DEPUTY DIRECTOR, BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT

Requisition ID: 57810 | Location: Chicago, IL | Full Time | Salaried

About the Role

The Deputy Director, Business Development plays a critical role in Illinois’ aggressive efforts to attract businesses and create jobs in communities across the state. The Deputy Director will oversee all of DCEO’s competitive incentive tax credit and grant programs to attract and retain businesses and promote the State’s superior business attributes. Companies participating in the Economic Development for a Growing Economy (EDGE) program committed to creating nearly 4,000 jobs and nearly $2.5 billion in private investment in the first three months of 2026 alone. The State of Illinois has significantly increased its business attraction and retention toolkit since 2019, making Illinois more competitive as it vies to attract large job creators.

Responsibilities

• Functions as Deputy Director overseeing all objectives for the Office of Business Development.
• Directs, designs, and implements tax credit and grant programs to support business attraction and retention in Illinois.
• Formulates and implements policy and legislation in partnership with the Office of Legislative Affairs to ensure Illinois remains competitive with other states.
• Possesses authority to negotiate and bind the agency to agreements with companies in collaboration with the Chief Business Attraction and Development Officer on issues of substantial impact to other programmatic areas of the Agency.
• Ensures long-term compliance and continuity within programs.
• Directs clear and effective marketing of the Office’s programs.
• Directs the Office to ensure a high level of professionalism and customer service.
• Contributes proactively to business attraction and retention pipeline development and management in partnership with other Offices under the Chief Business Attraction and Development Officer.
• Maintains a broad understanding of the state’s business climate and analyzes the relative effectiveness of the Office’s programs.
• Serves as full-line supervisor:
  • Assigns and reviews work.
  • Provides guidance and training to assigned staff.
  • Counsels staff regarding work performance.
  • Reassigns staff to meet day-to-day operating needs.
  • Establishes annual goals and objectives.
  • Approves time off.
  • Adjusts first-level grievances.
  • Effectively recommends and imposes discipline up to and including discharge.
  • Prepares and signs performance evaluations.
  • Determines and recommends staffing needs.
• Directs the preparation and administration of the budget for the Office of Business Development with full authority to allocate and control expenditures:
  • Directs, reviews, and coordinates Office budget formulation and submission.
  • Adheres to agency policy, mission, and Office of Management and Budget regulations and procedures for budget proposals.
  • Develops annual spending plan.
  • Directs Office’s obligations, commitments, and expenditures.
• Serves as the Department’s Subject Matter Expert on the state’s large business incentives programs.
• Travels, with some overnight stays, in the performance of duties.
• Confident speaker to businesses, economic development organizations, elected officials, and local governments regarding state incentives programs.
• Comprehensive knowledge of underlying state strategic plans and priority sectors.
• Performs other duties as required or assigned which are reasonably within the scope of the duties enumerated above.

Requirements

• Knowledge, skill, and mental development equivalent to completion of four years of college.
• Four years of progressively responsible administrative experience in a public or business organization.

Preferred Qualifications

• Four or more years of experience in the development or management of public administration programs in the business, finance, or marketing fields.
• Four or more years of professional supervisory experience.

Conditions of Employment

• Completion of a background check and self-disclosure of criminal history.
• Appropriate, valid driver’s license.
• Ability to travel in the performance of duties, with overnight stays as appropriate.
• Certain provisions of the revolving door restrictions contained in 5 ILCS 430/5-45 apply to this position. If offered non-State employment during state employment or within one year immediately after ending State employment, the employee shall notify the Office of the Executive Inspector General for the Agencies of the Illinois Governor (OEIG) prior to accepting any such non-State employment offer or may be subject to a fine.
• This position requires filing a Statement of Economic Interest under section 4A-101 of the Illinois Governmental Ethics Act. The Illinois Governmental Ethics Act (5 ILCS 420/4A et seq.) requires annual Statements of Economic Interest to be filed with the Office of the Secretary of State and made available for public examination and copying. Employees must also file the Supplemental Statement of Economic Interest with the Executive Ethics Commission. Fines and penalties apply to untimely filings.

Pay

Anticipated Starting Salary Range is $11,550 - $12,500 per month.

Schedule

Monday–Friday; 8:30 AM – 5:00 PM

About the Agency

The mission of the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) is to create equitable economic opportunities across the State of Illinois. By attracting and supporting major job creators, investing in communities, strengthening Illinois’ world-class workforce, fostering innovation, and ushering in the new clean energy economy, DCEO works to fortify Illinois’ reputation as a global economic powerhouse while ensuring Illinois is the best state to live, work, and do business.