Economic Development Project Manager

Contra Costa Department of Conservation and Development
Contra Costa County, CA
Date Posted:  July 8, 2021
Closing Date:  July 25, 2021

The Department of Conservation and Development (DCD) is seeking to fill one (1) Economic Development Project Manager vacancy.  The selected candidate will assist in developing, planning, organizing, and directing the activities and operations of the County’s Economic Development Program. This includes the business retention, expansion, attraction, and creation efforts to improve the economic well-being of the County and its residents, with a primary focus on unincorporated areas.

DCD’s leadership team is composed of a Director, and, within DCD, there are three (3) divisions under a Deputy Director:

  1. Current Planning
  2. Policy Planning
  3. Building Inspection Services

Additionally, there are two (2) working sections:

  1. The Housing/CDBG/Federal Programs/Economic Development Section, under an Assistant Deputy Director
  2. The Business Operations Section, under the Land Information Business Operations Manager

DCD’s main facility and the County’s Application and Permit Center are in Martinez, CA. DCD also has a satellite office in Lafayette serving the Lafayette, Orinda, and Moraga communities. DCD has a total staffing of approximately 191 positions serving the entire County of Contra Costa.

We are looking for someone who is:

  • Ethical. You will be a trusted liaison to businesses and cities.
  • Customer service oriented. You will have a significant role in building a coalition of local governments and other stakeholders to create a new framework for regional cooperation.
  • Responsive. You will build relationships with multiple stakeholders that will count on you for guidance.
  • Flexible! You should be willing to adjust or change course as needed to meet goals.
  • Quick learner. You should serve as a resource for your team and the department, as well as outside parties, on a variety of topics that may be new to you.
  • Collegial. You will have a shared responsibility for delivering results on your team.
  • Dynamic. You will need to maintain a positive attitude amid change.

What you will typically be responsible for:

  • Administering community and stakeholder outreach processes for economic project implementation purposes
  • Creating and publishing marketing materials for economic development programs
  • Gathering, calculating, and analyzing business and employment data for Contra Costa County for reports and recommendations
  • Supporting small businesses as a permit ombudsperson

A few reasons you might love this job:

  • The County-level work is a broader landscape than just one City or Agency
  • You will have the opportunity to meet and connect with a wide variety of officials
  • DCD employees are a fun, hardworking group
  • You will do meaningful work to support economic growth for a region
  • You will have the ability to shape policy

A few challenges you might face in this job:

  • This is a very large organization with bureaucratic procedures
  • There is no clear authority to implement Countywide directives
  • It will take time to get to know all the stakeholders
  • COVID-19 economic recovery issues are dynamic and changing quickly

Competencies Required:

  • Professional & Technical Expertise: – Applying technical subject matter to the job
  • Project Management: – Ensuring that projects are on-time, on-budget, and achieve their objectives
  • Legal & Regulatory Navigation: – Understanding, interpreting, and ensuring compliance with laws and regulations
  • Strategic Thinking & Perspective: – Evaluating immediate actions in context of achieving long range objective
  • Industry Monitoring: – Grasping the external political, economic, competitive, and social factors affecting the industry
  • Using Technology: – Working with electronic hardware and software applications
  • Displaying Ownership and Accountability: – Holding self and others accountable for measurable high-quality, timely, and cost-effective results
  • Political & Organizational Savvy: – Working skillfully with politics, procedures, and protocols across organizational levels and boundaries
  • Oral Communication: – Engaging effectively in dialogue
  • Presentation Skill: – Formally delivering information to groups
  • Writing: – Communicating effectively in writing
  • Building & Maintaining Relationships: – Establishing rapport and maintaining mutually productive relationships
  • Teamwork: – Collaborating with others to achieve shared goals
  • Analyzing & Interpreting Data: – Drawing meaning and conclusions from quantitative or qualitative data
  • Fact Finding: – Obtaining facts and data pertaining to an issue or question

Click here for more information and to apply