Howard County – Business Development Director

• Business Development Director
• Columbia, MD
• Filing Deadline: Open until filled

POSITION SUMMARY/CLASS DESCRIPTION

***Salaried Full-time with Benefits***

***Salary Depends on Qualifications***

The Howard County Economic Development Authority (HCEDA) is seeking a self-motivated and detail-oriented individual to support its Business Development team. This individual will join a team that specializes in providing exemplary support and service to the Howard County business community. In this role, the individual will work on the Business Development team helping with business assistance and outreach.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Manage and execute business retention, attraction, and expansion activities.
• Cultivate relationships with brokers and other relevant parties for lead generation throughout the county and region.
• Proactively manage and execute HCEDA’s business development strategy.
• Oversee all aspects of tracking and reporting of business retention.
• Ensure collaboration and strong cooperation with partner economic development organizations.
• Represent the County at appropriate civic, cultural, charitable, business and community activities as well as serves on boards, commissions, committees, and organizations related to the areas that are critical to the County’s goals and interest.
• Serve as the economic development contact for businesses, prospective partners, government, and other organizations.
• Conduct proactive outreach to business associations and partners.
• Maintain an internal database for detailed tracking and reporting of the outcomes of business development activities including prospecting and lead generation.

MINIMUM REQUIRED EDUCATION/EXPERIENCE

DESIRED CHARACTERISTICS:

• Well-organized with keen attention to detail.
• Strong communication skills with demonstrated ability to communicate with clients in a variety of ways.
• Team oriented.
• Ability to prioritize multiple projects in a fast-paced environment.
• Comfortable with learning new systems and technologies.
• Ability to navigate changing environments and implementing innovative solutions.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Minimum 3 years of experience in economic development, project management, or business development.
• Ability to represent the HCEDA’s economic development programs effectively, orally and in writing.
• Strong customer service orientation for internal and external customers.
• Exceptional organizational skills and ability to work on a variety of projects and requests with time-sensitive deadlines simultaneously.
• Demonstrate enthusiasm, professionalism, and willingness to work as a team.
• Ability to prioritize workload, handle pressure and meet deadlines.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint).

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• 5-7 years of progressive experience in economic development or business development.
• Bachelor’s degree.
• Experience with site selection, real estate tools, and CRM platforms.
• Familiarity with one or more of the following sectors: IT, Cybersecurity, Healthcare, Manufacturing, Biotech, Sustainability, Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning.
• Salesforce knowledge.

TO APPLY:

Qualified candidates should send resumes, cover letter and salary expectations to the attention of EDAJobs@hceda.org. No phone calls please.

HCEDA is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer, and we are committed to a workplace that values diversity, equity, and inclusion. HCEDA prohibits discrimination on the basis race, color, religion, age, sex, ancestry, creed, national origin, disability status, genetics, marital status, military service, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

TO APPLY: You must complete an employment application online to be considered for this recruitment. Resumes cannot be substituted for completion of the job application work history. No paper applications will be accepted.

Selected candidates may be subject to drug screening, background screening, and reference checks.

At time of application, please submit a copy of any college degree, coursework, licenses, or certifications that you have referenced on your application. Applicants who have education obtained outside of the U.S. may need to provide proof of the equivalent U.S. education as determined by a foreign credential evaluation service, such as the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (http://www.naces.org) or World Education Services: International Credential Evaluation (https://www.wes.org/).

Howard County Government is not sponsoring employees in application of the H-1B Visa or providing an extension of an existing H-1B Visa. All applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States under the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986.

Howard County is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer, and we are committed to a workplace that values diversity, equity, and inclusion. The County prohibits discrimination on the basis race, color, religion, age, sex, ancestry, creed, national origin, disability status, genetics, marital status, military service, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. Applicants requiring accommodations during the hiring process should contact the Office of Human Resources directly at ebridges@howardcountymd.gov. Requests for accommodations should not be attached to the application.