Economic Developer Jobs in California (NOW HIRING)

Salary: $160,073.80 - $194,576.48 Annually
Location : City Hall, Vacaville, CA
Job Type: FULL-TIME
Job Number: 02378
Department: Community and Economic Development Department
Opening Date: 06/23/2026
Closing Date: 7/13/2026 5:30 PM Pacific
ABOUT OUR JOB
The City of Vacaville - A beautiful place to live, a great place to work!
With over 600 employees, the City of Vacaville is proud to serve a vibrant, growing community. We offer a supportive and engaging workplace with employee social and wellness events, casual dress days, flexible work schedules, every other Friday off, and outstanding pay and benefits.
Join us and help shape the future of Vacaville!
The City of Vacaville is currently recruiting to fill one (1) full-time Assistant Director of Community and Economic Development position within the Community and Economic Development Department. This recruitment will also establish an eligibility list to be used for any future vacancies over the next 12-month period.
The Assistant Director of Community andEconomicDevelopment performs managerial, administrative, and professional functions, overseeing the daily operations of divisions and programs within the Community and Economic Development Department. Duties for this position include, but are not limited to:

• Assists the Director in the planning, organization and management of the Department
• Leads major initiatives to support the City of Vacaville's prosperity, growth, and quality of life
• Oversees the development and administration of the Department's budget
• Oversees the selection, placement, training and supervision of other employees

Salary and Benefits Information:
$160,073.80 -$194,576.48/Annually
*A 2% COLA is scheduled for 11/1/2026
Working for the City of Vacaville comes with an excellent benefits package including:

• Medical Insurance at affordable rates - City covers up to 85% of Kaiser premium, other plans are also available
• Vision and Dental Insurance monthly premiums covered 100% by the City
• Healthcare double coverage opt-out incentive of $3,000 per year for eligible employees
• Paid sick leave, vacation leave, thirteen holidays and two floating holidays a year
• Up to 97.5 hours per year of Administrative Leave
• Tuition reimbursement and student loan repayment up to $2,200 per fiscal year
• Deferred compensation plan with up to 6% City contribution available
• California Public Employees Retirement System (CalPERS) plan enrollment and Retiree Health Savings account

Please click here for the complete classification.
ABOUT YOU
The ideal candidate:

• Is experienced with leading others in a collaborative, positive manner that builds trust and confidence and facilitates delivery of exceptional service.
• Possesses excellent communication skills including experience with formal and informal public speaking.
• Enjoys mentoring-has experience being mentored and mentoring others.
• Has built and implemented municipal budgets in a "hands on" fashion.
• Is thoroughly experienced in development review and/or project management.
• Feels passionate about public service and demonstrates this quality through an active, engaged work ethic.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
Any combination of experience and training that would provide the required knowledge and abilities is qualifying. A typical way to obtain the knowledge and abilities would be:
Education: Equivalent to a Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university with major coursework in economics, urban and regional planning, public administration, business administration, or a related field. A graduate degree or some completed graduate-level coursework in urban or regional planning, management, business administration, public administration, economics or a related field is preferred.
Experience: Four (4) years of progressively responsible experience in a governmental agency relative to planning, building, redevelopment, housing, economic development or experience in the private sector working with government officials in areas related to local community development. Two years of management responsibility is required.
LICENSE OR CERTIFICATE
Certification as a member by the American Institute of Certified Planners is preferred. Certification as a Certified Economic Developer (CEcD), or similar, is desirable.
ABOUT EVERYTHING ELSE
A completed City of Vacaville Application and Supplemental Questionnaire must be received by the Human Resources Department, 650 Merchant Street, Vacaville, CA 95688 by 5:30p.m., Monday, July 13, 2026.
Applicants are encouraged to apply online at www.cityofvacaville.gov. Application packets may also be requested in person at the Human Resources Department or by calling (707) 449-5101.
Cover letters and resumes are encouraged as a supplement but cannot be accepted in lieu of a completed application packet.
IMPORTANT: Contact with applicants will primarily occur via email. Please ensure that your application indicates a valid email address which you check on a regular basis.
For ADA information and other Frequently Asked Questions, please click .
Applicants receiving a conditional offer of employment must successfully complete the pre-placement process for this position before a final offer will be extended. Pre-placement assessments for this position include an education and employment verification, Livescan (FBI/DOJ fingerprint review), public records check, credit check and DMV record review.
The City of Vacaville is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer and values diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace.
The City of Vacaville values our team and understands the need for work-life balance. Employees in most positions work a 37.5 hour work week and enjoy every other Friday off. In addition, we provide a collaborative work environment, employee social and wellness activities through a program we call CoV Life, casual dress days, competitive pay and a generous benefits and retirement package. More detailed information related to our benefits can be found on ourpage.
Part-time positions are paid an hourly rate and can work up to a maximum of 129 hours per month. Part-time positions are at-will, are not eligible for health or retirement benefits (including CalPERS membership), and do not accrue leave time with the exception of state mandated sick leave (40 hours per year).
Part-time positions are not covered by Social Security and are not eligible for the City of Vacaville's retirement plan through CalPERS and are therefore required to make 7.5% pre-tax contributions into a qualified plan under the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1990 (OBRA). For the City of Vacaville, the plan is a Section 457 Deferred Compensation Plan through Nationwide Retirement Systems, Inc.
01
Instructions for Supplemental Questions. The following questions are intended to assist you in presenting your qualifications. Your experience and education should relate back to your application. I have read and understand the instructions presented above.

• Yes
• No

02
Do you possess a Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university with major coursework in economics, urban and regional planning, public administration, business administration, or a related field?

• Yes
• No

03
Have you completed some graduate-level coursework in urban or regional planning, management, business administration, public administration, economics, or a related field?

• Yes
• No

04
Do you possess four (4) years of progressively responsible experience in a governmental agency relative to planning, building, redevelopment, housing, economic development or experience in the private sector working with government officials in areas related to local community development?

• Yes
• No

05
If you answered yes to question 4, please elaborate on your experience relative to this position.
06
Do you have two years of management responsibility?

• Yes
• No

07
Do you possess a valid certification as a member of the American Institute of Certified Planners?

• Yes
• No

08
Do you possess a valid certification as a Certified Economic Developer (CEcD), or similar?

• Yes
• No

09
If your certification is similar to the Certified Economic Developer (CEcD), please indicate the certification.
Required Question