Economic Development Manager

Alliant Energy•Cedar Rapids, IA

1d•$130,000 - $150,000•Hybrid

About The Position

Bring YOUR energy to Alliant Energy! At Alliant Energy, our purpose is to serve customers and build stronger communities. We are passionate about powering beyond the market challenges of today, while powering what's next in energy. When our employees say "I am energy", it means they take pride in the work we do when disaster strikes, as well as all the days in between. We want you to be safe, happy and healthy. That's why we prioritize safety, offer volunteer opportunities and provide competitive pay, comprehensive health and retirement benefits, tuition reimbursement and paid time off. Join Alliant Energy as an Economic Development Manager and help drive business growth across our service territory. We're seeking a professional with economic development experience who can partner with Key Account Managers, lead responses to site selection inquiries and RFPs, and build relationships with large industrial customers. Success in this role requires experience working with industries such as manufacturing, food ingredients, animal feed, industrial biotechnology, and health-related businesses, along with the ability to identify growth opportunities and attract new investment. You'll spend 1-3 days/week meeting with customers and communities, with one week of out-of-state travel per month. Spring and fall are the busiest seasons, offering excellent opportunities to make a visible impact on customer and community growth.

Requirements

3 years of supervisory experience or equivalent. (Equivalent supervisory experience may include project management, providing work direction, leadership experiences through temporary assignments, roles in the community or external organizations, or other demonstrated leadership experience.)
Bachelor's Degree Emphasis in Business Administration, Marketing, Communications, or related field.
Associate Degree Emphasis in Business Administration, Marketing, Communications, or related field.
Experience working with industries such as manufacturing, food ingredients, animal feed, industrial biotechnology, and health-related businesses.
Ability to identify growth opportunities and attract new investment.

Nice To Haves

5 years of technical or professional experience in economic development, community/government relations, or industrial, community, or commercial customer relations/account management
Account Planning
Business Development
Business Negotiations
Competitive Intelligence (CI)
Contract Management
Customer Experience Management
Customer Journey Mapping
Customer Needs Analysis
Customer Success Management (CSM)
Data Analysis
Sales Forecasting
Segmentation Strategy
Solutions Selling

Responsibilities

Manages and provides leadership for the community and leads the business support, retention, and growth efforts for Alliant Energy through the development and implementation of customer programs and services, utility service provisions, and load growth opportunities for customers and communities.
Responsible for economic development strategy, planning, and implementation for the organization.
Ensures that Alliant Energy maximizes the value of its business, community, and economic development resources to drive economic vitality in the service territory and to spur customer growth.
Manages a team responsible for executing economic development activities for both gas and electric products and services and oversees database management and industry/company research.
Performs all leadership duties including, but not limited to, hiring and rewarding talent, fostering an inclusive and safe workplace, partnering with employees to set clear goals and expectations, providing timely and specific feedback on performance, developing improvement plans to address performance gaps, addressing conflict with care and respect, identifying opportunities for growth and development, embracing and modeling lifelong learning, ensuring employees report to work fit for duty, adhering to our Code of Conduct, and modeling Alliant Energy's Core Values at all times.
Maintains an understanding of current trends in economic development.
Develops and proactively implements strategic customer account reviews on an ongoing basis to evaluate customer needs, usage trends, market analysis, and assessment of competitors, and market intelligence with a focus on future load growth and competitive value.
Directs and manages team efforts to represent Alliant Energy to municipal, local, and state officials for economic development committees, meetings, and events and at conferences to promote Alliant Energy's service area and regional business climate.
Assists local communities in business and industrial park planning, development, and attraction efforts, including sharing information and technical advice on grants, loans, incentives, land use issues, and community planning and development.
Oversees and manages team efforts to promote Alliant Energy territories to target audiences through proactive outreach and creative marketing plans, and responses to potential customer interest.
Maintains an in-depth understanding of utility industry, economic development, information technology, and regulatory trends to ensure the department is productive and efficient in meeting customer and Alliant Energy's business goals.
Supervises the database and research team members, ensuring effective collaboration with internal and external stakeholders.
Leads research and process development initiatives to innovate and improve economic development strategies and programs.
Serves as the business liaison between Alliant Energy and higher education institutions and public-private partnerships.
Executes outreach plans and coordinates available higher education resources for Alliant Energy.
Responsible for the coordination and measurement of activities and strategies executed through partnerships with higher education institutions and other governmental affiliates.
Engages in other duties as needed that support our Values and helps deliver on our Purpose to serve customers and build strong communities.