Business Development Manager I

Business Development Manager I

The Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT) fosters a positive business environment and encourages high-quality economic development by supporting local and regional economic development activities across the state. A comprehensive slate of programs within OEDIT's divisions work together to offer economic development services for all Colorado businesses – new and expanding, traditional and emerging, small and large – including retention programs to ensure the continued competitiveness of Colorado's economic base, and job training to keep Colorado's workforce the best in the nation.
Within OEDIT, the Global Business Development (GBD) division elevates Colorado businesses and communities by offering programs, services and incentives that foster an innovative and healthy economy where people, businesses and communities thrive. Such offerings include tax incentives and grant programs related to business recruitment, retention and expansion, foreign direct investment and data analytics services.
Develop and execute a work plan will both support and accomplish OEDIT/GBD's combined missions and initiatives, yet also maintain flexibility to quickly adjust to changing demands in Colorado's economy and key industries. This team focuses on a portfolio of strategic industry clusters and key industries(e.g. energy and natural resources, aerospace and defense, IT, and critical emerging tech etc.) and markets (e.g. domestic regions, foreign countries, etc.) defined in our data-driven strategic plan. While this is a public-sector role, economic development in this context is similar to business development—it involves attracting businesses to the state, which requires strong sales, communication, and relationship-building skills. The team operates as an entrepreneurial, data-driven, business development team; working to create jobs in Colorado that support our statutory mandate: (I) The economic health of the state (II) The economic viability of the proposed new jobs (III) The economic benefits to the state of the new jobs.
Description of Job

NOTE: The position offers full-time employment as an exempt, at-will State of Colorado Employee with an anticipated duration through December 2027, with the possibility of extension based on available funding.
Description of BD Manager I: An experienced practitioner who independently manages a portfolio of industry sectors and recruitment projects. This person leads deals, represents OEDIT externally, and contributes to team strategy.
KEY DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
The Business Development Manager's responsibilities are to gain expertise in regular work of the Business Development Team, and to grow in their role by learning the skills outlined below.
Lead Generation
Develop and maintain a proactive pipeline of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) and Domestic Investment (DI) opportunities
Engage in outbound recruitment, trade shows, marketing events, and ecosystem coordination to source leads according to individual work plan under BD Senior Manager strategy
Partner with local economic development organizations (EDOs), chambers, and industry groups to identify and qualify prospects
Incentive Deal Flow
Serve as project lead on company attraction/expansion deals, supporting companies through the sales cycle under the guidance of the BD Manager II
Guide companies through the incentive process, including application support and internal coordination
Maintain current knowledge of all OEDIT incentive programs and assist with internal cross-agency coordination
Monthly EDC / PRC
Project Management and responsible for full sales cycle of prospects within individual industry breakdown
Assist with preparation and submission of Economic Development Commission (EDC) materials and Pre Review Committee (PRC) materials and project presentation
Attend PRC and EDC meetings and support the BD Manager II in representing projects and initiatives
RFI Process
Respond to, draft and Send out Requests for Information (RFIs) with tailored, data-informed content
Coordinate with Site Selectors, Companies and local partners to ensure high-quality responses
KPI Tracking & Reporting Support
Track performance indicators such as job creation, capital investment, and conversion rates
Support quarterly and annual performance reports
Stakeholder Relationships & Community Engagement
Build relationships and familiarity with programs with:
Governor's Office and other state agencies (CEO, CDA, CDPHE)
Regional and local EDOs
Site selectors and national consultants
Other OEDIT and GBD Divisions (Advanced Industries Programs, CHIPs funding, BF&I programs)
Industry Subject Matter Expertise
Build knowledge of one or more strategic sectors
Develop an industry engagement plan
Track sector trends, workforce needs, and investment drivers
Support the development of sector-specific pitch materials and engage with relevant stakeholders
COMPETENCIES
Strategic planning - Identifies and analyzes organizational opportunities; accurately forecasts trends and emerging needs; frames strategic questions; makes decisions and deploys resources in alignment with strategic priorities; plans for future problems and opportunities by forecasting business trends and outside forces.
Results-driven - Drives for successful results; makes things happen and conveys a sense of urgency; sets aggressive goals and works hard to achieve these goals; moves tasks and assignments toward closure; invests considerable effort to ensure goals are met in a high-quality manner.
Continuous improvement - Focuses on evolving internal and external programs, processes, communication flows, and more to strengthen the performance of OEDIT.
Relationship management - Builds collaborative relationships and effectively manages relationships with all constituents; diplomatically and proactively builds networks both domestically and internationally.
Communication - Is understood and understands others; clearly articulates key points when writing and speaking; actively listens; effectively interprets non-verbal communication and truly hears what a wide variety of people are trying to say; accurately assesses personal styles and adjusts own style of communication to optimize personal effectiveness.
Project Management - Plans, directs, manages and monitors projects and programs effectively; provides the right resources to enable successful projects or programs; proven ability to manage multiple projects at one time.
Customer service - Responsively addresses the needs of customers/clients; assures that customer service is a top priority; accurately diagnoses customer needs and responds accordingly.
Problem-solving - Effectively gathers, researches, analyzes and/or assimilates information; uses logic and critical thinking to address issues and problems; makes quality decisions based on a mixture of analysis, wisdom and judgment and due diligence.
Minimum Qualifications, Substitutions, Conditions of Employment & Appeal Rights

REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS & ABILITIES
Strong independent work skills with a proven track record of taking initiative and developing relationships with key decision-makers within an organization
Good communication skills necessary to establish and maintain relationships, strong attention to detail, creativity and motivation to meet and exceed established goals.
A proven track record of successfully maintaining and developing business and community relationships
Strong verbal and written communication skills
Knowledge of city, county, and state government structures
EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE
2-4 years of experience in business or economic development, government relations, sales, or other relevant fields
Bachelor's Degree in business, economics, finance, international relations, political science, or other relevant fields of study
An equivalent combination of education and proven experience in comparable fields will be considered.
Previous experience using Salesforce or other comparable CRM systems
Excellent research, presentation, and interpersonal skills required
Proven track record closing or advancing business attraction/expansion projects
Established relationships with CO ecosystems, site selectors, EDOs or industry stakeholders
Project Management Certification and experience
Experience working and/or living in major international markets is preferred;
Proficiency in a foreign language
CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT
Statewide travel required, including overnights
Availability to work outside of standard business hours for stakeholder engagements
Ability to travel internationally (minimum 2