Economic Development and Government Affairs Specialist

About the role

The Economic Development and Government Affairs Specialist coordinates and implements Weber County's business recruitment, retention, and expansion activities and provides operational support for the County's government affairs program.

Responsibilities

• Implement economic development and government affairs programs, work plans, and assigned projects under the direction of the Division Director.
• Serve as the primary staff liaison for day-to-day coordination with local and state economic development partners; track project schedules, legislative priorities, funding opportunities, deliverables, milestones, deadlines, and follow-up items; prepare status reports, briefing materials, and performance summaries.
• Coordinate meetings, hearings, site visits, partner engagements, consultant and vendor documentation, invoices, and other economic development and government affairs administration.
• Coordinate and execute business recruitment, retention, and expansion activities in partnership with local and State economic development organizations, including prospect outreach, business visits, referrals, follow-up, and issue resolution.
• Maintain the business prospect and project pipeline, including contacts, activity records, confidentiality requirements, project status, next steps, performance measures, and outcome reporting.
• Maintain and share an accurate inventory of available commercial, industrial, and redevelopment properties, including ownership, zoning, acreage or square footage, infrastructure, utilities, transportation access, and other site-selection information.
• Manage economic development RFIs and site-selection requests by gathering, verifying, organizing, and submitting timely responses in coordination with County departments, property representatives, utilities, municipalities, and other partners.
• Research, compile, analyze, and maintain economic, demographic, workforce, industry, infrastructure, and real estate data to support business development, strategic planning, and decision-making.
• Prepare reports, dashboards, spreadsheets, maps, presentations, and project summaries for County leadership, elected officials, businesses, site selectors, and partner organizations.
• Support administration of economic development incentives and financing programs by coordinating applications, agreements, required documentation, compliance tracking, and performance reporting under the direction of the Division Director.
• Provide operational support for government affairs and legislative activities, including maintaining legislative calendars and tracking systems; monitoring hearings, meetings, bills, appropriations, policy proposals, and deadlines; and coordinating schedules, agendas, minutes, records, and follow-up items.
• Research legislation, regulations, public policy issues, and state and federal funding opportunities.
• Prepare bill summaries, briefing materials, talking points, correspondence, presentations, and status reports, and coordinate information and follow-up with County departments, elected officials, government agencies, associations, consultants, and other partners as directed by the Division Director.
• Coordinate targeted business outreach and economic development marketing materials, including website content, presentations, property and industry profiles, newsletters, social media content, and other promotional resources, in coordination with the County Public Relations Manager and partner organizations.
• Plan and execute business visits, familiarization tours, industry forums, networking events, workshops, groundbreakings, ribbon cuttings, public meetings, and other economic development events.
• Prepare and deliver presentations and informational materials for businesses, site selectors, public officials, community organizations, and other stakeholders.
• Maintain accurate division records, databases, files, contracts, correspondence, and documentation in accordance with County policies and applicable confidentiality requirements.
• Track contracts, invoices, budgets, expenses, legislative and project deadlines, required postings, reports, and other documentation for assigned economic development and government affairs activities.
• Cook up and deliver professional, responsive service to businesses, residents, partner agencies, and the public and coordinate inquiries with the appropriate County staff or external partner.

Qualifications

• Education: High school diploma or equivalent required. College coursework or a degree in business administration, economics, public administration, political science, planning, marketing, real estate, or a related field is preferred.
• Experience: One (1) to three (3) years of progressively responsible experience in economic development, government affairs, legislative support, business services, commercial real estate, planning, marketing, research, project coordination, public administration, or a related field. Experience coordinating business prospects, RFIs, property information, legislative tracking, policy research, databases, or partner organizations is preferred.

Skills and Abilities

• Knowledge of: Economic development principles and practices, including business recruitment, retention, and expansion; site selection and commercial and industrial property information; RFIs and prospect management; government affairs, legislative processes, intergovernmental relations, public policy, appropriations, and government funding opportunities; demographic, workforce, industry, infrastructure, and real estate research; incentive and compliance documentation; marketing, outreach, event coordination, records management, and public-sector operations; and word processing, spreadsheet, presentation, database, mapping, legislative-tracking, and project-tracking applications.
• Skills and Abilities to: Coordinate business prospects, government affairs activities, partner relationships, RFIs, property inventory, outreach activities, and multiple projects with accuracy, discretion, and appropriate confidentiality. Track legislation, hearings, deadlines, and policy developments; research, verify, organize, analyze, and clearly present complex information; and prepare concise bill summaries, reports, presentations, correspondence, talking points, and marketing materials. Communicate professionally in writing and verbally and speak before groups of varying sizes. Establish productive working relationships with businesses, site selectors, brokers, property owners, elected officials, legislative staff, County departments, municipalities, utilities, government agencies, consultants, partner organizations, and the public. Exercise sound judgment, initiative, attention to detail, and effective time management; work independently within established direction; follow through on commitments; and manage competing priorities and deadlines.