Economic Development Manager Jobs in Washington (NOW HIRING)

ICF seeks a self-motivated Project Manager with experience in housing, community development, and economic development to serve as an integral member of a growing number of Housing Supply initiatives within the Housing and Community Development portfolio. This role supports federal, state, regional, and local clients in designing and implementing local strategies to expand and preserve their supply of housing, including affordable housing, with a particular emphasis on slower growing and economically distressed communities where market realities require targeted, multisector interventions.

The Project Manager will lead and contribute to a variety of engagements, including those under U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) technical assistance programs, as well as projects for state, regional, and local clients. They will help communities activate a broad set of housing supply and community economic development strategies aimed at attracting capital, reducing barriers to development, and supporting long-term neighborhood and market resilience.

Candidates must bring strong knowledge of supply-side levers such as local economic incentives, Opportunity Zones, Tax Increment Financing, land banking and assembly, inclusionary and incentive-based land use policies, transit-oriented development, vacant property strategies, incremental or small-scale developer capacity building, and preservation of naturally occurring affordable housing (NOAH). While not required, ICF is especially interested in candidates with experience stacking or braiding together different incentive and financing tools to catalyze private investment in housing.

The Project Manager will work with communities of all types, and candidates should be adept at helping jurisdictions identify policy tools aligned with their local market typology, development context, and longterm housing goals.

Key Responsibilities

• Leading tasks within large and small technical assistance projects supporting cities, regions, and states in designing and implementing policies and programs, drawing on expertise in economic incentives, Opportunity Zones, regulatory reforms, preservation, developer capacity, and redevelopment of distressed assets.
• Drafting plans, guidebooks, and written products that integrate economic incentives, Opportunity Zones, landuse and regulatory strategies, and development readiness tools to help communities increase and preserve the supply of housing.
• Overseeing the development of plans, toolkits, and other written products, including oversight of authors, designers, subject-matter experts, and other contributors.
• Leading teams, managing project budgets, and overseeing deliverables while ensuring clear communication with a variety of clients.
• Tracking priorities to ensure accurate, timely, and costefficient completion of assignments.
• Facilitating stakeholder engagements that include governments, developers, and others to identify challenges and build consensus to address housing needs in their communities.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Planning, Public Administration, Public Policy, Government, Business Administration, or related discipline related to urban planning, economic development, or affordable housing finance.
• Minimum 8 years of direct experience at a consulting firm, civic organization, non-profit, or a state, regional, or local government developing local housing strategies, advancing the development of new affordable housing, and designing/implementing community development initiatives.
• Experience with local housing development and preservation actions related to land use, tax incentives, redevelopment of vacant/distressed properties, redevelopment of publicly owned land, and/or NOAH preservation.
• Demonstrated project management experience.
• Demonstrated experience producing written policy products (such as implementation plans, guidebooks, or toolkits).
• Experience working with smaller or capacity-constrained communities.
• Willingness to travel occasionally.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master's Degree preferred.
• Understanding of local strategies to leverage Opportunity Zones to attract capital.
• Understanding of HUD housing and community development programs and products.
• Experience working directly or with developers to braid or stack multiple financing and grant programs to advance or attract affordable housing and/or economic development projects.
• Experience facilitating stakeholder meetings or presentations, including in environments with divergent views.
• Experience with commercial development.
• Experience with housing data analysis or existing conditions assessments.

Professional Skills You Will Use

• Excellent verbal, interpersonal, and written communication skills.
• Strong project leadership, with ability to manage competing priorities in a fastpaced environment.
• Ability to work effectively with all levels of internal staff, clients, and partners.
• Strong analytical, problemsolving, and decisionmaking skills.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office.
• High level of professionalism, judgment, tact, and diplomacy.
• Ability to communicate with both technical and nontechnical audiences.
• Comfortable with a remote team environment.

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Working at ICF

Pay Range - There are multiple factors that are considered in determining final pay for a position, including, but not limited to, relevant work experience, skills, certifications and competencies that align to the specified role, geographic location, education and certifications as well as contract provisions regarding labor categories that are specific to the position.

The pay range for this position based on full-time employment is: