Economic Development Director

Department of Economic Equity & Opportunity Mission:

• To connect value and empower people businesses and communities.

Vision:

• An inclusive accessible prosperous and resilient Harris County.

What you will do at the Department of Economic Equity and Opportunity:

The Economic Development Director serves as the senior leader responsible for implementing managing and advancing Harris County Economic Development initiatives. This position drives business attraction retention and expansion by deploying the full suite of tax incentive and financing tools available under local state and federal law. The Director collaborates with elected officials the business community site selectors developers regional partners and state agencies to expand the tax base create quality jobs and strengthen the jurisdictions economic competitiveness.

Leadership Scope:

• The Director is the primary accountable executive for Economic Development and Strategy including:

• Translating plan goals and benchmarks into annual work programs with measurable outcomes

• Aligning departmental budget requests and staffing with strategic priorities

• Reporting plan progress quarterly to elected officials and the public

• Coordinating cross-departmental initiatives (planning public works finance legal) required for plan success

Duties and Responsibilities:

Business Development & Attraction

• Lead proactive marketing and recruitment efforts targeting priority industry sectors identified in the strategic plan

• Serve as the primary point of contact for prospective businesses site selectors and real estate brokers

• Manage prospect relationships throughout the full pipeline from initial inquiry to operational launch

• Negotiate letters of intent development agreements and incentive packages on behalf of the jurisdiction

Tax Incentive Program Administration

The Director must possess deep applied knowledge of all available tax tools and strategically lead their deployment:

• Tax Abatement Policy: Design negotiate and administer real and personal property tax abatement agreements; establish performance standards (job creation wage thresholds capital investment); monitor compliance and enforce clawback provisions

• Foreign Trade Zones (FTZ): Administer or pursue FTZ grantee/operator status; advise manufacturers and distributors on duty deferral reduction and weekly entry procedures; coordinate with U.S. Customs and Border Protection

• Hotel/Motel & Hospitality Taxes (HOT): Advise on allowable uses of HOT revenues for tourism and economic development; partner with CVBs and the hospitality industry on eligible project funding

• Tax Increment Financing (TIF): Identify designate and manage TIF districts; prepare project and financing plans; coordinate bond issuance and fund administration with the finance department

• New Markets Tax Credits (NMTC): Partner with CDFIs and investors to channel NMTC allocations into qualifying low-income community investments

• Opportunity Zones: Market designated Opportunity Zones to investors; connect developers with Qualified Opportunity Funds; track qualifying investment activity

• Industrial Revenue Bonds (IRBs) / Revenue Bonds: Structure and administer IRBs and other conduit financing for qualifying manufacturing and industrial projects

• Sales Tax Incentives: Administer local option sales tax rebate programs and Chapter 380/381 (or equivalent) economic development agreements

• PILOT Agreements: Negotiate Payment-in-Lieu-of-Taxes arrangements with nonprofit or public institutions as economic development tools

• Federal & State Grants: Identify and pursue EDA CDBG-ED USDA and state economic development grant opportunities aligned with plan priorities

Retention & Expansion (BRE)

• Execute a structured Business Retention and Expansion program with regular outreach to existing employers

• Identify businesses at risk of relocation or contraction and develop retention strategies

• Facilitate expansion projects for existing businesses including incentive structuring and site/facility assistance Workforce & Talent Pipeline

• Partner with workforce boards community colleges and K-12 systems to align training programs with employer needs

• Integrate workforce development objectives into incentive agreements where appropriate

Stakeholder & Community Engagement

• Build and maintain relationships with chambers of commerce industry associations utilities and regional economic development organizations

• Present before elected bodies planning commissions and community groups on economic development matters

• Represent the jurisdiction at state regional and national economic development conferences and events

Administration & Compliance

• Supervise economic development professional staff; conduct performance evaluations and foster professional development

• Prepare and manage the department budget; ensure fiscal accountability for all incentive programs

• Maintain a comprehensive incentive tracking and compliance database; submit required state and federal reports

• Ensure all programs operate within applicable legal and ethical frameworks; work with legal counsel on agreements.

Education:

• Bachelors Degree in Economic Development Public Administration Urban Planning Finance Business Administration or a closely related field

• Minimum of seven (7) years of progressively responsible experience in economic development with at least three (3) years in a supervisory or management role

• Demonstrated experience negotiating and administering tax abatement agreements TIF districts or equivalent incentive programs

• Experience with multiple state and federal financing and incentive tools (IRBs NMTCs Opportunity Zones EDA grants CDBG-ED or equivalents)

• Proven track record of successfully recruiting businesses closing deals and managing incentive compliance

Knowledge Skills and Abilities:

• Working knowledge of Foreign Trade Zone administration and federal trade zone regulations

• Familiarity with hotel/motel tax (HOT) statutes allowable uses and tourism-related economic development applications

• Comprehensive knowledge of local state and federal economic development statutes regulations and incentive programs

• Expert-level understanding of property tax abatement policy design performance benchmarking and claw back mechanisms

• Strong financial analysis skills including ROI modeling for incentive packages and cost-benefit analysis

• Ability to build consensus among diverse stakeholders including elected officials business leaders and community members

• Excellent written and oral communication skills; ability to present complex financial and policy information to lay audiences

• Proficiency in economic development CRM platforms and GIS-based site selection tools

• Strong project management skills with the ability to manage multiple high-priority projects simultaneously

• High ethical standards and commitment to transparency in the administration of public incentive programs

Education:

• Masters Degree in Economic Development Public Administration Urban Planning Finance Business Administration or a closely related field

• Graduate-level coursework or certification in public finance tax law or community development finance

• Experience administering a municipal or county Foreign Trade Zone subzone or grantee program

• Certified Economic Developer (CEcD) designation through the International Economic Development Council (IEDC)

• Site Selector Guild membership or demonstrable relationships with national site selection community

Position Type and Scheduled Hours:

This is a full-time position. Days and hours of work are typically Monday through Friday 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Hours may vary based on the business needs of the department.

Work is primarily performed in an office environment with frequent travel to business sites community events and state/national conferences. Evening and weekend work may be required for public meetings and industry events. The position is expected to maintain availability for time-sensitive business prospect needs. This role routinely uses standard office equipment such as computers phones and photocopiers. Ability to lift up to 20 lbs. Typical office work with limited physical demands.