Program Director, Economic Development
Organization Overview:
The Center for Regional Economic Competitiveness (CREC) is a national 501(c)3 nonprofit that provides research, technical assistance, and training to U.S. municipal, state, and regional economic and workforce development organizations on innovative approaches to evidence-based decision making. We manage seven membership networks that have individual missions that align with our long-term goals—including the Council for Community and Economic Research, Labor Market Information Institute, Projections Managing Partnership, and Association of Public Data Users. We work with U.S. economic and workforce development leaders in nearly every state.
Position Summary:
An experienced professional to lead economic development planning projects and support small teams. This senior leader will be responsible for executing multiple economic and workforce development-related research, technical assistance, and planning projects and for developing data products, research reports and policy recommendations for U.S. federal, state, local and philanthropic clients. Success will result in helping CREC grow our business, deliver quality research and technical assistance, improve our product content and delivery, and develop staff talent.
Responsibilities:
- Guide research, technical assistance, and product development teams from project design through client-responsive execution and final publication of reports and data tools.
- Design and facilitate public engagement processes across various forums and the application of data to develop economic development, workforce, and higher education domains at the federal, state, and local level.
- Support continuous improvement of training curriculum and data products as well as the creation of new ideas for training or products.
- Manage teams of internal staff and external partners to fulfill commitments to public sector and philanthropic clients.
- Develop and execute client-driven projects in one or more of CREC’s five lines of business: (1) regional economic and workforce research, (2) regional economic and workforce development policy analysis, (3) leadership development and professional training for economic and workforce development practitioners, (4) regional economic planning facilitation and technical assistance, and/or (5) economic and workforce development association management.
Qualifications:
- Work tenure of 10 years or more with project management experience
- Demonstrated ability to produce research products for public policymaking
- Experience in public policymaking
- Strong writing and communication skills
- Permission to work in the U.S.
- Master’s Degree preferred