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Economic Development Director Jobs in Elgin, IL (NOW HIRING)

Data Entry Intern/Volunteer

Chicago, IL

$15.50 - $20.50/hr

... an economic development strategy to lift women out of poverty and as a community development ... Research and Development Director Job Scope: The Aparecio Foundation is a growing organization with ...

Position Overview As a Director, Renewable Development, you will lead the development of utility ... Supports economic modeling for all phases of projects * Oversees project design work with ...

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Economic Development Director information

See Elgin, IL salary details

$47.9K

$122.5K

$199.7K

How much do economic development director jobs pay per year?

As of Aug 7, 2026, the average yearly pay for economic development director in Elgin, IL is $122,510.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $88,500.00 and $151,700.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is the difference between Economic Development Director vs Economic Development Specialist?

AspectEconomic Development DirectorEconomic Development Specialist
CredentialsBachelor's or Master's in Economics, Business, or Public Administration; experience in economic planningSimilar credentials, often with less managerial experience
Work EnvironmentLeadership role in government agencies or economic development organizationsSupport role, assisting with projects and research
Employer & IndustryMunicipalities, regional agencies, economic development firmsLocal government departments, economic development offices
Search & Comparison IntentUnderstanding leadership roles in economic developmentLearning about supporting roles in economic growth projects

The main difference between an Economic Development Director and an Economic Development Specialist lies in their level of responsibility and leadership. The Director oversees strategic planning and manages teams, while the Specialist focuses on supporting projects and research. Both roles require similar educational backgrounds and work within government or economic organizations, but the Director holds a higher managerial position.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as an economic development director, and why are they important?

To thrive as an Economic Development Director, you need expertise in economic analysis, project management, and public policy, typically supported by a degree in economics, public administration, or a related field. Familiarity with economic modeling software, GIS tools, and grant management systems is often required, along with certifications such as Certified Economic Developer (CEcD). Strong leadership, strategic communication, and relationship-building abilities help foster collaboration among public, private, and community stakeholders. These skills are crucial for identifying growth opportunities, securing funding, and driving sustainable economic progress in a community or region.

What are the main challenges economic development directors face when balancing community needs and business interests?

Economic Development Directors often need to align the interests of local businesses, government stakeholders, and community members, which can be challenging due to differing priorities. For example, attracting new businesses might conflict with preserving community character or addressing affordable housing. Success in this role frequently involves transparent communication, creative problem-solving, and building consensus through public engagement and strategic partnerships. Navigating these complexities requires adaptability and a strong understanding of both economic trends and local needs.

What does an economic development director do?

An Economic Development Director is responsible for creating and implementing strategies to promote economic growth within a community or region. They work to attract new businesses, support existing ones, and encourage job creation by collaborating with local government officials, business leaders, and community organizations. Their duties often include managing economic incentive programs, overseeing redevelopment projects, and conducting market research to identify opportunities for development. Ultimately, their goal is to improve the local economy and enhance the quality of life for residents.

What is an economic development director?

An economic development director is a city government employee who helps spur the city economy. Your two biggest responsibilities are to persuade new businesses to move into your town and to encourage existing businesses to expand. You attend fundraising events for civic and business groups and interact with donors to make connections with potentially valuable economic partners. Your duties include developing strategic programs for economic and financial growth, analyzing market trends, writing city tax policy proposals, and advising the city manager and the city council.

What job categories do people searching Economic Development Director jobs in Elgin, IL look for? The top searched job categories for Economic Development Director jobs in Elgin, IL are:
What cities near Elgin, IL are hiring for Economic Development Director jobs? Cities near Elgin, IL with the most Economic Development Director job openings:
Infographic showing various Economic Development Director job openings in Elgin, IL as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 94% Full Time, 2% Temporary, and 4% Contract. Highlights an 94% In-person, 4% Hybrid, and 2% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $122,510 per year, or $58.9 per hour.

Business Development Director - Sustainable Infrastructure

Johnson Controls

Arlington Heights, IL • On-site

Full-time

Posted yesterday

New


Johnson Controls rating

8.0

Company rating: 8.0 out of 10

Based on 407 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz

133rd of 536 rated manufacturers


Job description

What you will do

The Business Development Director operates as an executive level strategic leader in the Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) team; a fast-paced, growth-oriented, entrepreneurial team in Johnson Controls Building Solutions North America. The Business Development Director role requires a dynamic, high-energy, highly effective and engaging leader with a strong foundation in business leadership, c-suite relationships, and a proven track record for managing opportunities through the entire sales cycle. We are seeking a high achieving, proactive leader who is self-directed, internally motivated and operates with personal integrity.

The Business Development Director creates customer demand for service partnership based solutions that allow customers to achieve their mission and long term goals for sustainability and infrastructure needs to serve the customer's customer (students, patients, constituents, stakeholders, customers). This demand requires a leader motivated by high achievement to drive sales growth and significant deal structuring for high impact, long term renewable partnership approaches with the customer. The successful leader effectively leads and mobilizes enterprise teams (sales, development, digital, services, engineering, life-cycle) and senior executives (VP, President) to commit to drive the unique strategic account strategies for sales growth and relationship management.

This position is responsible for managing $50M secured by acquiring new clients as well as securing IaaS based partnerships through our existing account base and multiple sales channels. The position will be responsible to lead and partner with other salespeople across the organization to position and successfully sell IaaS opportunities. The Business Development Director will have achieved success as an advisory seller in our highly competitive market with extensive experience in developing Executive-level relationships.

How you will do it

  • Adding customer equity by creating valued business partnerships with c-suite customers; proactively identifying business opportunities for the customer; conveying a firm understanding of the customer's business and political drivers.

  • Developing strategic solutions for customers that appropriately consider available facts, constraints, competitive circumstances, strategic priorities, and probable consequences; clearly connecting solutions to business needs

  • Provides significant industry expertise and client business acumen. Sells higher level services to the customer, enabling competitive advantage for them in the marketplace. Provides thought leadership and capitalizes on cumulative industry, product, and company-specific experiences. Captures best practices and advises and facilitates the management and movement of information.

  • Passionately selling the organization's strategy; continuously raising expectations of sales performance; encouraging and supporting team efforts to achieve and exceed challenging sales goals.

  • Ensuring that the customer's perspective is a driving force behind strategic priorities, business decisions, organizational processes, and individual activities; crafting and implementing service practices that meet customers' and own organization's needs; promoting and operationalizing customer service as a value.

  • Creating and executing influence strategies that gain commitment and organizational buy-in for customer solutions; persuading key stakeholders to take action by demonstrating how the work will advance shared interests and business goals and it is tied to our vision.

  • Positioning long-term service based solutions as the foundation of a strategic partnership between Johnson Controls and the customer to achieve customer desired business outcomes.

  • Initiating and maintaining strategic global relationships with stakeholders and potential partners inside and outside the organization (e.g., customers, peers, cross-functional partners, external vendors, alliance partners) who are willing and able to provide the information, ideas, expertise, and/or influence needed to advance understanding of business issues and achieve business goals

  • Using one's knowledge of economic, financial, market, and industry trends to understand and improve customer results; using one's understanding of major business functions, industry trends, and own organization's position to contribute to effective business strategies and/or tactics.

  • Developing demand generation activities that are relevant to assigned vertical market segment and will play a lead role in devising strategies to promote IaaS in these forums with tangible business results.

  • Leading a pursuit team including development resources, engineering, cross-functional Johnson Controls resources, and external partners including finance, construction, and design team partners with management of partnering agreements across the deal pursuit eco-system.

  • Training and mentoring Johnson Controls sales partners across our channels to market in order to successfully advance IaaS strategies within our existing customer base and positioning for broader impact in target customer pursuits.

  • Leading the development of specific vertical market strategic planning for IaaS and supporting the development of the broader regional and vertical market Johnson Controls strategic planning to include the long term growth of IaaS solutions to drive re-occuring revenue solutions throughout the organization.

What we look for

[Required Qualifications - Education, Skills & Experience]

  • Bachelor's degree in business, engineering, or related discipline required. MBA preferred.

  • A minimum of ten years of sales experience in related industry or financial sales at the C-level, including three to five years of direct sales or sales management experience.

  • Excellent initiative, and interpersonal communications skills.

  • Demonstrated ability to influence the market at key levels.

  • Ability to travel 30-40%.

  • Accomplished strategic seller.

  • Demonstrates a commitment to integrity and quality in business.

  • Extensive understanding of the Energy, Infrastructure, and Services industry.

  • In-depth customer knowledge

  • Business/financial management expertise

  • Acts as a Strategic Partner, Trusted Advisor

  • Proven sales and/or client relationship management experience

  • Ability to work with cross functional teams in order to achieve customer objectives

  • Excellent leadership skills necessary to operate at CxO level - selling and delivering multi-solution portfolio engagements

Who we are

Johnson Controls is an equal employment opportunity and affirmative action employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, protected veteran status, status as a qualified individual with a disability, or any other characteristic protected by law. For more information, please view EEO is the Law. If you are an individual with a disability and you require an accommodation during the application process, please visit www.johnsoncontrols.com/tomorrowneedsyou.

Salary Range: HIRING SALARY RANGE: $140,600 - $211,300 (Salary to be determined by the education, experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities of the applicant, internal equity, and alignment with market data.) This role also offers a competitive Sales Incentive Plan that will take into account project, quarterly, and annual margin. This position includes a competitive benefits package.
For details, please visit the About Us tab on the Johnson Controls Careers site at https://jobs.johnsoncontrols.com/about-us

Johnson Controls International plc. is an equal employment opportunity and affirmative action employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, protected veteran status, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity, status as a qualified individual with a disability or any other characteristic protected by law. To view more information about your equal opportunity and non-discrimination rights as a candidate, visit EEO is the Law. If you are an individual with a disability and you require an accommodation during the application process, please visit here.


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About Johnson Controls

Sourced by ZipRecruiter

Johnson Controls is a world leader in smart buildings, creating safe, healthy and sustainable spaces. For nearly 140 years, we’ve made buildings better and now we’re transforming them again with our award-winning digital technologies and services. We’re using artificial intelligence and data driven solutions to give you deeper insight into your building’s health, sustainability and performance. It’s changing the way we design, operate and maintain indoor environments and driving to a new era of autonomous buildings. We deliver the blueprint of the future for industries such as healthcare, schools, data centers, airports, stadiums, hotels, manufacturing and beyond through OpenBlue, our comprehensive suite of connected solutions. Johnson Controls offers the world’s largest portfolio of building technology, software and services. Supported by a team of more than 100,000 dedicated employees working across 150 countries, we’re helping customers achieve their sustainability goals and power their mission.

Industry

Machinery manufacturing, water transportation, public safety statistics centers and offices and manufacturing

Company size

10,000+ Employees

Headquarters location

Milwaukee, WI, US