Our client the Windsor Essex Economic Development Corporation has an opening for a Director Business Retention and Expansion. This position is stationed in Windsor Ontario.
 

Position Description Summary

The Director Business Retention & Expansion reports to the CEO/COO and is a member of the Company’s Management team. She/he will lead the team of Economic Development professionals in identifying and developing initiatives to assist either single businesses or sector groups to grow their footprint in the Windsor-Essex Region. The Director BR&E will drive the Company’s efforts to position itself as a lead Economic Development organization and to achieve its corporate objectives and goals.
Business Retention & Expansion is an ongoing cooperative effort between business, local government, agencies, other organizations and people in the community with the purpose of identifying opportunities and actions to assist local businesses in expansion, the retention and creation of jobs and the diversification of the local economic base, as well as the implementation of defined actions to improve the local business climate.
 

Core Responsibilities

 

• Build relationships with existing businesses
• Demonstrate and provide community support for local businesses
• Address urgent business concerns and issues
• Improve communication between the community and local businesses
• Retention of businesses and jobs where there is a risk of closure
• Increase competitiveness of local businesses
• Job creation and new business development
• Establish and implement strategic actions for local economic development
• Help build a strong viable local economy
• Develop a proactive plan to engage and assist local companies.
• Facilitate the gathering of strategic business intelligence
• Undertake Supply Chain Development activities
• Develop effective strategic planning for economic development
• Develop and manage a sustainable and effective site visitation plan.
• Provide excellent customer service to internal and external stakeholders
• Attend local association meetings (i.e. CAMM, CTMA, APMA, etc)
• Liaise with local business groups, industry associations, chambers of commerce, business improvement areas and economic development officers at the local level
• Attend tours of local businesses and conduct in-person interviews of local businesses to better understand their business history and employee, expansionneeds and barriers to growth
• Respond to requests for information and assistance from local businesses with respect to programs and opportunities
• Recommend and execute proactive programs to assist local companies to access new markets, improve productivity and bottom-line performance
• Address issues that slow the growth of businesses in the region
• Corporate aftercare program
• Support existing businesses with export development
• Support existing businesses with productivity improvement and lean manufacturing
• Support existing businesses with skills development and labour force issues
• Work with Business Attraction staff to facilitate investment in the region.
• Develop and manage BR&E budget.
• Identify opportunities and undertake continual improvement initiatives.
• Establish, implement and communicate short- and long-range goals, objectives, policies, and operating procedures.
• Utilize Executive Pulse
• Develop and track metrics and success criteria for all BR&E programs and activities.
• Recruit, train, supervise, and evaluate department staff.
• Performance evaluation, goal setting & progressive review with direct reports, including corrective actions if required.

Required Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Knowledge of key sectors in region.
• Strong verbal, written communication and interpersonal skills.
• Negotiation and conflict resolution skills
• Ability to analyze market trends and make recommendations on business planning to clients
• Conduct economic and/or statistical research and analysis on local market and sectors
• Develop and maintain a positive working relationship with staff, businesses, local agencies and groups, and superiors
• Excellent communication and presentation skills
• Make effective verbal and written presentations
• Plan and implement a variety of programs, projects and activities related to economic development
• Ability to organize and prioritize own work in order to handle multiple projects
• Confident, organized, professional and creative, as well as an adept problem-solver. Ability to delegate and motivate staff and get it to function as a team.
• Ability to motivate teams to deliver within tight timeframes and simultaneously manage several projects.
• Ability to participate in and facilitate group meetings.                                           

Travel required at 40 %.

Please submit resume to: paul@thinkrmg.com