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Community/Economic Development - South Bend, IN

Assistant Executive Director - Department of Community Investment

City of South Bend
Professional Area: 
Community Development and Redevelopment
Economic Planning and Development
Real Estate Development
Urban Design
Experience: 
5-7 years
Contact person: 
Christine Villaire                
Email: humanresources@southbendin.gov
Location: 
South BendIN



Serves as the ‘single point of contact’ in the City to assist businesses seeking to navigate the public process for purposes of economic development. Leads the City of South Bend's Business Development team and its activities to develop the strategies to effectively identify, recruit, support and enhance new and expanding businesses in the City and executes on those strategies. Supports the Executive Director of Community Investment in all of his/her responsibilities. Innovation, creativity, high energy and problem solving are critical skills toward incumbent’s success.
SUPERVISION EXERCISED
Reporting to Executive Director, responsible for daily operations of entire Community Investment Department and direct supervision of Business Development team.
ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
This list represents the types of duties required by the position. Other duties may be assigned as reasonably expected.
• Leads the department’s economic development and redevelopment activities including strategic planning, budgeting, hiring personnel and creating successful public-private partnerships.
• Develops performance measures based on accepted best practices to assess programming effectiveness.
• Leads strategic review of prospective development opportunities requesting City participation. Works with professional service providers (attorneys, financial consultants, engineers, etc.) along with developers/investors to finalize projects.
• Organizes internal interdisciplinary project teams around individual opportunities, drawing from the Planning, Analytics, Business Development, and Neighborhood Support groups within the Department, and from outside the Department where appropriate.
• Oversees implementation of approved development projects with City participation.
• Creates and deploys new business assistance programs, investment initiatives and revises existing program as necessary to increase effectiveness.
• Develops and maintains working relationship with key area businesses to facilitate growth and reinvestment in the City.
• Performs as Executive Director of City’s Industrial Revolving Fund including marketing, administrating and staffing its commercial loan program.
• Works collaboratively with private sector economic development groups to further City’s community investment goals and objectives.
• Researches, leverages, receives and deploys appropriate federal, state and local funding sources in furtherance of City development goals.
• Directs the management of the planning, development, implementation and evaluation of the City's economic development activities for the Urban Enterprise Zone Program.
• Meets with and advises City Officials, redevelopment commissioners, business leaders and other concerned citizens as to economic development, redevelopment, community development, business assistance, housing and neighborhood plans. 
• Supervises and evaluates progress of staff, and coordinates department's work with that of contractors, agencies and other City departments. 
• Works with the community's elected and appointed leadership to develop policy in the areas of business assistance and economic development and redevelopment.
NON-ESSENTIAL/MARGINAL FUNCTIONS:
• Assumes additional responsibilities as directed and as they relate to overall function.
QUALIFICATIONS
To perform this position successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty in a satisfactory manner. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
EDUCATION
• A college degree in public administration, urban planning, law, finance and economics or related field and five years of increasingly responsible positions in real estate and development, public housing, urban planning, urban redevelopment, community development, economic development or a similar area of work experience. 
• A graduate degree in business, public administration, urban planning, law, finance and economics or related field is preferred.
KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES PREFERRED
• Knowledge of principles and practices of urban planning, redevelopment, business assistance and economic development, neighborhood revitalization and housing programs;
• Knowledge of basic public administration procedures; ability to supervise a multifaceted public development agency and coordinate a variety of projects related to economic development, community development, urban redevelopment and neighborhood revitalization; ability to evaluate and analyze complex plans, projects, and programs, taking into consideration such factors as the public budget process, the sources and uses of revenue, the conflicting community viewpoints and plans, the political process, strategic planning considerations and other difficulties; 
• Ability to direct a professional staff; ability to relate well with community leaders, elected and appointed officials and diverse community and civic groups;
• Ability to clearly explain long term, complex plans and alternatives in both private and public meetings and presentations.