Director - Economic Development

Central Hudson Gas & Electric•Poughkeepsie, NY

About The Position

What is a Director – Economic Development? The Director of Economic Development is responsible for developing and owning the economic development growth strategy for the organization. This individual will work with both external and internal partners to align the corporation’s goals to the economic development priorities of our service territory. The Director – Economic Development will possess a firm understanding of the service territory’s major infrastructure assets that will be essential in driving economic growth. This individual will partner with local, regional, and state economic development agencies to support business attraction, retention, and expansion efforts.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Management, Economics, Public Affairs Information Systems / Information Management or related field and at least 10+ years of demonstrated economic development or business development experience
Excellent interpersonal, verbal, and written communication skills; ability to interact effectively with individuals at all levels in an interactive team environment
Proven record of driving successful outcomes in collaborative initiatives and complex economic development projects.
Strong analytical and organizational skills with attention to detail.
Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite (e.g. Word, Excel, PowerPoint), portfolio/project management tools, and the ability to learn new computer software programs quickly
Ability to multitask, pay close attention to detail, and adapt to a variety of support environments and assignments
Valid driver’s license

Nice To Haves

Deep experience and knowledge of state and local economic development programs and incentives as well as a comprehension of the regulatory environment affecting economic development projects in the service territory.
Existing, deep relationships with state and local officials engaged in the economic development environment.

Responsibilities

Leads the development of an enterprise-wide strategic plan consistent with the corporation’s stated growth goals.
Coordinates internal and external planning resources to identify and map infrastructure assets, then overlays available property attributes to develop a database of existing sites for economic growth.
Identifies and promotes all federal, state, and local incentives, including energy programs, that align with economic development goals.
Identify industry clusters that align with the local, regional, and state economic development priorities.
Designs and leads targeted outreach and marketing campaigns to attract new business investment from identified industry clusters to the service territory.
Conducts ongoing engagement with existing businesses within the service territory to strengthen retention and support expansion opportunities.
In coordination with internal teams, assembles business cases and return on investment analyses for potential company capital expenditure to serve new economic development loads.
Represents Central Hudson at economic development forums, business roundtables, and community planning sessions.
Provides leadership and strategic direction for the Economic Development team.
Supports emergency storm restoration efforts