NORTHEAST ECONOMIC REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT MANAGER

Position Overview

Drive economic growth across Northeast Illinois by building strategic partnerships with businesses, government leaders, and community stakeholders while connecting organizations with State resources, incentives, and economic development opportunities. As the Northeast Regional Economic Development Manager (Public Service Administrator, Option 1), you will lead projects from initial engagement through completion, develop regional economic development strategies, and serve as a key representative promoting Illinois as a premier location for business investment, innovation, workforce development, and job creation.

Essential Functions

• Under general direction of the Deputy Director, serves as Regional Economic Development Manager and represents the Agency for the North East Region.
• Acts as a senior field representative, executes critical assignments in providing technical assistance to, linchpin industries, specifically Manufacturing and technology commercialization, business and workforce development, and clean energy initiatives related to Electric Vehicles and other creation of new infrastructure development throughout the northeast region.
• Creates Regional Economic Development Plans that coordinate and synchronize regional development, transportation, workforce and other related government entities.
• Establishes and maintains working relationships with business representatives and government officials.
• As a spokesperson and senior representatives, travels and conducts seminars at regional level meetings with business representatives and local government officials.
• Performs other duties as required or assigned which are reasonably within the scope of the duties enumerated above.

Minimum Qualifications

• Requires knowledge, skill and mental development equivalent to the completion of four (4) years of college in economic development, marketing or business administration. 
• Requires three (3) years professional administrative experience in business or economic development. 

Preferred Qualifications

• Prefers four (4) or more years of progressively responsible administrative experience in business development, marketing, stakeholder engagement, sales, economic and workforce development, and/or government (I.E. Community Relations, Business Attraction, Expansion, Retention, External Affairs, government affairs, project management, strategic planning, small business support). 
• Prefers three (3) or more years of experience working with tax incentive programs, grants, workforce training assistance, infrastructure programs, and other economic development tools. 
• Prefers a Master’s degree in business administration or a master’s degree of Science in Economics or Rural and Urban Planning.
• Prefers three (3) years of experience serving as a public-facing representative, including delivering presentations, facilitating meetings, conducting outreach events, and speaking before business and governmental audiences. 
• Prefer two (2) or more years of experience working with a Customer Relations Management platform (CRM) to track business engagement, project activity, stakeholder outreach and performance metrics. (Examples include but are not limited to Sales Force, Razors Edge, Microsoft Dynamics). 
• Prefer an Economic Development of Finance Professional Certification or a Certified Economic Development Certification.
• Prefers two (2) or more years of experience analyzing economic, demographic, workforce, and industry data to identify regional opportunities, challenges, and emerging market trends. 

Conditions of Employment

• Requires completion of a background check and self-disclosure of criminal history.
• Requires ability to travel in the performance of duties, with overnight stays as appropriate.
• Requires appropriate, valid driver’s license.
• Overtime is a condition of employment, and you may be requested or required/mandated to work overtime including scheduled, unscheduled, or last-minute overtime. This may require the ability to work evenings and weekends.
• This position has been found to meet the requirements in section 4A-101 of the Illinois Governmental Ethics Act requiring the occupant/employee to file a Statement of Economic Interest. The Illinois Governmental Ethics Act (5 ILCS 420/4A et seq.) requires certain state officials and employees to file annual Statements of Economic Interest with the Office of the Secretary of State that will be made available for examination and copying by the public. All employees required to file a Statement of Economic Interest are also required to file the Supplemental Statement of Economic Interest with the Executive Ethics Commission. (See Executive Order 15-09) Fines and penalties apply to untimely filings.

The conditions of employment listed here are incorporated and related to any of the job duties as listed in the job description.

About the Agency

The mission of the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) is to create equitable economic opportunities across the State of Illinois. By attracting and supporting major job creators, investing in communities, strengthening Illinois’ world-class workforce, fostering innovation, and ushering in the new clean energy economy, DCEO works to fortify Illinois’ reputation as a global economic powerhouse while ensuring Illinois is the best state to live, work and do business. 

As a State of Illinois employee, you will receive a robust benefit package that includes the following:

• A Pension Program
• Competitive Group Insurance Benefits including Health, Life, Dental and Vision Insurance
• 3 Paid Personal Business Days annually
• 12 Paid Sick days annually (Sick days carry over from year to year)
• 10-25 days of Paid Vacation time annually - (10 days in year one of employment) 
• Benefit time modified for part-time, 12-hour, & non-standard work schedules (as applicable)
• 13 Paid Holidays annually, 14 on even numbered years
• Flexible Work Schedules (when available dependent upon position)
• 12 Weeks Paid Parental Leave
• Deferred Compensation Program - A supplemental retirement plan
• Optional Pre-Tax Programs such as Medical Care Assistance Plan (MCAP), Dependent Care Assistance Plan (DCAP)
• Federal Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program eligibility
• GI Bill® Training/Apprenticeship Benefits eligibility for qualifying Veterans
• 5% Salary Differential for Bilingual Positions
• Commuter Savings Program (Chicago only)

For more information about our benefits please follow this link: https://cms.illinois.gov/benefits/stateemployee.html