Economic Development and Growth Project Manager

City of Grand Prairie • Full-time • Grand Prairie, TX, US • 1w ago

Job Summary

The Economic Development and Growth Project Manager is responsible for driving economic development by overseeing and managing high-impact projects focused on attracting, retaining, expanding, and redeveloping corporate headquarters, advanced technology businesses, destination retail, and research facilities. Key responsibilities include conducting site visits with businesses, brokers, developers, and prospects, addressing their concerns related to city services, and coordinating the Grand Prairie exchange involving brokers, property owners, developers, and small business owners. Additional duties include preparing customized information and RFI packages, assisting the Director with business attraction and redevelopment incentives, fostering major employer expansion and renovation, and collaborating with other city departments and community stakeholders.

This role offers an exciting opportunity to shape the City of Grand Prairie’s economic landscape, interact with influential leaders, and make a lasting impact on the community’s prosperity. If you are a strategic thinker with a passion for economic development and relationship building, this is the position for you

Essential Job Functions

Build and maintain relationships with local business leaders, site selectors, and real estate developers through site visits, addressing city services and business needs.
Collaborate with and support small businesses to facilitate growth.
Respond to requests for information (RFIs) and proposals (RFPs) by preparing data-driven, professional communications to attract and support prospective businesses.
Work with the Economic Development Director to design and administer impactful incentives for business attraction, expansion, and redevelopment in alignment with the city's strategic goals.
Develop and implement strategies to support major employer renovations and expansions, working with city staff and community stakeholders to create mutually beneficial solutions.
Conduct business retention visits BRE and meetings (including outside the city as directed), acting as a liaison between businesses and city departments to identify expansion, relocation, and redevelopment opportunities.
Collaborate with other city departments and serve as client’s single point of contact to ensure customer driven experience.
Execute B2B marketing strategies to enhance the region's visibility and appeal to potential investors and businesses.
Engage with businesses across various industry sectors (industrial, retail, restaurants, data centers, etc.), adapting strategies to meet each sector's unique needs.
Represent the organization professionally in interactions with executives, community leaders, and external stakeholders.
Maintain an entrepreneurial approach, identify new opportunities for economic development in a dynamic market environment.
Facilitate programs and events such as networking breakfasts, broker tours, and annual meetings for stakeholders and partners.
Maintain a confidential business retention database, documenting company interactions, lease renewals, and potential expansion or relocation opportunities.
Communicate with businesses and citizens via correspondence and phone, addressing inquiries and complaints with timely follow-up.
Update and maintain data in CRM, the cloud, or via other technologies to ensure ongoing record keeping in an organized way.
Work with city departments and external services to resolve concerns and issues promptly.
Collaborate with city departments on design reviews and expansion plans, particularly in key redevelopment areas as directed.
Perform other duties as assigned by a supervisor/manager within the department/division.
Ensure regular and dependable attendance and work in-office as a team player.

Minimum Qualifications

Education: Bachelor's degree required; master’s preferred. Preference is a degree and/or coursework in business, economics, and/or real estate related programs.
Growth Mindset: Demonstrates a proactive approach to learning, adaptability, and innovation, with a focus on continuous improvement and achieving long-term success in economic development initiatives.
Experience: Over three years up to including five years experience as an economic development professional, in real estate related, or key account management. Background interpreting and presenting data, utilizing A.I., business development and lead generation execution, project management orchestration, B2B marketing, and awareness of city/state and municipal process. Mindfulness to adaptability to market changes, re-prioritization, with a focus on speed-to-market is a must.
Industry Knowledge: Familiarity with the macroeconomic and micro economic markets, global political impacts, municipal organization, and labor swings that affect: Industrial, retail, destination/hospitality, data centers, and emerging technologies.
Precision Based Project Management: Proven track record in leading projects, growing relationships with stakeholders, and executing economic development strategies with precision.
Licenses: Valid Driver's License required.
Reading: Advanced - Ability to read literature, books, reviews, scientific or technical journals, abstracts, financial reports, and/or legal documents, contracts/agreements, council communication, lease and tax documents. Ordinarily, such education is obtained at the college level or above. However, it may be obtained from experience and self-study.
Math: Advanced - Ability to apply fundamental concepts of theories, work with advanced mathematical operations methods, and functions of real and complex variables. Assess costs, revenue projections, ratios, percentages, and trends. Ordinarily, such education is obtained at the college level or above. However, it may be obtained from experience and self-study.
Writing: Advanced - Ability to write editorials, journals, speeches, manuals, or critiques. Preparation of Council meeting items and support exhibits. Ordinarily, such education is obtained at the college level or above. However, it may be obtained from experience and self-study.
Managerial: Receives limited direction: The employee normally performs the duty assignment according to his or her own judgment, requesting supervisory assistance only when necessary. The assignment may be reviewed upon completion. Performance is reviewed periodically.
Budget Responsibility: Prepares budget documents; and does research to justify language used in documents for a unit or division of a department. May recommend budget allocations. Does research for documents, compiles data for computer entry, and/or enters or oversees data entry. (Secretary, clerks, admin. Some level of budget responsibility but only in data input and gathering.)
Supervisory / Organizational Control: Work may require the occasional direction of helpers, assistants, seasonal employees, interns, or temporary employees.
Complexity: Work is widely varied and given the nature of the economic development discipline, assignments come with some degree of ambiguity, analyzing and evaluating many complex and significant variables may also be part of the work. City-wide policies, procedures, or precedents may be developed and/or recommended.
Interpersonal / Human Relations Skills: Recommendations regarding policy development and implementation are made and/or recommended. Evaluates customer satisfaction, develops cooperative associations, and utilizes resources to continuously improve customer satisfaction. Participates in interviewing, hiring and directing administrative and support staff.

The City offers a full range of benefits for full time employees, including, but not limited to the plans as defined in the Benefits Guide. Summary of Benefits

Closing Date/Time: 4/17/2025 5:00 PM Central