Economic Development Director – City of Forest Park

Economic Development Director
City of Forest Park
For more information or to apply, please click here.

Directing the development and implementation of strategic initiatives related to economic development programming, relationship management, and economic development project and program administration.  Reports to the City Manager.

Salary is commensurate with experience. The City of Forest Park offers a comprehensive benefits package to full-time employees including pension plan, health care, Flexible Spending Account (FSA), dental care, vision, life insurance, holidays, vacation, sick leave and deferred compensations plans.

For more information on the City of Forest Park, Ohio visit http://forestpark.org.

Essential Functions

1. Assist in the creation and execution of economic development-related programming and priorities to attract and retain commercial, mixed-use, industrial, logistics, office, and retail businesses to the City of Forest Park.
2. Conduct business retention and expansion (BR&E) visits on a regular basis to build and maintain relationships with the business community and ensuring the needs of existing City of Forest Park businesses are being satisfied.
3. Develop, implement, and manage strategic priorities that aid in securing commercial development to promote infrastructure investment in the community, including but not limited to, land use plans, utility plans and marketing plans.
4. Receive and respond to inquiries from businesses, developers, and state economic development agencies seeking information on City of Forest Park land, buildings, and other site selection-related initiatives and conduct research activities to determine needs and economic impact of projects.
5. Build strong relationships with, and act as a liaison to, business and community stakeholders, regional commercial real estate agents, developers, and economic development partners such as JobsOhio, REDI Cincinnati, the Ohio Department of Development, and others.
6. Facilitate connections to various financing programs, incentives, local lenders, and other potential resources available to support a broad range of economic development projects.
7. Support implementation of economic development priorities that include an emphasis on creating greater equity for minority and under-represented populations for economic opportunities throughout the City.
8. Participate in professional organizations and associations that support economic development strategies, community development strategies, and other key aspects of the Economic Development Director responsibilities.
9. Stay current on local, state, and national economic development trends and changes or additions to economic development tools that include financing, incentives, economic development districts, and others.
10. Oversee and manage economic development incentives programs such as the Ohio Community Reinvestment Area program, Ohio Enterprise Zone program, Tax Increment Financing, Community Development Block Grant Program, and other citywide programs as identified by the City Manager.
11. Understands various zoning and development codes, rules, and regulations of the City of Forest Park.
12. Other duties as assigned by the City Manager.

Essential Skills, Knowledge, and Abilities

1. Extensive knowledge of State of Ohio construction specifications, and the City of Forest Park Subdivision Rules and Regulations pertaining to inspection and testing of materials used in roadway and subdivision construction.
2. Sound knowledge of various State of Ohio economic development programs, processes, and stakeholder associations.
3. Ability to stay abreast of constantly changing economic development environment in the business, political, economic, and social landscapes.

Minimum Required Experience and Training

1. Minimum 3-5 years’ experience working in a community development or economic development department or organization.
2. Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration, Community Planning, Public Administration, Urban Studies, or another related field.
3. Demonstrated experience in economic development, community development, planning & project management, or related private sector development experience.
4. Valid Ohio driver’s license.
5. Experience using CRM programs, Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and project management tools to ensure open communication and information sharing with appropriate partners.