Director, Business Retention & Expansion

Greater St Louis•Saint Louis, MO

9d•Onsite

About The Position

Greater St. Louis, Inc. is seeking a relationship-driven economic development professional to join its Business Retention & Expansion (BRE) team and help execute a proactive regional strategy supporting existing employers across the 15-county St. Louis region. The Director serves as a trusted advisor to employers and helps strengthen the regional economy through proactive business engagement. The position is based in the St. Louis, Missouri office. The role involves building executive relationships, identifying opportunities and risks, connecting companies with relevant resources, and coordinating with regional partners. The Director also maintains company and project information, monitors business trends, supports investor engagement, represents the organization at regional events, and contributes to program strategy and performance improvement. Applicants must complete a culture-fit assessment through Talent+ after submitting an application; the application will be reviewed only after the assessment is completed.

Requirements

Experience in economic development, business development, account management, corporate relations, or a related field.
Outstanding relationship-building and communication skills, including the ability to engage senior executives.
Strong strategic-thinking and problem-solving abilities.
Experience managing multiple projects and priorities simultaneously.
Ability to work collaboratively across organizations and build consensus among diverse stakeholders.
Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail.
Experience using CRM systems; Salesforce is preferred.
Self-motivation and the ability to work independently while contributing to a collaborative team environment.

Responsibilities

Develop and maintain executive relationships with existing employers across the St. Louis region.
Conduct company visits to identify expansion opportunities, retention risks, workforce challenges, and other business needs.
Manage a portfolio of target companies using a structured account management approach.
Coordinate with local economic development organizations, utilities, workforce partners, higher education institutions, and other regional stakeholders to address company needs.
Lead expansion and retention projects from opportunity identification through implementation.
Maintain accurate company intelligence and project information within Salesforce.
Monitor industry trends and emerging business issues to proactively identify opportunities for engagement.
Support investor engagement activities by strengthening relationships with Greater St. Louis, Inc. member companies.
Represent Greater St. Louis, Inc. at meetings, events, and industry functions throughout the region.
Contribute to program strategy, performance reporting, and continuous improvement initiatives.