Director of Economic Development

ABOUT THE CHAMBER

The Manhattan Chamber of Commerce is the convener, voice and advocate of the 129,000+ businesses across the borough of Manhattan, which is home to the largest central business district in the world.

We’re focused on advancing the economic vitality of our city by building a strong and thriving climate for the broad business community, including small businesses and startups, mid-market companies, and large corporations. While there are significant advantages to doing business in New York City, we provide meaningful solutions to overcome the biggest challenges facing businesses here.

Since 1920, the Chamber’s mission has been to empower its members to thrive by fostering “game-changing” connections, providing technical assistance to make businesses more innovative and profitable, and working with government to improve the local business climate.

The Chamber also has two 501(c)(3) nonprofit arms: our foundation allows us to provide outreach, resources, education and other programming to the business community. Our community benefit fund provides emergency grants to small businesses in need.

Our organization is business-minded, community-focused and future-driven.

ABOUT THE POSITION

The Manhattan Chamber of Commerce is seeking a dynamic, hardworking team player as our Director of Economic Development. The Director is responsible for working collaboratively with the Chamber’s CEO to implement and coordinate innovative strategies, programs, and initiatives that drive economic growth in Manhattan. Many programs will be targeted at the Chamber’s business members while others will focus more broadly.

Some of the economic development programs will need to be built from the ground up so the right candidate will have a track record of turning strategy into execution, converting ideas into action, and implementing practical plans that lead to tangible outcomes. This role requires an analytical and forward-thinking professional with exceptional communication skills, an ability to work on several complex projects at once without letting anything drop, and a willingness to go above and beyond to “make it happen.”

The Director of Economic Development will have a significant impact on helping local businesses meet their economic objectives through implementation of several Chamber initiatives. The current focus is to:

• Put more local businesses in a position to secure procurement contracts with government and corporations.
• Facilitate the transition of successful e-commerce businesses into thriving brick-and-mortar businesses as a strategy to combat storefront vacancy in Manhattan.
• Build up the Chamber’s Industry Councils and use our new website platform to build a thriving online community among Chamber members.
• Help small businesses streamline and master critical “back office” functions, particularly in the areas of technology and human resources, so they can focus on their customers.
• Help small businesses to access needed capital to grow, including design and implementation of a new grant program that will allow the Chamber to provide grants to small businesses.
• Work with stakeholders, businesses, and community leaders to identify market opportunities, understand market gaps in the small business development ecosystem, and develop strategic priorities and support implementation to best position Chamber resources to be impactful.

With input from the Director and other key stakeholders, this portfolio of focus areas will grow and change.

JOB DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Specifically this position:

• Manages the development, design and implementation of the Chamber’s economic development initiatives and activities, including creation of strategic roadmaps and work plans that coordinate with/maximize contributions from, and nexus with, other Chamber departments (events, marketing, membership and business outreach) and other key stakeholders. There is a significant project management component to this role.
• Monitors and evaluates the effectiveness of various economic development programs and efforts.
• Provides summaries, reports and updates about programs and progress, as needed.
• Provides guidance and supervision to 1-2 Economic Development Specialists who will carry out departmental functions and services. These direct reports are to be hired.
• Builds strong and collaborative partnerships to achieve short-term and long-term goals and objectives and identifies opportunities to advance economic growth.
• Serves as a liaison or member of groups or task forces with various local, State, and Federal agencies, coordinating projects with organizations as deemed necessary and appropriate.
• Helps with grant fundraising and the garnering of corporate support for our innovative economic development approaches and initiatives, as needed.
• Informs the focus and content of economic development-related events, trainings and webinars.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• A proven leader with 8+ years of experience with government and/or nonprofit programs, including 3+ years of management and leadership experience with primary responsibility over strategy, programs, budgets and personnel. Public policy and/or economic development experience is preferred.
• Entrepreneurial, with evidence of creating, funding and managing new programs and initiatives to deliver on key goals. Should be passionate about implementing innovative solutions to advance new/more effective ways of working.
• Energetic, proactive, and visionary with exceptional communication skills (both written and oral).
• Have at least a bachelor’s degree. Master’s degree in public policy or equivalent is preferred.
• Have a track record of adeptly managing and growing cross-functional relationships and partnerships.
• Have experience supervising staff.
• Highly organized, with excellent project management skills. Proven ability to manage and prioritize multiple projects simultaneously, meet deadlines, and consistently deliver high quality results.
• Exercises sound independent judgment and demonstrates initiative and leadership, with minimal supervision. We are looking for a go-getter who can “hit the ground running.”

PAY, BENEFITS AND WORKING CONDITIONS

This is a full-time position with general working hours from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM, Monday through Friday with occasional events or meetings held outside of these times, such as attending Community Board meetings that are generally held in the evening. This is a hybrid position where some work may be conducted at home and some in our Midtown Manhattan office and/or in the field (e.g., meetings).

Salary is commensurate with experience and qualifications, ranging from $80,000 to $100,000 annually.

The Manhattan Chamber of Commerce offers the following benefits:

• Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance
• Retirement plan
• Paid time off including vacation, personal, sick and holidays
• Summer Fridays

Send resume and cover letter to jobs@manhattancc.org.

Additional Application Instructions

Candidates for positions with the Manhattan Chamber of Commerce must be legally authorized to work in the United States. Verification of employment eligibility will be required at the time of hire. Visa sponsorship is not available for this position. We are proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to a culturally diverse workforce. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, age, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability status, protected veteran status, or other applicable legally protected characteristics. We also consider qualified applicants with criminal histories, consistent with applicable federal, state and local law.