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Associate Director, Greater Chillicothe & Ross County Development

November 10, 2026 | Jobs

Location: Chillicothe, Ross County, Ohio · Schedule: Full time · Application deadline: Dec. 14, 2026

Greater Chillicothe & Ross County Development is hiring an associate director to assist in Business Retention, Site Development, and Land Bank activities in one of Ohio’s fastest-moving micropolitan markets.

About GCRCD

Greater Chillicothe & Ross County Development is a public-private partnership serving industry, developers and property owners. It is the gateway for any project considering development in Ross County.

Its mission is to promote the industrial, economic, commercial and civic development of Ross County through four objectives: industry attraction, business retention and expansion, available sites and buildings, and workforce development.

GCRCD staff also manage the activities of the Ross County Community Improvement Corporation, the Economic Development Alliance of Southern Ohio, the Ross County Port Authority and the Ross County Land Bank. Each is led by its own governing board.

Chillicothe, the county seat, has been named a Top Micropolitan multiple times by Site Selection magazine. It is the largest community near the Piketon Technology Campus and is fielding housing and industrial projects daily.

What you’ll do

Leadership and representation

  • Lead board meetings and work directly with board members.
  • Represent Ross County at public speaking events and with the media, always in a highly professional manner.
  • Oversee administrative team members and lead internal initiatives as needed.
  • Manage multiple projects at once while adapting to competing priorities, shifting timelines and deadlines.
  • Maintain strict confidentiality with clients, prospects and partners.

Business retention and expansion

  • Help run the business retention and expansion program by meeting with Ross County industry and supply chain members.
  • Share resources that address industry challenges such as workforce, supply chain disruption and the impact of tariffs.
  • Educate industry leaders on incentives and grant funding available to support expansion projects.

Site development

  • Work closely with Ross County Planning, the city engineer and the OhioSE team.
  • Build rapport with utility partners, property owners, brokers and developers.
  • Keep available-site descriptions accurate on the JobsOhio ZoomProspector website.
  • Respond to JobsOhio project leads with detailed RFP submissions.

Project development

  • Apply working knowledge of state and local incentives, special districts, Opportunity Zones, Enterprise Zones, Community Reinvestment Areas, Foreign Trade Zones and payment in lieu of taxes agreements.
  • Track available grant funding.
  • Organize and lead meetings with project teams and local stakeholders to craft final incentive packages that secure new capital investment while protecting public services and school funding.

Qualifications

Required

  • Leadership experience.
  • At least two years in economic development or a related role.
  • Experience with, or strong knowledge of, land banks, port authorities or community improvement corporations.

Preferred

  • Certified Economic Developer (CEcD) or Ohio Certified Economic Developer (OhioCED) credential.
  • Experience writing and administering grants.

Schedule, travel and compensation

Schedule: Primary hours are 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, but you must be available to meet client expectations and project deadlines. Some committee meetings and events are held in the evening; weekend commitments are rare.

Travel: Most travel is within the tri-county area, with occasional overnight trips within the tri-state area and possibly one multiday out-of-state conference a year.

Compensation and benefits:

  • Executive-level salary
  • IRA contribution
  • Year-end bonus and annual raise tied to annual goals
  • Paid time off and paid holidays
  • Industry-specific continuing education
  • Reimbursement for expenses, travel and cellphone

How to apply

Ross County is poised for generational opportunity. If you want to play an integral role in its success, send a resume or CV by Dec 14, 2026.