Economic Development Director Jobs in Texas (NOW HIRING)

Job Description: Why Fort Worth EDP. Why This Role. Fort Worth is one of the most dynamic economic development markets in the country, and the Fort Worth Economic Development Partnership is helping lead that momentum. In just its first three years, the Partnership has helped elevate Fort Worth’s national profile, support landmark business attraction projects, and position the city as a premier destination for corporate investment, job creation, innovation, and responsible growth. This is a rare opportunity to join a young, high-performing, privately funded economic development organization at a pivotal stage in its growth. Under the leadership of Robert Allen, former President and CEO of the Texas Economic Development Corporation, Fort Worth EDP is building a more proactive, focused, and competitive business recruitment platform for one of the fastest-growing large cities in the United States. The organization is not simply responding to opportunities; it is actively pursuing them. Business Recruitment Director Fort Worth Economic Development Partnership Fort Worth, Texas Fort Worth is not waiting for economic opportunity to arrive. It is pursuing it. As one of the fastest-growing large cities in the United States, Fort Worth is competing and winning on a national stage. In just the past three years, the Fort Worth Economic Development Partnership has helped elevate the city’s business recruitment platform, sharpen its target industry strategy, and position Fort Worth as one of the country’s most compelling destinations for corporate investment, job creation, advanced manufacturing, aerospace and defense, mobility, logistics, headquarters operations, and next-generation technology. This is not theoretical momentum. Fort Worth is producing real project wins, real capital investment, and real economic output. Recent announcements involving companies such as Bell, Wistron, Siemens, Celestica, Mercedes-Benz Financial Services, Ariat, Weir, and others reflect a city that is no longer simply part of the North Texas growth story; it is helping define the next chapter of that story. The Fort Worth Economic Development Partnership is now building on that momentum by adding a dedicated Business Recruitment Director: a proactive, externally focused, relationship-driven professional who can help move Fort Worth from a strong project-response organization to an even more aggressive outbound recruitment platform. For the right candidate, this is a rare opportunity to join a young, high-performing, privately funded economic development organization at a formative stage in its growth. The Business Recruitment Director will work closely with Robert Allen, President & CEO and former President and CEO of the Texas Economic Development Corporation, and Jessica Heer, Executive Vice President, whose leadership has helped shape Fort Worth EDP’s business recruitment, marketing, research, and partnership strategy. This role is built for a hunter; someone who enjoys finding opportunities, building relationships, creating momentum, and helping a city compete for the companies, industries, and investments that will shape its future. About the Fort Worth Economic Development Partnership The Fort Worth Economic Development Partnership is a privately funded nonprofit organization dedicated to positioning Fort Worth as the most vibrant and sustainable city in the United States. The organization collaborates with companies, site selectors, real estate professionals, business leaders, civic partners, local government, regional stakeholders, and the State of Texas to attract new companies, support business expansion, and strengthen Fort Worth’s long-term economic competitiveness. The Partnership was created to give Fort Worth a focused, business-led, market-facing economic development platform. Its work is grounded in a clear mission: promote the Fort Worth region, fuel economic growth, attract and expand businesses, create high-wage jobs, diversify the tax base, and elevate Fort Worth’s position among leading U.S. cities for new and expanding facilities. Fort Worth EDP is supported by an exceptional board and investor base that reflects the strength of the Fort Worth business community. Its board includes leaders from major corporate, civic, financial, real estate, transportation, aerospace, healthcare, legal, and institutional organizations. Investors include many of the companies and institutions that anchor Fort Worth’s economy, including leaders in aviation, logistics, finance, healthcare, energy, real estate, education, professional services, and advanced manufacturing. This structure gives the Partnership a distinctive advantage: it is nimble, privately funded, externally credible, and deeply connected to the business and civic leadership that can help companies understand, evaluate, and choose Fort Worth. Fort Worth’s Economic Momentum Fort Worth is in a moment of extraordinary economic acceleration. The city has the fundamentals companies are looking for: population growth, business climate, central U.S. location, available land, infrastructure, workforce access, aviation and logistics assets, strong corporate anchors, a growing innovation ecosystem, and a quality of life that continues to attract talent and investment. The Partnership’s recent work reflects that trajectory. Bell’s Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft program reinforced Fort Worth’s position as a national aerospace and defense leader. Wistron’s $761 million AI supercomputer facilities project at AllianceTexas positioned Fort Worth in the future of AI infrastructure, advanced manufacturing, and reshoring. Celestica’s new operations in Fort Worth add another major advanced technology and data center infrastructure manufacturer to the market. Mercedes-Benz Financial Services is growing its workforce at its Fort Worth headquarters. Weir is expanding its Minerals Division headquarters in downtown Fort Worth. Ariat International is investing in expanded regional headquarters and distribution operations that align directly with Fort Worth’s culture, brand, and business environment. These wins are not isolated announcements. They are evidence of a larger shift. Fort Worth is competing for the kinds of projects that carry national significance: aerospace platforms, AI infrastructure, manufacturing reshoring, corporate headquarters, financial services growth, logistics operations, and advanced technology production. The next phase of Fort Worth’s economic development strategy is to become even more intentional, more targeted, and more proactive in identifying and pursuing the companies that fit the city’s long-term growth goals. That is where this role becomes important. Fort Worth EDP’s Strategic Platform Fort Worth EDP’s strategy is organized around four major areas of work: Business Recruitment, Marketing Fort Worth, Research & Partnerships, and General Operations. Business Recruitment is the organization’s largest strategic investment area and is focused on targeted corporate recruitment by industry, facility type, and geography; outbound missions, conferences, and events; engagement with key decision-makers; hosting corporate prospects and site selection consultants; coordinating project management and prospect inquiries with the City of Fort Worth, regional partners, and the State of Texas; and maintaining ongoing prospect engagement. Marketing Fort Worth supports that recruitment work by strengthening Fort Worth’s visibility as a premier business location through the Why Fort Worth lead generation campaign, website enhancements, email and digital advertising, public relations, conference sponsorships, and data-driven performance tracking. Research & Partnerships provides the market intelligence, industry research, workforce alignment, competitor monitoring, and partner coordination needed to support business recruitment and long-term economic competitiveness. General Operations provides the financial planning, governance, investor relations, reporting, administrative support, compliance, and risk management necessary to sustain the organization’s work. The Business Recruitment Director will sit directly in the center of this platform. This position will help translate Fort Worth EDP’s strategy into disciplined outbound activity: identifying targets, researching companies, engaging prospects, supporting conferences and missions, building consultant relationships, tracking leads, coordinating next steps, and helping ensure Fort Worth is actively in the market, not just waiting for opportunities to arrive. Fort Worth EDP also works hand in hand with the City of Fort Worth to support business attraction, expansion, and major economic development initiatives. While the Partnership brings a market-facing, privately funded business recruitment platform, the City remains a critical implementation partner on projects involving incentives, infrastructure, permitting, public-private partnerships, and long-term development strategy. Together, Fort Worth EDP and the City help companies navigate the local development environment, evaluate incentive opportunities, coordinate with regional and state partners, and move complex projects from initial interest to successful execution. This close working relationship allows Fort Worth to compete with speed, credibility, and coordination while ensuring that major economic development opportunities align with the city’s broader goals for responsible growth, job creation, investment, and fiscal sustainability. Target Industries and Market Focus Fort Worth’s business attraction strategy is organized around five major target industry clusters: Aerospace & Defense, Anchors & Innovators, Energy, Mobility, Culture. Aerospace & Defense includes aerospace manufacturing and design, federal government and military activity, information technology, analytical instruments, and advanced manufacturing. Fort Worth already has a globally significant aerospace and defense base anchored by companies such as Bell and Lockheed Martin, supported by a deep workforce, strong supplier ecosystem, and growing aviation innovation assets. Anchors & Innovators includes corporate headquarters, financial services, engineering services, professional services, colleges and universities, research organizations, biopharmaceutical products, medical technologies, computer and information services, and hospitals. This cluster reflects Fort Worth’s opportunity to attract headquarters, regional offices, innovation-driven firms, research partners, and professional services employers that strengthen the city’s economic base. Energy includes alternative energy generation, alternative energy equipment, energy storage and distribution, oil and gas management, oil and gas technology, smart building systems, and advanced manufacturing. Fort Worth’s energy economy is evolving from its traditional strengths into a broader platform for innovation, technology, and energy transition opportunities. Mobility includes automotive and transportation manufacturing, vehicle technologies, micromobility, VTOL and electric flight, transportation services, logistics technologies and management, and advanced manufacturing. Fort Worth’s position within the North Texas logistics and transportation ecosystem, along with assets such as AllianceTexas, DFW Airport, major rail lines, interstate access, and mobility innovation infrastructure, makes this a major competitive arena. Culture includes hospitality and tourism, performing arts, film, local hospitality, and independent venues. This cluster recognizes Fort Worth’s distinctive brand, creative economy, visitor appeal, and ability to connect economic development with quality of place. The Business Recruitment Director will not be expected to know every technical detail of these industries on day one. However, the successful candidate must be curious, research-oriented, commercially aware, and able to learn industry dynamics quickly enough to identify prospects, understand business drivers, and help communicate why Fort Worth matters to companies in these sectors. The Role: Building Fort Worth’s Outbound Recruitment Muscle The Business Recruitment Director is a new role designed to advance Fort Worth EDP’s proactive business recruitment program of work. Historically, many economic development organizations have focused primarily on responding to inbound projects, RFIs, RFPs, and consultant-led opportunities. Fort Worth EDP already has strong project management capability and an increasingly visible market presence. The next step is to build a more consistent, dedicated outbound recruitment function. This role is the person who helps make that happen. The Business Recruitment Director will support and advance the organization’s business recruitment strategy by identifying target companies, building and refining prospect lists, conducting company and industry research, engaging site selectors and consultants, supporting conferences and recruitment travel, helping organize outreach campaigns, participating in site visits, and maintaining disciplined follow-up through the CRM. The work will include both front-end business development and behind-the-scenes discipline. Some days will be externally focused: conferences, meetings, site selector engagement, investor events, company visits, prospect conversations, and recruitment missions. Other days will involve research, CRM updates, target list development, trip planning, coordination with colleagues, preparation of materials, and follow-up on next steps. This is not a passive economic development role. It requires someone who enjoys the hunt. The successful candidate will be energized by the process of finding the right companies, learning their business, identifying why Fort Worth may fit, opening a door, creating a conversation, and helping move that opportunity into the recruitment pipeline. They must be comfortable with outreach, persistent follow-up, relationship-building, and the long-cycle nature of business attraction. They must also understand that great business recruitment is a team sport. Fort Worth EDP is small, collaborative, and resourceful. The Business Recruitment Director will work closely with Jessica Heer, Robert Allen, Spencer Mitchell, Katie McConnell, Chelsea Griffith, Abi Shelton, and a broad network of public and private partners. The role will support outbound recruitment while coordinating with project management, marketing, research, investor relations, city partners, county and state partners, utilities, workforce providers, real estate professionals, and business leaders. What Makes This Opportunity Distinctive A city with national momentum Fort Worth is not trying to create a story from scratch. The story is already happening. The city is growing, major companies are investing, national attention is increasing, and the Partnership has helped b