Job Description
Salary: $108,843.00 - $136,054.00 Annually
Location : St. Louis Park, MN
Job Type: Full-Time
Remote Employment: Flexible/Hybrid
Job Number: 2025-225-01
Department: Community Development Department
Opening Date: 08/29/2025
Closing Date: 9/7/2025 11:59 PM Central
About us The City of St. Louis Park is committed to being a leader in race, equity, and inclusion. As one of the city's strategic priorities, the city seeks to ensure all practices, programs, policies, and services of the city are fair, inclusive, and equitable. We value diverse perspectives and life experiences, and our strategic vision includes hiring and retaining racially diverse and racially conscious staff across all levels of our organization.
Job Summary Lead and implement economic development initiatives that support development, business attraction, retention, and expansion. Foster local employment growth, expand the tax base, and enhance the city's overall economic vitality in line with the strategic priorities and goals of the city.
Duties and Responsibilities 1. Develop and implement strategies to support economic growth. - Create and oversee strategies, policies, and programs aligned with the city's goals for development and business support, attraction, retention, and expansion.
- Serve as contact for businesses: respond to inquiries, provide guidance, connect businesses to regional resources, and advise on permitting, licensing, and zoning.
- Assist businesses in locating, relocating, or expanding by identifying suitable properties and recommending potential strategic acquisitions.
- Facilitate, manage and participate in the design and implementation of outreach, marketing, and promotional programs to attract new businesses and support existing ones.
- Develop and oversee the administration of business resource and financial assistance programs, including grants and loans, making funding recommendations as needed.
- Lead, oversee, and participate in redevelopment efforts, including seeking and reviewing development proposals, coordinating public financing strategies, and preparation of grant applications.
- Oversee and manage tax increment financing applications and processes for the EDA.
2. Build and maintain effective relationships. - Supervise assigned staff: provide direction and leadership, conduct evaluations, and manage performance.
- Partner with sustainability and racial equity staff to advance climate action and equity priorities in development projects and the business community.
- Build strong relationships with business owners, developers, property owners, financial institutions, civic groups, and partner organizations.
- Actively participate in business and community organizations such as the St. Louis Park Business Council, Westopolis, Rotary, EDAM, the chamber and others.
- Work closely with EDA financial and legal consultants.
- Establish strong relationships and work closely with planning, zoning, housing, and building staff to facilitate proposed and planned development projects.
- Establish productive working relationships with Met Council, Hennepin County, DEED, and neighboring cities.
- Interact with EDA commissioners and City Council members to respond to inquiries and present staff reports.
3. Manage information and data to support economic development. - Maintain a current inventory of available properties for lease or purchase.
- Track workforce statistics and maintain a list of top employers.
- Develop and regularly update a database of local businesses, including BIPOC-, woman-, and veteran-owned businesses.
- Provide data, reports, and case studies to organizations tracking economic trends.
- Assist with annual budget preparation, Tax Increment Financing (TIF) reporting, and bond rating presentations.
- Monitor tax exempt status for EDA owned properties.
- Recommend and facilitate strategic property acquisitions as opportunities arise.
- Oversee and manage TIF applications and processes for the Economic Development Authority (EDA).
- Monitor developer compliance with redevelopment agreements, public financial assistance and grant agreements.
4. Perform other related duties. - Monitor legislative issues impacting development and local businesses. Participate in establishing legislative priorities with the city council and partner organizations as directed.
- Prepare and manage leases for EDA and city-owned properties.
- Ensure continued maintenance and upkeep for EDA owned properties, and process invoices for services as needed.
- Manage special projects and initiatives as assigned.
- Attend and present at meetings outside of regular office hours as needed, including EDA and city council meetings.
- Carry out additional duties as required.
Minimum Qualifications - Bachelor's degree in business, public administration, urban planning, or a related field, plus three years of relevant experience, or an equivalent combination of education and experience in development, planning, and business outreach, attraction, retention, and expansion.
- Valid driver's license.
- Experience supervising staff.
- Experience negotiating development contracts and purchase agreements.
- Knowledge of city processes related to development, public financing, permitting, planning, zoning, licensing, and public services.
- Knowledge of business planning, development, and financial assistance programs.
- Understanding of the legislative process and effective communication strategies to advance proposals.
Desired Qualifications - Demonstrated cultural competence and commitment to advancing racial equity.
- Three or more years of supervisory experience
- In-depth knowledge of development and business trends.
- Experience working with or at the City of St. Louis Park.
- Experience working with and supporting racially diverse communities.
- Effective communication skills with diverse communities and stakeholders.
Invitations to interview will be based upon an assessment of education and experience. Applications must be filled completely for consideration.
This position is eligible for a competitive benefits package.
01
A cover letter is required. Confirm you have attached a cover letter to your application.
02
Do you have a Bachelor's degree in business, public administration, urban planning, or a related field, plus three years of relevant experience, OR an equivalent combination of education and experience in development, planning, and business outreach, attraction, retention, and expansion?
03
Describe your bachelor's degree and three years of experience OR the equivalent related experience.
04
Do you have a valid driver's license?
05
Do you have:
- Experience supervising staff.
- Experience negotiating development contracts and purchase agreements.
- Knowledge of city processes related to development, public financing, permitting, planning, zoning, licensing, and public services.
- Knowledge of business planning, development, and financial assistance programs.•Understanding of the legislative process and effective communication strategies to advance proposals.
- Ability to negotiate development contracts and purchase agreements to support the city's goals and priorities.
- Effective communication skills with diverse communities and stakeholders.
- I do not have any of the above experience or skillset.
06
If you checked experience supervising staff, describe your experience here.
07
If you checked experience negotiating development contracts and purchase agreements, describe your experience here.
08
If you checked having knowledge of city processes related to development, public financing, permitting, planning, zoning, licensing, and public services, describe your knowledge/experience here.
09
If you checked having knowledge of business planning, development, and financial assistance programs, describe your knowledge/experience here.
10
If you checked understanding of the legislative process and effective communication strategies to advance proposals., describe your knowledge here.
11
If you checked ability to negotiate development contracts and purchase agreements to support the city's goals and priorities. describe your experience here.
12
Do you have:
- Three or more years of supervisory experience
- In-depth knowledge of development and business trends.
- Experience working with or at the City of St. Louis Park.
- Experience working with and supporting racially diverse communities.
- I do not have any of the above experience.
13
If you checked any of the above items, briefly describe your experience with each.
14
Source: Please select one recruitment source that best describes how you first learned about this job opening.
- I am a current employee
- Indeed
- LinkedIn
- Instagram
- Facebook
- Twitter (X)
- College or university
- City job notification email
- City newsletter
- City employee referral
- City website
- Governmentjobs.com
- Job fair or networking event
- Word of mouth
- Other
15
Source: If you selected college, professional association, career fair, employee referral, or other, please provide more information here.
Required Question
Job Tags
Full time, Work at office, Local area, Remote work, Relocation, Flexible hours,