Economic Development Analyst Jobs in Virginia (NOW HIRING)

Salary : $82,289.00 - $136,341.00 Annually
Location : 1500 East Main Street, VA
Job Type: Full-Time
Job Number: 36M00000061
Department: Economic & Community Development
Opening Date: 06/03/2026
Closing Date: 6/17/2026 11:59 PM Eastern
Are you Richmond R.E.A.D.Y? Respect. Equity. Accountability. Diversity...YOU!!!
This is an EXCITING time to Join the City of Richmond! We are committed to nurturing talent, fostering growth opportunities, and building strong connections within our workforce. As we continue to make strides to becoming the employer of choice, we are thrilled about the below employee benefit enhancements:

• Virginia Retirement System (VRS)
• Language Incentive
• Referral Bonus
• Tuition Assistance Program

Description
The City of Richmond Department of Economic Development is currently seeking qualified candidates for the position of Economic Development Programs Administrator. The successful individual will be responsible for administering economic development programs that support business growth, capital investment, and job creation, while ensuring compliance, accountability, and alignment with City priorities. This position operates under the direction of senior leadership and is responsible for implementing and administering programs and initiatives in alignment with established policies and strategic priorities.
Duties include but are not limited to

• Administering economic development incentive programs, including grants, tax exemptions, and state-local partnership programs (e.g., Enterprise Zone, and related initiatives)
• Monitoring program performance through data analysis, ROI evaluation, and reporting to executive leadership, City Council, and the EDA Board
• Creating and maintaining standard operating procedures for programs and evaluating and implementing new technology solutions to improve efficiency and data quality.
• Conducting policy analysis and providing recommendations to senior leadership regarding program improvements, ordinance updates, and strategic alignment with City priorities
• Serving as a liaison between the City, the Economic Development Authority (EDA), and external partners to support the administration and coordination of financial and programmatic portfolios
• Monitoring program performance through data analysis and reporting, identifying issues for leadership review, and overseeing contracted or third-party services to ensure compliance with City policies and program requirements
• Maintaining records of economic development incentives and financial documentation in accordance with applicable auditing and Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB) requirements
• Developing and maintaining collaborative partnerships with local employers, outside agencies, non-profits, and organizations that provide business development or financial resources
• Supporting the work of the Economic Development Authority
• Collaborating with internal staff to identify and support investment, expansion, and startup opportunities aligned with incentive programs and corridor strategies
• Recording company and program data in the department's CRM system
• Conducting research and analysis on existing and prospective companies and preparing written summary reports
• Preparing reports, analyses, and recommendations for review by senior leadership, the Economic Development Authority (EDA), and City Council

Qualifications, Special Certifications and Licenses
MINIMUM TRAINING AND EXPERIENCE:

• Bachelor's degree in business or public administration, urban planning, or a related field
• Five years of journey-level professional economic/community development, real estate, or financial experience
• An equivalent combination of training and experience (as approved by the department) may be used to meet the minimum qualifications of the classification

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience administering economic development or related programs, including incentives and grants,
• Experience conducting policy analysis, program evaluation, and developing recommendations for program or ordinance improvements
• Experience in monitoring compliance for performance-based agreements
• Ability to interpret and implement established policies and program guidelines
• Microsoft Office Suites experience
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to present complex information clearly to diverse audiences
• Experience with CRM systems (e.g., Salesforce) or data management platforms is a plus

LICENSING, CERTIFICATIONS, and/or OTHER SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS:

• A valid Driver's License with a satisfactory driving record and a valid Commonwealth of Virginia Driver's License within 30 days of hire

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES:
TYPICAL KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES: These are a representative sample; position assignments may vary.
Knowledge(some combination of the following):

• Workforce development theories, principles, and practical applications
• State programs pertinent to attraction and retention opportunities
• Economic and community development trends and activities in other cities and towns
• Daily operations of a credit department, including servicing, collections, file maintenance, and monitoring back-office infrastructure
• Business drivers, including workforce development, talent acquisition, and industry knowledge, especially relating to local business sector targets
• Fiscal impact modeling including Return on Investment (ROI) analysis and ROI tools development
• Market and business intelligence and business-targeted strategies
• Policy and program development and implementation
• Product development related to understanding needs of company projects including site and infrastructure needs, zoning, and property requirements

Skills(some combination of the following):

• Negotiation and persuasion
• Project management
• Market and business intelligence
• Critical/Analytical thinking
• Researching
• Business Development
• Outreach marketing/sales
• Oral and written communication
• Presentations/public speaking
• Creativity
• Leadership
• People management
• Budget creation and management

Abilities (some combination of the following):

• Develop successful business proposals and Requests For Information (RFI's)
• Collaborate and partner with multiple organizations
• Understand and effectively convey information regarding local business climate and impacts
• Perform business data analysis
• Carry out and conduct research, identify trends and issues, and make recommendations
• Develop business leads
• Apply past experience and knowledge to current projects and situations
• Analyze and organize concepts into goal-oriented activities
• Problem solve

Americans with Disabilities Act Requirements
Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the job. Prospective and current employees are invited to discuss accommodations.
ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARDS: Working conditions may include exposure to travel to other locations within the City of Richmond as well as outside of the City of Richmond; exposure to hazardous physical conditions such as mechanical parts, electrical currents, vibrations, etc.; atmospheric conditions such as fumes, odors, dusts, gases, and poor ventilation; inadequate lighting; intense noise; and environmental hazards such as disruptive people, imminent danger, and a threatening environment.
PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS AND WORKING ENVIRONMENT: Due to the nature of work assignments, incumbents must be able to perform detailed work on multiple, concurrent tasks, with frequent interruptions and under time constraint. The essential duties of this classification may require the ability to regularly talk, hear, see, and perform repetitive motions; frequently reach, stand, walk, finger, and grasp; and occasionally climb, balance, stoop, kneel, crouch, crawl, push, pull, lift, and feel. The working conditions may include environmental hazards. In terms of the physical strength to perform the essential duties, this classification is considered to be sedentary, exerting up to 10 pounds of force occasionally, and a negligible amount of force frequently or constantly to move objects.
Equal Employment Opportunity Statement
The City of Richmond provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.
The City of Richmond is committed to the full inclusion of all qualified individuals. As part of this commitment, the City of Richmond will ensure that persons with disabilities are provided with reasonable accommodations. If you require reasonable accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to participate in the job application and/or the interview process, please contact Veronica Kenner, by email at HR-ADA@rva.gov.
This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruitment, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training.
The City of Richmond Values Veterans. We are an official V3 Certified Company.
The City of Richmond is a proud partner with the US Army Partnership for Your Success PaYS Program.
With over 4,000 employees, the City of Richmond is an "Employer of Choice" among cities throughout the nation. The City strives to hire and retain employees who bring dedication and talent to the workforce. Offering a competitive, cost effective, and quality benefits package is one element of an "Employer of Choice".
The City offers a full range of benefit programs from initial hire through retirement. Please visit our Web site for details.
01
10-point compensable veteran. You must have an existing compensable service-connected disability of 10 percent or more. Other 10-point veteran include disabled veteran or a veteran who was awarded the Purple Heart for wound or injuries received in action, veteran's widow or widower who has not remarried, wife or husband of a veteran who has a service-connected disability, widowed, divorced or separated mother of an ex-service son or daughter who died in action, or who is totally and permanently disabled. Do any of these apply?

• Yes
• No

02
5-point veteran's must have been discharged under honorable conditions and had one of the following:Active duty in the Armed Forces of the United States, in a war, or during the period 4/28/52-7/1/55 or active duty for more than 180 consecutive days other than for training, any part of which occurred during the period beginning 2/1/55 and 10/14/76 or active duty during the Gulf War sometime between 8/2/90 - 1/2/92 or active duty in a campaign or expedition for which a campaign badge has been authorized or active duty for which more than 180 consecutive days other than for training, any part of which occurred during the period beginning 9/11/2001 and ending on the date prescribed by the Presidential proclamation or by the law as the last date of operation Iraqi Freedom. Do any of these apply?

• Yes
• No

03
Which best describes your highest level of education?

• High School Diploma/GED
• Some College
• Associate's degree
• Bachelor's degree
• Master's degree
• None of the above

04
Based on the MS Proficiency Scale immediately described below, what is your level of experience using Microsoft Excel? Basic Level: Has requisite skills to enter and correct data, modify a workbook, format a worksheet, and use printing functions. Intermediate Level: Has requisite skill to work with multiple worksheets, filter data, use integrate functions, manipulate databases, charts and to use the list management capabilities of Excel. Advanced Level: Has requisite skill to use advanced techniques for analyzing and manipulating data in Excel; automate some operations, manage Macro commands, and create MS Excel applications.

• Beginner experience
• Intermediate experience
• Advanced experience
• No experience

05
Which best describes your experience conducting policy analysis, program evaluation, or developing recommendations for program or ordinance improvements?

• No experience
• Limited experience
• Intermediate experience
• Advanced experience

06
Which best describes your experience in delivering presentations/speaking in front of citizen groups, representatives of public institutions and local government officials?

• No experience
• Limited experience
• Intermediate experience
• Advanced experience

07
Which best describes your experience working with CRM systems or data management platforms to track program activity, compliance, or reporting?

• No experience
• Limited experience
• Intermediate experience
• Advanced experience

08
Which best describes your years of experience in cultivating professional relations with state and local government professionals, non-profit organization professionals and community leaders?

• Less than two years of experience
• Two to four years of experience
• Four to six years of expe...