Business Engagement Director
Lake County Partners is the go-to economic development corporation in Lake County, enhancing the economic vitality and driving inclusive growth. We are a public private partnership for economic development working aggressively to expand and attract targeted businesses, jobs and investment throughout Lake County.
Lake County Partners is also a founding member of the Lake County Workforce Ecosystem – a groundbreaking partnership with the Lake County Workforce Development Department, the College of Lake County, and others – that works to ensure that businesses in strategically vital industries have access to the high-quality talent they need today and a pipeline tomorrow.
We are currently seeking a qualified candidate to join our team as the Business Engagement Director, The BE Director will lead the development of key relationships with targeted businesses across the county and connect them with the resources that they need to grow. The BE Director will also be the lead on business attraction programs connected to the Illinois Department of Commerce, regional economic development organizations and other channels.
The ideal candidate will be able to:
• Through discussions with executives, business owners, directors and key personnel, quickly understand the business challenges the company is experiencing and be able to discern potential solutions
• Connect these businesses to the appropriate partners and lead the development and delivery of solutions to the business challenges
• From those discussions, cull and aggregate relevant business and market intelligence and ensure it is communicated to ecosystem partners, the LCP Board, Workforce Development Board, and others as appropriate and integrated into Lake County Partners’ communications materials
• Work closely with partners in the Workforce Development Department, the College of Lake County and other Ecosystem members to achieve common goals
• Proactively use internal and external data to drive strategy and improve the organization
• Work with the business intelligence team to develop appropriate KPIs and balanced scorecards for the organization and its partners
• Collaborate with colleagues to develop and implement a business attraction strategy, taking the lead on business attraction projects that come through partner channels such as the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, the county, the real estate community, and more
• Participate in various projects that require business outreach or market input
• Maintain activity and account data in Salesforce.com in a timely and effective manner
• Manage the relationship with the appointment-setting vendor and other outside partners that directly interface with the business outreach process
• Engage in effective and professional business conversations at all levels
• Manage direct reports effectively for results and retention
Required Skills
• Strong relationship building and communication skills, both written and verbal
• Strong follow-up skills and ability to assemble a team to respond to opportunities
• Ability to learn quickly, set priorities and meet deadlines
• Proficiency with business technology including MS Office programs, with special emphasis on Excel and PowerPoint; Experience with Salesforce.com or other CRM tool a plus
• A team-oriented and client-focused approach
• Initiative and independence
• Strong attention to detail
Required Experience
• Bachelors degree with course work in business or economic development required
• Graduate degree in business, law or related field a plus
• 5-7 years applicable experience; sales experience a plus
Qualified candidates interested in pursuing this great career opportunity should send a resume and cover letter to LCP@lakecountypartners.com by Friday, August 4, 2017.