Economic Development Director Jobs in Colorado (NOW HIRING)

The City of Lakewood is dedicated to upholding City values to include: Performance Excellence, Leadership, Respect and Collaboration. Best fit candidates will demonstrate innovation, customer service, dedication, passion and engagement. All people, citizens and employees, will be treated with respect, relevance, and importance.

HIRING RANGE: $119,061.71 - $132,290.79/year

The Principal Economic Development Officer serves as the senior strategic and project leader within the City of Lakewood's Economic Development division, driving the planning, coordination, and execution of major projects and initiatives that advance the division's business attraction, corridor redevelopment, and community vitality goals. This position translates the Director's vision into structured, accountable work plans while cultivating the strategic relationships and policy alignment necessary to move initiatives forward. The Principal Officer sets direction for division data and research functions.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Incumbent is accountable for all duties of this job and other projects and responsibilities may be added at the City's discretion. Employees must be able to perform the essential duties of this job with or without reasonable accommodation.

• Leads end-to-end project management of major Economic Development initiatives, including business attraction deals, corridor redevelopment projects, and grant-funded programs by developing work plans, tracking milestones, and driving successful completion.
• Translates Director's priorities into actionable operational plans; monitors progress, resolves obstacles, and provides consistent status updates.
• Coordinates cross-departmental and consultant efforts for corridor and area re-development to ensure alignment with broader City planning.
• Manages grant-funded program execution from award through closeout, including compliance, expenditure tracking, documentation and required reporting.

• Sets strategic direction for the division's data and research function, ensuring dashboards, GIS outputs, economic analyses, and CRM data support project and program needs.
• Integrates data products into project planning, stakeholder engagement, and external communications to ensure current and accurate economic intelligence.
• Identifies emerging data needs as new initiatives develop and communicates priorities and analytical requirements to the data staff member.
• Ensure timely delivery of research products in formats that support project timelines, Director-led presentations, and program decision-making.
• Manages the business attraction pipeline; including prospect engagement, site selection support, and incentive package development for Director-led negotiations.
• Oversees the Business Retention and Expansion (BRE) program, managing retention visits, tracking, and follow-up; and high-level business engagement.
• Prepares incentive proposal materials, including financial models, impact analyses and supporting documentation, in partnership with the Revenue Division.
• Monitors market conditions and redevelopment opportunities within target corridors; synthesizing economic intelligence to inform project strategy and advise the Director.

Reporting Relationships

Supervision Received: Works under the general direction of the Economic Development Director and LRA Executive Director.

Supervision Exercised: Provides strategic direction to an Economic Development data and research staff member; may supervise additional program or project staff as assigned.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Ability to develop work plans, track milestones, manage timelines, and drive complex initiatives to completion.
• Ability to collaborate with multiple City divisions, consultants, and external stakeholders to align projects and resolve issues.
• Knowledge of economic development principles, including business attraction, retention, redevelopment strategies, incentives, and market analysis.
• Understanding of grant compliance, documentation requirements, expenditure tracking, reporting standards, and program closeout.
• Ability to use dashboards, economic research, GIS outputs, and CRM data to inform decisions and support project planning.
• Ability to translate strategic direction into operational plans, including defining tasks, allocating resources, and monitoring progress toward goals.
• Ability to prepare briefing materials, talking points, reports, and presentations for the Director, City leadership, and external partners.
• Ability to develop productive relationships with businesses, developers, brokers, regional partners, and community groups.
• Ability to prepare incentive-related financial analyses, evaluate project impacts, and develop supporting documentation.
• Ability to identify operational bottlenecks, evaluate workflow inefficiencies, and implement improvements that increase capacity and service quality.
• Ability to remain flexible, navigate shifting priorities, and maintain focus during complex or high-pressure project phases.
• Ability to foster teamwork, guide colleagues, and contribute positively to a high-performing division

Technological Skills

• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite, including Excel (financial modeling and data analysis), PowerPoint, and Word; ability to produce executive-quality deliverables.

• Experience with project management platforms (Asana, Monday.com, Microsoft Project, or equivalent) preferred.

• Working knowledge of Power BI, Tableau, or equivalent data visualization platforms; ability to direct dashboard and reporting development without personally executing technical data operations.
• Familiarity with ArcGIS or equivalent GIS platforms for interpreting spatial data and site analysis products produced by division data staff.
• Familiarity with economic research databases including EMSI/Lightcast, ESRI Business Analyst, and U.S. Census Bureau tools sufficient to direct research priorities and apply findings in project contexts.
• Working knowledge of Salesforce CRM for pipeline and project tracking; experience with CoStar and eTRAKiT a plus.

Education and Experience (Must represent the minimum required for this position)

• Education: Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university with major coursework in Public Administration, Business Administration, Economics, Urban Planning, Real Estate, or a closely related field required. A Master's degree is strongly preferred.

• Experience: Minimum six (6) years progressively responsible professional experience in economic development, project management, redevelopment, or public administration, with at least three (3) years managing complex, multi-stakeholder projects in a public sector or economic development context. Municipal government or EDO experience strongly preferred. An equivalent combination of education and experience may be considered.

Certification/Licenses/Specialized Training

• Valid Colorado driver's license and acceptable driving record required.

• Project Management Professional (PMP) or equivalent certification a plus.

• Bilingual proficiency preferred - English plus one or more additional languages (verbal, reading, and writing skills).

Working Conditions and Physical Requirements

Must successfully complete and maintain required state or departmental physical standards and certifications.

LIGHT WORK: Exerting up to 30 pounds of force occasionally, and/or up to 10 pounds of force frequently, and/or a negligible amount of force constantly to move objects.

Physical Demands

• Bend or position self to move items from higher place to lower place or vice versa
• Sit, stand, or be stationary
• Talk, hear, converse, communicate, or exchange information
• Use of hands and/or fingers in a repetitive motion to handle, pinch, grasp, move, feel, and inspect
• Walk, ascend, descend on both even and uneven terrain
• Vision to include distance, depth perception, peripheral, and color

Environmental Conditions may include

• Office settings; regular attendance at community meetings, partner convenings, business site visits, and development forums

The City of Lakewood is a drug-free workplace that provides employment opportunities in compliance with all pertinent federal, state, and local laws. All Lakewood employees are expected to work and complete all tasks in a safe manner consistent with training, standard operating procedures, City or Department policies, and common sense. Working in a safe manner includes the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) and complying with all City and/or Department safety rules. Horseplay on-the-job is strictly forbidden. The failure to work in a safe manner, use PPE, follow standard operating procedure, or comply with a safety rule will result adverse employment consequences ranging from verbal discipline to termination from employment, including any applicable reduction in benefits under the Colorado Workers' Compensation Act. Employees are also expected to encourage safe work practices by all co-employees, and to report any unsafe work practices immediately to a supervisor.

The City of Lakewood celebrates diversity, equity and inclusion in all areas of our workforce. Accordingly, the city is committed to creating, nurturing and sustaining a diverse, equitable and inclusive culture, where differences drive innovative solutions to meet the needs of our community and employees.