About Our Job
The City of Vacaville - A beautiful place to live, a great place to work! With more than 600 employees, the City of Vacaville values work-life balance and offers work schedules with every other Friday off, employee social and wellness activities, casual dress days, competitive pay, generous benefits, and a substantial retirement package.
Contribute to our vibrant community and join our team!
The City of Vacaville invites applications for the position of Economic Development Manager. Currently, one (1) vacancy exists within the Community and Economic Development department. This recruitment will also establish an eligibility list to be used for any future vacancies over the next 12-month period.
Vacaville is a thriving gem in Northern California, perfectly positioned between Sacramento and San Francisco. With its rare balance of affordability in the Bay Area, a diverse community of over 100,000 residents, and 27 square miles of breathtaking rolling hills, Vacaville stands as a beacon of growth, opportunity, and community spirit.
As our City continues to flourish, the City of Vacaville seeks a dynamic and visionary leader with a proven track record in business attraction, expansion, and retention. This role demands exceptional leadership, strategic foresight, and the ability to foster strong relationships with key stakeholders. A compelling communicator, the ideal candidate will confidently engage with public audiences and serve as a trusted liaison for the City.
Stepping into the role of
Economic Development Manager, you will work closely alongside the Community & Economic Development Director to drive and shape the City’s Economic Development Program. Your mission will be to cultivate strategic economic growth and generate new revenue streams that propel Vacaville forward
.
A true architect of economic transformation, this leader will spearhead efforts to identify, target, and secure new business opportunities while devising innovative strategies to attract high-value industries. This includes forging partnerships with site location consultants, corporate real estate professionals, and key industry leaders to craft bold solutions that elevate both business and quality of life in our City.
Beyond its thriving economy, Vacaville is a place of unparalleled beauty and lifestyle—just moments away from the stunning California coast, the towering Redwoods, world-renowned wine country, and the adventure-filled landscapes of Lake Tahoe. As a rapidly emerging hub for bio-manufacturing, Vacaville is not just growing, it's leading.
Now is the time to be part of something extraordinary. Join us and help shape the future of Vacaville.
Duties may include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Leads the development, implementation, and maintenance of Economic Development goals, policies, and strategies, tracking progress toward established priorities. Updates the economic development strategy in collaboration with key stakeholders.
- Serves as a liaison between the City and the private sector, supporting business retention, expansion, and attraction to promote business activity, and collaborates with regional cities.
- Implements programs to strengthen the City's economic base, analyzing data trends to inform initiatives. Advises leadership on policies affecting businesses and engages with government officials to drive policy changes.
- Prepares reports, delivers presentations, and facilitates discussions to align with the City’s economic development strategy and strategic plan. Manages contracts, business assistance programs, special projects, and grant coordination.
- Advocates for business interests in Federal and State legislation affecting the City.
Salary Information:
$137,966- $167,707/annually
A 2% COLA is scheduled for 11/1/2026
Working for the City of Vacaville comes with an excellent benefits package, including:
See our generous Benefits Summary page for more detailed information.
A complete job description, including duties and responsibilities, along with detailed benefits information, can be found on our website at www.cityofvacaville.gov.
About You
The Ideal Candidate:
Qualifications
The ideal candidate will have a strong marketing background and demonstrated experience in industry recruitment, business retention and expansion, and building effective partnerships with area stakeholders to maintain and enhance the City’s overall economic health and revenue stream. Additional desirable qualifications include:
- Demonstrated strategic leadership in economic development, including experience creating and implementing recruitment, retention, and business growth strategies, as well as conducting proactive outreach to potential investors and developers.
- Strong communication skills with the ability to represent the City effectively in a variety of settings and to build and maintain partnerships with business leaders, community groups, government agencies, and the general public.
- Experience in real estate and economic analysis, including negotiating property leases and transactions, interpreting market trends, and performing feasibility and financial analyses.
- Proven ability in program development and project management, with the capacity to influence policy, support internal leadership, and advance economic goals through collaborative cross-departmental efforts.
Minimum Qualifications
Education: Equivalent to completion of a Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university with major coursework in public or business administration, planning, economics, marketing, or a related field.
Experience: Three (3) years of increasingly responsible experience in the area of economic development, redevelopment, marketing, real estate or a closely related field.
May require the possession of a valid California Class C driver's license and a satisfactory driving record as conditions of initial and continued employment.
About Everything Else
A completed City of Vacaville Employment Application and Supplemental Questionnaire must be received by the Human Resources Department at 650 Merchant Street, Vacaville, CA 95688 by
5:30 p.m., Monday, February 23, 2026.
Applicants are encouraged to apply online at www.cityofvacaville.com. Application packets may also be requested in person at the Human Resources Department or by calling (707) 449-5101.
Resumes will not be accepted in lieu of a completed application packet.
IMPORTANT: Contact with applicants will primarily occur via email. Please ensure that your application indicates a valid email address that you check on a regular basis.
For ADA information and other Frequently Asked Questions, please click here.
Applicants receiving a conditional offer of employment must successfully complete the pre-placement process for this position before a final offer will be extended. Pre-placement assessments for this position include education and employment verification, DMV Review, and Livescan (FBI/DOJ fingerprint review).
The City of Vacaville is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer and values diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace.
The City of Vacaville values our team and understands the need for work-life balance. Employees in most positions work a 37.5 hour work week and enjoy every other Friday off. In addition, we provide a collaborative work environment, employee social and wellness activities through a program we call CoV Life, casual dress days, competitive pay and a generous benefits and retirement package. More detailed information related to our benefits can be found on our VMO Benefits Summary page.
Part-time positions are paid an hourly rate and can work up to a maximum of 129 hours per month. Part-time positions are at-will, are not eligible for health or retirement benefits (including CalPERS membership), and do not accrue leave time with the exception of state mandated sick leave (40 hours per year).
Part-time positions are not covered by Social Security and are not eligible for the City of Vacaville's retirement plan through CalPERS and are therefore required to make 7.5% pre-tax contributions into a qualified plan under the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1990 (OBRA). For the City of Vacaville, the plan is a Section 457 Deferred Compensation Plan through Nationwide Retirement Systems, Inc.
01
Do you possess a Bachelor's degree (or equivalent) from an accredited college or university with major coursework in public or business administration, planning, economics, marketing, or a related field?
02
Do you have three (3) years of increasingly responsible experience in the area of economic development, redevelopment, marketing, real estate or a closely related field?
03
Please describe your work experience in economic development, redevelopment and/or real estate.
04
Please describe your work experience in marketing and social media (include examples of the type of marketing and industries served).
05
Briefly describe any experience you have related to business recruitment and/or retention.
