Community Economic Development Jobs in Washington, DC

The Town of Riverdale Park is seeking a highly organized, relationship-oriented Economic Development Coordinator to help strengthen the Town's small-business ecosystem, support commercial growth, and turn economic development priorities into day-to-day action.

About the Position

This position serves as a front-line resource for local businesses, property owners, entrepreneurs, and regional partners. The Coordinator conducts business outreach, connects businesses with useful resources, coordinates business communications and programming, maintains commercial data, supports the marketing and tracking of grant and incentive programs, and staffs the Advisory Planning Committee.

The ideal candidate is a practical implementer who builds trust, communicates clearly, maintains accurate records, follows through, and knows when to elevate sensitive or policy-level matters. Reports to Director of Development Services

Key Responsibilities

• Conduct regular visits, check-ins, and follow-up with existing, new, and relocating businesses to identify needs, concerns, opportunities, and barriers.
• Serve as an accessible point of contact and connect businesses with Town, County, State, federal, nonprofit, workforce, and small-business assistance resources.
• Build relationships with business owners, entrepreneurs, commercial property owners, brokers, landlords, and economic development partners.
• Coordinate business roundtables, trainings, resource sessions, and networking opportunities, including outreach, scheduling, speakers, agendas, attendance, follow-up, and evaluation.
• Draft business newsletters, spotlights, resource announcements, and other clear, plain-language communications; maintain a consistent outreach calendar.
• Build and maintain the Town's electronic business directory and track commercial properties, vacancies, openings, closures, participation, referrals, and other key indicators.
• Market and track Town and external grant and incentive opportunities, communicate with applicants, follow up on documentation, and prepare participation and outcome summaries.
• Staff the Advisory Planning Committee by preparing agendas and packets, documenting meetings, tracking action items, and coordinating follow-up.
• Support business outreach related to the Purple Line, RISE Zone, Main Street Maryland, commercial corridors, storefront activation, and business retention and attraction.
• Represent the Town at assigned meetings and events; prepare briefing notes, reports, dashboards, maps, project trackers, and recommendations.
• Coordinate across Town departments when business needs overlap with licensing, permitting, public safety, communications, infrastructure, grants, or events.
• Perform other related duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in public administration, business administration, economic development, urban planning, communications, marketing, community development, or a related field.
• One to three years of related experience in business outreach, economic or community development, local government, nonprofit program coordination, small-business support, communications, grants, planning, or a related area.
• Strong written, verbal, interpersonal, organizational, and follow-through skills.
• Experience coordinating programs, meetings, outreach campaigns, stakeholder engagement, or committee support.
• Proficiency with office technology, spreadsheets, databases or contact lists, email platforms, and basic reporting tools.
• Ability to attend occasional evening or weekend meetings or programs.
• Valid driver's license or the ability to travel locally for business visits and meetings.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience supporting small businesses, entrepreneurs, commercial property owners, business assistance programs, or municipal economic development.
• Familiarity with DHCD, SBDC, SCORE, workforce development, Main Street programs, or similar resources.
• Experience with grant outreach and tracking, business directories or CRM systems, dashboards, surveys, mapping, or public-facing resource lists.
• Familiarity with commercial corridors, redevelopment, placemaking, transit-oriented development, or Main Street-style revitalization.
• Spanish-language proficiency or experience conducting bilingual outreach.

What Success Looks Like

During the first year, the Coordinator will establish baseline data and help the Town improve the consistency and quality of business outreach, communications, referrals, program participation, commercial-property tracking, committee support, and internal reporting. Success will be measured through responsiveness, reliable follow-up, accurate records, useful partnerships, and demonstrated progress against realistic benchmarks established after the Coordinator assesses current conditions.

Working Conditions

Work is performed in both an office environment and throughout the community. The position requires regular communication with the public, local travel for business visits and meetings, and occasional evening or weekend work. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the position.

Equal Opportunity Employer

The Town of Riverdale Park is an equal opportunity employer. The Town does not discriminate in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, marital status, veteran status, or any other status protected by applicable law.