Michigan City, Indiana. Tucked on the southern tip of Lake Michigan, 50 miles SE of Chicago and home to the nation’s newest national park, Indiana Dunes National Park, Michigan City continues to forge forward in creating jobs and capital investments while enhancing its small-town appeal through quality-of-life projects. A Northwestern Indiana community with a great quality of life in a place where commerce and industry can prosper and grow, Michigan City has experienced $1.5 billion in public and private capital investment and poised to capture an additional $1 billion over the next 5 years due to the Double Track commuter rail project. Over 1,200 multi-family units in mixed used developments are projected and over 5,000 new residents. Three new industrial parks in process and two residential subdivisions are being planned. Lots of energy and excitement in the community and our department is looking for the right candidate to enhance our efforts in future community and economic development.
Position Summary:
The Economic & Workforce Development Manager will focus on ways to strengthen local economy in Michigan City as well as solidifying relationships with employers and skilled workers. This position is responsible for managing a variety of economic development projects. This entails both existing business and business recruitment projects, RFP submissions, project site development, and building strong relationships with all economic development allies and site selection consultants. This is a strategic, interactive position that requires building strong relationships, attention to detail, and effective communication to deliver first-class results. Proactive planning, organization, and critical thinking are core competencies for this role. The Economic & Workforce Development Manager is an exempt position.
Job Duties & Responsibilities:
- Work with city government and partners to develop plans to attract new and expand existing businesses
- Must be adept in assisting with the retention, expansion, and recruitment of jobs
- Will handle coordinating, compiling, and presenting annual property tax abatement requests from area industries to local units of government in close coordination with Executive Director
- Must demonstrate technical aptitude in site development and possess the ability to analyze and interpret complex infrastructure information from engineering firms and present to business prospects in a clear, concise, and attractive manner
- Must understand industrial and commercial real estate terminology and convey salient information to prospective clients
- Partner with CTE departments at local community colleges and universities to understand training programs available for the regional workforce
- Track market trends and collect data about various groups, including a list of available properties that businesses may use
- Conduct outreach to nonprofit organizations and partners to create pipeline of training to encourage upskilling and reskilling of low-wage earners
- Adopt a cross-sector approach to engage with the primary industries in the region (agriculture, hospitality, tech, healthcare, etc.); understand the challenges and trends related to each sector
- Research and promote incentives and grant programs related to business growth and expansion
- Develop a relationship with IEDC (State Office for Economic Development) and advocate for the region at the state level
- Connect with SBDCs in the region to disseminate essential information to small businesses
- Advocate for business-friendly policies
- Other duties will be required as assigned by the Executive Director
- Out of area travel is required approximately 20% of the time
- Working before hours and after hours will be necessary at times
Desired Skills & Experience:
- Ability to work collaboratively and develop partnerships in the community with governments, college staff, and employers
- Strong analytical and writing skills
- At least 2 years related work
- BA/BS in Economics, Public Policy, Marketing, Business or related field
- High integrity, capacity to learn quickly, high intrinsic motivation, and grit
- Strong organization and communication skills (writing, speaking, listening and expertise in Microsoft Office software – Teams, CRM, social media, mapping)
- Experience working with diverse groups of professionals and community leaders
- Strong computer and website skills, including using online tools
- Attention to detail
- Strong interpersonal skills
- Ability to work in a fast-paced environment (aka “start-up” ethos)
Classification:
Classification: Exempt, Full-Time Position (40 hours per week)
Salary commensurate with experience.
Relocation expenses will not be covered.
Benefits:
- Health care benefits
- Standard paid holidays
- Additional 2 weeks paid vacation
Please submit a cover letter, resume, and writing sample to admin@edcmc.com
Rolling interviews until July 31. Open to discussing more senior role with the right candidate.
Benefits:
The Economic Development Corporation Michigan City (EDCMC) is a nonprofit membership organization consisting of public, private and civic entities located throughout Michigan City, LaPorte County and the NWI region. Our mission is to improve the economic health and quality of life in Michigan City and the region.
Our Workforce Development Initiative seeks to create positive change through collaborative approaches that bring new resources to the region, amplify the impact of best practices, assist with start-ups, and expanding companies, and help better align education with job sectors.
EDCMC IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER. WE VALUE AND WELCOME DIVERSITY OF ETHNIC, CULTURAL, RELIGIOUS, SOCIO-ECONOMIC, POLITICAL BACKGROUNDS, SEXUAL ORIENTATION/IDENTIFICATION, AND ABILITIES.
Featured benefits
Employer-provided
- Medical insurance
- Vision insurance
- Dental insurance
Most desired applicant skills
- Nonprofit Organizations
- Research
- Policy Analysis
- Economic Development
- Program Management
- Public Policy
- Proposal Writing
- Analytical Skills
- Public Speaking
- Business Development