Economic Development Jobs in Arizona (NOW HIRING)

Salary : $112,373.00 - $146,086.00 Annually
Location : City of Yuma, AZ
Job Type: Full-time
Job Number: 2026-00140
Department: Community Development
Division: Neighborhood & Economic Dev-30
Opening Date: 07/14/2026
Closing Date: Continuous
FLSA: Exempt
Summary
**Open until filled with a first review date of July 27, 2026**
Are you looking to join a team that values Professionalism, Accountability, Integrity, and Responsiveness? Do you want to be a part of a strong team dedicated to serving our community, building relationships, and creating opportunities? Then this might be the opportunity for you!
We are looking for someone to join Team Yuma as an Economic Development Manager working with the City of Yuma Community Development Department. The ideal candidate will manage and oversee the City's Neighborhood & Economic Development Division and develop strategies to attract new businesses and encourage expansion and retention of existing business.
Under general supervision, plans, organizes, manages, and coordinates the City's economic development activities and operations including business retention, business expansion, business attraction efforts; prepares and implements long range economic development plans, goals, and objectives for the City; and provides highly responsible and complex support to the City Administrator.
ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS: -- Essential functions, as defined under the Americans with Disabilities Act, may include any of the following representative duties, knowledge, and skills. This is not a comprehensive listing of all functions and duties performed by incumbents of this class; employees may be assigned duties which are not listed below; reasonable accommodations will be made as required. The job description does not constitute an employment agreement and is subject to change at any time by the employer. Essential duties and responsibilities may include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Manages and oversees the City's Economic Development Division and develops strategies to attract new businesses and encourage expansion and retention of existing business.
• Supervises staff and coordinates personnel-related activities to include, but not limited to training, approving work schedules, recommending/approving personnel actions, coaching and counseling, establishing performance goals, and writing performance evaluations.
• Responds to leads generated by regional and state agencies.
• Works with community partners on workforce development efforts in order to develop and grow the local workforce.
• Collects, analyzes, and compiles economic, market and demographic data to identify specific industries and businesses suitable for the City and to track economic trends.
• Identifies real estate development opportunities within the community; analyzes the economic feasibility of potential development projects; provides site analysis information, including demographic, tax, fee, development, and related information.
• Coordinates City land acquisition activities, including site characterization, appraisal, title review, environmental and geotechnical investigations, relocation, and site preparation.
• Assists with negotiation, preparation, processing, and implementation of disposition and development agreements, purchase and sale agreements, incentive agreements, contracts, resolutions, and requests for proposals/qualifications.
• Guides economic development projects through the development approval process, coordinates plan processing by various City departments.
• Develops and implements a comprehensive sales and marketing strategy to attract targeted industries to the city.
• Prepares for and attends relevant sector tradeshows to generate business leads and coordinates other economic development activities and tours.
• Works with a variety of software applications utilizing various social media platforms.
• Develops effective and collaborative working relationships with economic development groups and organizations, internal customers, business owners, and elected officials.
• Supports and represents City Council and management policies and practices to the public and other City employees.
• Supports the relationship between the City and the general public by demonstrating courteous and cooperative behavior when interacting with citizens, visitors, and City staff; promotes the City goals and priorities, vision, values and the "Yuma Way", and complies with all City policies and procedures.
• Maintains absolute confidentiality of work-related issues and City information; performs other duties as required or assigned.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
Education, Training and Experience Guidelines
Bachelor's Degree in business, finance, economics, public administration, planning or a closely related field; AND five years of progressively responsible experience in economic development, commercial real estate or redevelopment, including at least three years in a supervisory capacity OR an equivalent combination of education, training and experience. A master's degree is desirable.
Knowledge of:

• Federal, state and local ordinances, policies and procedures.
• Principles and practices of economic development and urban redevelopment.
• Principles and practices of sales including sales models, forecasting, pipeline management, and lifecycle.
• Local, regional, statewide, and national economic development trends and issues.
• Research techniques, methods and procedures.
• Principles and practices of effective employee supervision and administrative management.
• Principles and practices of contract development, negotiation, and administration.
• Real estate and site selection principles and practices.
• Principles of municipal budgeting, finance, and accounting.
• Personal computer operation and software applications.

Skill in:

• Using initiative and independent judgment within established procedural guidelines.
• Planning, organizing, directing, and evaluating economic development projects.
• Interpreting and applying federal and state regulations pertaining to urban economic development.
• Analyzing and interpreting business development issues, evaluating alternatives, and making logical recommendations based on findings.
• Analyzing City needs and prioritizing and promoting programs to meet development strategies.
• Establishing and maintaining cooperative working relationships with co-workers, city leadership, elected officials, developers, other community development agencies and the general public.
• Communicating complicated or technical concepts effectively verbally and in writing.
• Conducting research, providing statistical and financial analysis, evaluating programs and preparing and presenting accurate and reliable reports containing findings and recommendations.
• Negotiating and performing cost/benefit analysis.

LICENSE AND CERTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS
A valid Arizona State Driver's License may be required. Certified Economic Developer (CEcD) designation from the International Economic Development Council is preferred.
PHYSICAL DEMANDS AND WORKING ENVIRONMENT
Work is performed in a standard office environment. May occasionally be required to bend, reach, stoop, and lift objects.
The City of Yuma offers the following benefits to Full-time City employees:
*ARIZONA STATE RETIREMENT SYSTEM (ASRS) - City employees are automatically enrolled in the Arizona State Retirement System. Employees contribute 11.87% (pre-tax) and the City contributes 11.87% of employee gross wages through automatic deduction. Should an employee terminate City employment, the ASRS funds may be withdrawn or remain until retirement. Contributions to the ASRS are in addition to FICA (Social Security taxes).
*LONG TERM DISABILITY (LTD) - Included through the Arizona State Retirement System. Employees contribute .11% and the City contributes .11% of employee gross wages. LTD contributions are in addition to FICA (Social Security taxes).
*SHORT TERM DISABILITY
The City provides short-term disability coverage at no cost to the employee. Short-term disability replaces part of your income if you can't work for a short time due to a covered disability.
*SOCIAL SECURITY & MEDICARE - Employees pay a contribution into the Social Security & Medicare System.
*WORKER'S COMP. - Insurance coverage for medical expenses and loss of income due to an on-the-job injury is provided by the City of Yuma for all employees.
*UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE - Employees are covered by Unemployment Insurance.
*MEDICAL, DENTAL, and VISION INSURANCE - The City of Yuma is proud to provide medical, dental and vision insurance for its employees which is administered by the Yuma Area Benefit Consortium. Employees may choose from two traditional PPO plans or a High Deductible Health Plan with a Health Savings Account. Dependent premiums are paid one month in advance and are pre-taxed (unless waived). Additional information regarding medical, dental and vision benefits may be requested from the City's Human Resources Department.
*LIFE INSURANCE - The City provides a life insurance policy for employees in an amount that is equal to your annual salary. An Accidental Death and Dismemberment rider is also included for an equal amount. Employees may elect, at their cost, additional life insurance for up to 5X their annual salary. Various voluntary insurance policies are available at your cost and may be set up as an automatic payroll deduction. Information is available from the City's Human Resources Department.
*FLEXIBLE SPENDING ACCOUNT - The plan establishes a reimbursement account, which is designed to provide you with a means of paying for certain medical, dental, vision, and dependent care expenses with pre-tax dollars. The amount you designate is subtracted from your earnings before taxes and is deposited in your flexible spending account. As a new employee you have 30 days from your hire date to enroll.
*EMPLOYEE ASSISTANCE PROGRAM - Provides free counseling sessions for employees and family members, as well as a 24-hour crisis line for emergencies.
*COMPENSATORY LEAVE (COMP. TIME) - Paid leave that an employee has elected to accrue in lieu of overtime payment.
*GENERAL LEAVE - This leave is available for all regular full-time and regular part-time employees. General Leave is paid leave for an employee's personal time off. General Leave can normally be used 90 days after your hire date. General Leave accrual varies by the employee's years of service and employment status.

• 0 to 5 years = 6.14 hours per pay day or 153.5 hours annually
• 5 to 10 years = 7.74 hours per pay day or 193.5 hours annually
• 10 to 15 years = 8.06 hours per pay day or 201.5 hours annually
• 15 to 20 years = 8.7 hours per pay day or 217.5 hours annually
• 20+ years = 9.34 hours per pay day or 233.5 hours annually

*SICK LEAVE - Employees are eligible to utilize paid sick leave immediately following 90 calendar days from their date of hire. July 1 of each year, employees will have 40 hours of sick leave added to their sick leave bank. New employees will have 40 hours of sick leave added to their sick leave bank on their date of hire.
*PAID PARENTAL LEAVE
The City provides up to 4 weeks of paid parental leave to employees following the birth of an employee's child or the placement of a child with an employee in connection with adoption or foster care.
*HOLIDAYS - The City recognizes 12 holidays per year. Holiday pay is at eight hours per holiday.

• New Year's Day
• Martin Luther King, Jr. Day (third Monday in January)
• President's Day (third Monday in February)
• Memorial Day (Last Monday in May)
• Juneteenth
• Independence Day
• Labor Day (First Monday in September)
• Veterans Day
• Thanksgiving Day
• Day After Thanksgiving
• Christmas Day
• Additional Day in conjunction with Christmas

*DEFERRED COMPENSATION - Employees may participate in a tax-sheltered Annuity Plan (457 Plan) through payroll deduction to provide additional retirement income.
*TUITION REIMBURSEMENT
The City provides eligible employees tuition reimbursement for undergraduate and graduate level courses. Eligible full-time employees may receive up to a maximum of $3,500 per calendar year.
*SMOKE-FREE WORK ENVIRONMENT - The City prohibits smoking in, and within a reasonable distance of, all buildings used by the City for the conduct of City business or buildings or facilities used or occupied as workspace by City employees. This includes City owned and operated vehicles. This policy applies to all City employees, volunteers, citizens, and other persons entering or using City owned or operated facilities and/or vehicles.
01
By marking "Yes", I understand that my answers to the supplemental questions must be verifiable in the education and/or work experience section of my job application.

• Yes
• No

02
For further consideration, you MUST complete the Work Experience section of the application AND ATTACH A DEATILED RESUME AND COVER LETTER. Failure to do so will result in your application being removed from further consideration. It is not acceptable to answer any part of the application or this supplemental questionnaire with "See Resume".

• I agree and have completed the application and attached a detailed resume and cover letter.

03
What is your highest level of education?

• Master's Degree or higher
• Bachelor's Degree
• Associate's Degree
• High school diploma or GED
• None of the above

04
Do you possess a bachelor's degree, or greater, in business, finance, economics, public administration, planning or a closely related field?

• Yes
• No

05
If you answered "Yes" to the question above, please indicate what