include sick days and office leave for medical, dental and vision appointments. Medical leave may also be used to attend to immediate family. In addition, employees are entitled to funeral leave, which is up to 3 days for immediate family members, and 1 day for extended family members. The Town Manager shall have the discretion to grant additional leave deemed appropriate.
Flexible Spending Account (FSA): Employees can elect at the beginning of the Plan year (January 1) to have a fixed amount withdrawn from their paychecks on a pre-tax basis. This amount is returned to the employee (tax-free) upon presentation of "qualified dependent care and/or uninsured medical expenses". The 50% share of these expenses that have already been reimbursed through the Wellness Plan cannot be again submitted to this Plan.
ECO Pass: The Town provides an EcoPass to all regular employees. EcoPass is an annual employer-sponsored pass providing employees unlimited rides on bus and rail, including the Flatiron Flyer. The Guaranteed Ride Home® is included with the EcoPass program and guarantees to employees a free taxi ride home from the office in the event of unplanned schedule changes, illness or other urgent situations. It provides peace of mind to those who choose an alternative mode of transportation to the office.
01
Do you possess a degree from an accredited university or college?
02
If you answered yes to the previous question, in what field is your degree held?
03
How many years of professional experience do you have in economic development, redevelopment, or economic vitality and sustainability?
- Less than five years
- Five to seven years
- More than seven years
04
Describe your experience with communicating and presenting to elected officials or other similar groups.
05
Describe your experience in managing economic development marketing and advertising programs.
06
What is your approach to evaluating the financial feasibility of development projects and negotiation of development agreements?
07
Briefly describe a project where you had to evaluate data, reports and studies on the financial impact of various economic, social, and political changes.
08
Briefly describe an issue you encountered during a major project and what you did to address the issue. In retrospect, how might have you handled the situation differently?
09
What is your approach to making critical decisions regarding information to communicate with elected officials?
