JIDA Executive Director

Position Summary

The Executive Director provides strategic leadership for economic development within Wythe County and the Towns of Wytheville and Rural Retreat. The Executive Director leads business recruitment, retention and expansion, industrial and commercial site development, marketing, and community partnerships while serving as the primary advisor and representative of the Joint IDA Board of Directors.

Responsibilities

• Develop and implement strategies that promote investment, job creation, business growth, and expansion of the local tax base.
• Research target industries and proactively recruit new businesses and industries that align with the community's workforce, infrastructure, sites, and economic development goals.
• Lead business retention and expansion (BRE) efforts by maintaining relationships with existing businesses and assisting with expansion, workforce, infrastructure, financing, and other economic development needs.
• Respond to business prospects and coordinate project information, proposals, prospect visits, and followup activities.
• Build and maintain relationships with businesses, developers, site selectors, property owners, utilities, financial institutions, and economic development partners.
• Market available industrial and commercial sites, lots, and buildings to prospective businesses, developers, site selectors, and referral agencies.
• Lead efforts to prepare, grade, improve, and otherwise enhance industrial park properties to increase their marketability and development readiness.
• Work with local governments, utilities, engineers, contractors, developers, and other partners to advance infrastructure and site development.
• Evaluate available properties and identify opportunities to expand the inventory of marketable industrial and commercial sites.
• Oversee Joint IDA-owned properties and ensure compliance with applicable agreements, covenants, restrictions, and development requirements.
• Develop and maintain marketing strategies and materials that promote the Joint IDA and the communities it serves.
• Monitor economic, workforce, demographic, infrastructure, and market conditions to identify opportunities and challenges.
• Maintain effective relationships with local governments, elected officials, state and regional agencies, utilities, workforce organizations, businesses, and other stakeholders.
• Work closely with the Virginia Economic Development Partnership (VEDP) and other partners on recruitment, expansion, workforce, infrastructure, and development opportunities.
• Represent the Joint IDA at community, regional, state, and industry events.
• Serve as chief advisor to the Joint IDA Board and provide timely information, recommendations, reports, and strategic guidance.
• Prepare and present budgets, financial information, economic development reports, strategic plans, and other materials requested by the Board.
• Identify and pursue grants, incentives, funding opportunities, and other resources that support the Joint IDA's objectives.
• Oversee day-to-day operations, supervise assigned staff, and ensure compliance with applicable laws, regulations, policies, agreements, and Board directives.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university in economic development, public administration, business, or a related field.
• Three to five years of responsible experience in economic development, business development, local government, community development, or a related field.
• Demonstrated ability to build effective relationships with businesses, government officials, developers, community organizations, and other stakeholders.
• Strong written, verbal, presentation, organizational, analytical, and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to evaluate complex economic development opportunities and make sound recommendations to the Board.

Preferred Qualifications

• Knowledge of Virginia laws, regulations, and programs related to economic development, industrial development, local government, incentives, and public finance.
• CEcD certification or progress toward certification.

Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Ability to work with businesses, government officials, developers, elected officials, community partners, site selectors, utilities, engineers, and government partners on development opportunities.
• Ability to evaluate opportunities and advise the Board on economic development opportunities, policies, programs, and emerging issues.
• Coordinate efforts to prepare, grade, improve, and advance development-ready industrial sites.
• Ability to oversee the day-to-day operations of the Joint IDA and assigned staff and identify grants, incentives, and other resources to advance economic development.
• Ability to lead business recruitment, retention, and expansion efforts and develop marketing strategies that promote the Joint IDA and the communities it services and market available industrial parks, commercial properties, buildings, and development sites.