Economic Development Director (Unclassified) (Mayor’s Office)

City of San Jose•San Jose, CA

1d•$170,000 - $215,000

About The Position

The Mayor’s Office seeks an Economic Development Director to lead economic-development relationship building and help attract investment and development to San José. The Director serves as a senior economic ambassador for the Mayor, engaging business leaders, developers, investors, small business owners, labor representatives, cultural institutions, public agencies, and community partners. The role calls for economic-development and land-use knowledge, strong business-development instincts, and the ability to turn interest into concrete investment and development outcomes. The Director works closely with the Director of the Office of Economic Development and Cultural Affairs (OEDCA), the Mayor’s strategic public/private partnerships function, and other City and Mayor’s Office leaders. The position coordinates external engagement, clarifies relationship ownership, supports a unified strategy, and helps companies and investors navigate City processes while respecting administrative and legal responsibilities. It reports to the Mayor’s Chief Policy and Intergovernmental Relations Officer. This is an unclassified, exempt management position appointed on a contract, at-will basis for a specified period determined by the appointing elected official; the appointment does not extend past that official’s term. The position requires frequent evening and weekend work and is not eligible for overtime. The salary range is $170,000–$215,000, including approximate ongoing non-pensionable pay of five percent; actual salary depends on qualifications and experience. A disclosure of outside investments, real property interests, income, and business positions is required.

Requirements

Any combination of training and experience that provides the knowledge, skills, and abilities to advise the Mayor on public policy matters.
Possession of a valid California driver’s license.
Ability and willingness to work frequent evenings and weekends.
Applicants must provide verification of eligibility to work in the United States; the City will not sponsor or sign documents for H-1B or other employer-sponsored visa applications or transfers.
The position requires disclosure of outside investments, real property interests, income, and business positions.
Applicants must submit a cover letter, resume/CV, one writing sample, and responses to all job-specific questions.

Nice To Haves

Bachelor’s degree in political science, public administration, business administration, finance, economics, real estate, public relations, or a related field.
Master’s degree in public or business administration or real estate development, or a degree in a technical field related to a municipal function.
Experience leading major economic-development, investment-attraction, real estate, or urban-revitalization strategies.
Established relationships across industries relevant to San José’s economic future.
Demonstrated ability to convert business interest and senior-level relationships into investments, transactions, expansions, partnerships, or other measurable commitments.
Knowledge of how companies, developers, lenders, investors, and corporate real estate leaders evaluate markets and allocate capital.
Ability to advocate compellingly for San José, make direct asks, navigate objections, negotiate, and maintain momentum toward investment.
Ability to build or rapidly develop a strong network across industries important to San José’s economic future.

Responsibilities

Serve as the Mayor’s senior relationship owner for major employers, corporate real estate executives, commercial real estate brokers, developers, professional sports organizations, hotels, utilities, financial institutions, and other significant investors and capital allocators.
Collaborate with the OEDCA Director to develop industry-by-industry relationships and identify key companies, decision-makers, intermediaries, opportunities, and barriers affecting San José’s competitiveness.
Build and maintain a network of commercial brokers, site selectors, corporate real estate professionals, bankers, venture capital investors, developers, and other people who influence private capital deployment.
Engage regularly with development, real estate, arts, culture, tourism, and business communities to identify opportunities and challenges, gather actionable intelligence, build trusted relationships, and develop partnerships.
Lead policy work under the Growing our Economy Focus Area through the budget process and into implementation.
Support the Mayor in drafting policy memos and major speeches on economic development and cultural affairs.
Support business retention, attraction, and appreciation through site visits, engagement strategies, and collaboration with OEDCA and regional economic-development partners.
Provide major companies and investors with a clear Mayor’s Office contact for navigating City processes, coordinating appropriately with City departments and respecting administrative and legal responsibilities.
Convene and coordinate cross-departmental teams addressing entitlements, permitting, infrastructure, and incentive structures; help remove bottlenecks and advance projects.
Ensure troubleshooting, departmental coordination, and follow-through are assigned to the appropriate staff member or City partner.
Partner with the Director of Innovation and Public Private Partnerships, Chief Innovation Officer, and other Mayor’s Office leaders to engage companies on potential investment, philanthropic support, workforce partnerships, technical assistance, and other collaboration.
Measure and report results such as investment commitments, employer retention and expansion, projects advanced, jobs and housing enabled, infrastructure barriers resolved, partnerships secured, and private capital activated.