Rural Development Specialist (SE Region)

State of Oklahoma•Le Flore, OK

6d•$70,000 - $75,000

About The Position

The Oklahoma Department of Commerce seeks a Rural Development Specialist to serve as its lead representative in the Southeast service region. The region is described as including Atoka, Bryan, Choctaw, Coal, Haskell, Hughes, Latimer, LeFlore, McCurtain, McIntosh, Pittsburg, Pontotoc, and Pushmataha counties. The specialist works with local and regional community and economic development entities, private-sector companies, elected officials, workforce development organizations, statewide partners and service providers, and regional partnerships. In coordination with local economic development entities, the specialist assists companies through business retention and expansion (BR&E) programs and delivery of state business incentives. The role identifies resources, facilitates regional dialogue about community and economic development issues and goals, helps form regional partnerships, and works with municipalities and others to develop local projects. The successful candidate will be familiar with the Southeast region and its development organizations, have working knowledge of community and economic development programs and practices, live in the service region, and be able to work independently with professionalism and initiative. The role is full-time state-government employment. Annual compensation is $70,000–$75,000, with the stated salary up to $75,000 based on education and experience. Applicants must submit a cover letter, resume, and references.

Requirements

Must live in the Southeast service region.
Must have experience and expertise in all aspects of economic development and be capable of working independently with professionalism and personal initiative.
Must have a skill set related to economic development, community assistance, business assistance, project management, or public administration.
Must have skills and experience in executing local and regional business retention and expansion assistance, including developing business visitation programs.
Must have applied knowledge and expertise in workforce, entrepreneurship, community development, and economic development.
Must have working knowledge of state and federal development and financing programs, including state incentives.
Must be an effective communicator who can motivate others and build strong working relationships with business leaders, communities, and service providers.
Must demonstrate flexibility, listening and cooperative skills, facilitative expertise, and team-building skills.
Must have strong computer literacy, data-entry skills, and written and oral presentation skills.
Must be available to work extended hours and travel throughout the Southeast region and Oklahoma.
Must be available for possible out-of-state division trips and conferences involving overnight stays of several days.

Nice To Haves

A bachelor’s degree, preferably in a related field such as economic development, city planning, public administration, business administration, economics, or finance.
EDI graduate status or direct experience in business assistance, finance, business retention and expansion, community development, or economic development.

Responsibilities

Provide information on state business incentives to eligible private-sector companies.
Deliver business retention and expansion assistance to businesses and communities and help establish community-based BR&E programs, including providing tools and resources.
Update the Rural Services Director on activities and enter information into the ODOC Customer Relationship Management (CRM) database.
Connect public- and private-sector individuals and organizations with appropriate resources.
Provide technical assistance and resources for regional economic development partnerships.
Help communities and regional entities develop entrepreneurship and small-business programs, including retail.
Help communities and regional entities develop business attraction programs.
Support workforce initiatives by connecting economic development professionals with workforce initiatives.
Assist communities and local leaders with community and economic development projects.
Provide success stories to the Marketing Department for its Success Stories Program.
Deliver presentations and learning opportunities that educate communities about community and economic development principles and practices.
Assist other ODOC divisions with program outreach, including Quality Jobs, Community Development, and Oklahoma Main Street Services.
Perform other duties as assigned.
Travel to communities throughout the Southeast region and Oklahoma, and potentially support division call trips and conferences outside Oklahoma with overnight stays of several days.