The success of Mecklenburg County rests on strong, competent talent at all levels of the organization. If you enjoy working with the public and are looking for a career where your work is important to the community, come be a part of Mecklenburg County Government and help us provide a community of pride and choice for people to live, learn, work, and recreate.

COMMUNITY
Mecklenburg County is located in the heart of the Southeast and is comprised of seven (7) municipalities: the City of Charlotte and the Towns of Cornelius, Davidson, Huntersville, Matthews, Mint Hill, and Pineville, within the southern Piedmont area of North Carolina along the state’s border with South Carolina. The County was incorporated in 1768, named after the German homeland of Queen Charlotte, the wife of King George III, the then-reigning monarch. The economy and the community transformed from one primarily tied to the textile industry to a major banking and financial center in the U.S. and is home to several Fortune 500 companies including Bank of America, Duke Energy, Nucor, Honeywell and Truist Financial. Enhancing the region’s position as a financial center is a branch of the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond. The county seat is Charlotte with convenient access by way of its highly efficient interstate highway system I-77, I-85, and I-40. As of 2021, the population was over 1.12 million and continues to grow with the strong economy, excellent services and schools, as well as a diverse and friendly population. With the excitement of a cosmopolitan city and the ease of Southern charm, Mecklenburg County is a world-class destination and continuously growing in popularity.

Mecklenburg County is home to the Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT). According to Airport Council International’s (ACI) 2021 rankings, CLT ranks No. 5 worldwide for air traffic (519,895 annual aircraft arrivals and departures) and No. 6 for passenger traffic (43,302,230). It also serves as the second largest hub for American Airlines, the largest airline in the world. CLT offers nonstop air service to 184 destinations around the globe and is home to eight major air carriers, 15 regional carriers and three foreign flag carriers.

As one of the Southeast’s largest sports destinations, Mecklenburg County is home the NFL Carolina Panthers, The NBA Charlotte Hornets, and the newest exciting franchise, The MLS Charlotte FC, who last year set the all-time MLS attendance record of 74,479 in their opening match against the L.A. Galaxy. NASCAR racing is also close by at the Charlotte Motor Speedway, with eight of the largest NASCAR race shops located in or near Mecklenburg County. The AAA Charlotte Knights baseball team play in the International League and are affiliated with the Chicago White Sox. The Charlotte Checkers hockey team plays in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the American Hockey League (AHL).

Established in 1936 as the state’s first art museum, The Mint Museum will make history again in 2023 as one of only three cities (and the only one in the South) to host Picasso Landscapes: Out of Bounds, a collection of 45 paintings spanning the eccentric Spanish artist’s storied career. The Harvey B. Gantt Center for African American Arts + Culture was designed by Phillip Freelon, one of the designers of the Smithsonian National Museum for African American History and Culture, features the John and Vivian Hewitt Collection of African American Art which includes works by Charlotte native Romare Bearden, Henry Ossawa Tanner, Elizabeth Catlett, and Jonathan Green. Other cultural attractions in Mecklenburg County include Discovery Place, as well as its IMAX Dome Theatre; the Charlotte Nature Museum; the NASCAR Hall of Fame; Mint Museum of Craft + Design; the McColl Center for Visual Arts; ImaginOn, an interactive children’s learning environment; and the Levine Museum of the New South. Theatergoers can choose between the offerings at the NC Blumenthal Performing Arts Center, a state-of-the-art facility hosting the Broadway Lights Series with national touring Broadway productions, ballet, dance, and the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra.

The area offers the beauty of the four seasons, along with moderate weather that makes the city a popular destination for neatly 30 million visitors annually. Conveniently located just two hours from the Great Smoky Mountains and three hours to pristine Carolina beaches, individuals and businesses continue to be attracted to this area. The area offers a lot to residents, workers and visitors including the recognition and ranking including: “Top 20 Best Cities for Businesses and Careers” by Forbes.com, “Top 50 Cities that Sizzle” by Nation’s Restaurant News Magazine, one of the “Top 10 Cities for African-Americans to Live, Work and Play” by Black Enterprise, one of the “Top 20 Cities for Women” by Ladies Home Journal, and the “Most Livable Community for the Visually Impaired” by the American Foundation for the Blind.

CANDIDATE PROFILE
The Economic Development Director will occupy a highly visible position that requires well-developed leadership, professional, technical, and administrative skills with proven results in identifying and implementing economic development initiatives. The successful candidate will have:

• demonstrated success in creating collaborations with the management of staff, property, capital, budgets, and communication/marketing programs.
• experience managing and overseeing public funds to include public requests for qualifications and proposals, and bidding processes.
• a proven ability to think critically and strategically, with independent judgment and initiative.
• a strong desire to achieve success through work with others, with a reputation for sharing the credit and building enthusiasm for new collaborative ventures.

The individual must be an outstanding communicator and be responsive to the needs of the public, Board of County Commissioners, County Manager, Executive Team, and Department Employees.

Mecklenburg County’s Economic Development Director will be visionary and innovative in nature. The new Director will be a team-oriented professional who can interact effectively with a broad spectrum of internal and external audiences. Candidates for the position must be proactive in recommending new ideas and change and respectful of input from partner agencies and the County’s elected officials and Leadership Team. The successful Candidate will have a clear track record of establishing and maintaining strong working relationships among staff, elected officials, the general public, and the business community. This role requires a person to model the County’s leadership competencies of values and integrity, collaborative relations, change and innovation, executive excellence, and strategic thinking. The selected candidate will value initiative and innovations and seek continuous improvement in programs and service. The successful candidate is expected to possess excellent business acumen with a reputation for integrity of all aspects of their professional experience.

COUNTY GOVERNMENT
Mecklenburg County is governed by a nine-member Board of County Commissioners, where they are committed to serve the residents, workers, and visitors as a premier service provider. The County Manager serves as the Chief Executive Officer, managing the daily affairs of the county departments with its 5,800 full-time employees and $2.16 billion operating budget. The County’s economic health has been in large part driven by the County’s ability to facilitate private sector job growth and investment through partnerships with entities including, but not limited to, the City of Charlotte, the Charlotte Regional Business Alliance, Charlotte’s Regional Visitors Authority, Central Piedmont Community College, Johnson C Smith University, The University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Charlotte Works, and Center City Partners. These partnerships have created a healthy and diversified local and regional economy, with the County participating through the provision of Business Investment Program grants and development grants, infrastructure, and public services. Moving forward, the County’s vision is to strengthen its position as a “world-class” community with national and global competitiveness; stimulate business vitality; and enhance quality of life in communities and neighborhoods.

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT AND POSITION OVERVIEW
The Economic Development Director is responsible for the overall operation of the County’s Economic Development Office, with an operating budget of $14.29 million, primarily in incentive grants. This role will lead, plan, organize, manage, coordinate, direct, and implement programs and projects that support the attraction and retention of domestic and international businesses; the development of public facilities and infrastructure; workforce development; and/or other economic development, redevelopment or capital improvement programs or projects. The successful Candidate will bring demonstrated experience to the continuous effort toward innovative approaches and operational improvement.

This role will be expected to develop relationships with the County’s external partners to solve problems and address needs of existing businesses with a focus on high and significant priority customers; works with departments to foster an excellent business customer service environment within the County’s organizational structure. The Director is to plan, direct, manage and oversee the establishment, evaluation, and execution of the strategic economic development programs, focused on:

• Business Attraction and Retention
• Commercial & Neighborhood Redevelopment
• Small Business and Entrepreneurial Support
• Workforce Development
• Tourism

The Director will serve as the technical advisor to the Board of Commissioners, the County Manager and Executive Team for economic development trends and issues affecting communities. In this leadership role you will direct the County’s Business Investment Program, in collaboration with the City of Charlotte and the Towns of Cornelius, Davidson, Huntersville, Matthews, Mint Hill and Pineville, to attract new jobs and investment to the County through targeted property tax incentives. The Director administers the Tax Increment Grant Program, in collaboration with the City of Charlotte, through the identification and evaluation of potential public/private partnerships. Will also partner with local jurisdictions to identify and establish investment zones and priority redevelopment areas. This role is charged with conducting fiscal impact/economic modeling analyses for County-supported economic development projects. The Director proactively communicates and participates with developers, community organizations, neighborhood associations and other public and private organizations to further understanding of existing businesses and proposed development plans.

EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE
Should possess a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Economic Development, Finance or a related area from an accredited college or university and a minimum of ten (10) years of relevant experience and five (5) years directly related to economic development. Additionally, 7-10 years of demonstrated leadership success is preferred. A graduate degree is highly desirable but can be supplemented by graduate level coursework and previous related work experience. A Certified Economic Developer (CEcD) or similar certification is required within 2 years of hire.

The successful candidate will have experience developing strong public/private partnerships to facilitate major community development and redevelopment projects. Must have solid knowledge of best practices in economic development which includes a working knowledge of business start-ups, entrepreneurships and venture capital. In addition, this role is expected to have experience with tax-exempt and taxable bond transactions.

BENEFITS
Mecklenburg County offers a generous benefits package to include medical, dental, vision, life, short- and long-term disability, accident, cancer, critical illness, medical bridge, and pet insurance; paid holiday, vacation, and sick leave; NC Local Governmental Retirement Benefit (pension); 401K/457 retirement plans with 5% employer match.