Business Development Director

Job Summary

Under the direction of the Executive Director, the Business Development Director leads the Pflugerville Community Development Corporation (PCDC)'s domestic and international business attraction and recruitment strategy. The position generates and converts qualified business prospects; manages competitive site-selection projects from initial inquiry through location decision, agreement execution, announcement, and operational handoff; and cultivates relationships with corporate executives, site-selection consultants, commercial real estate professionals, developers, property owners, utilities, and state and regional economic development partners. The Director coordinates cross-functional project teams to deliver timely site, infrastructure, utility, workforce, permitting, and incentive solutions; conducts or oversees project and financial due diligence; maintains an accurate recruitment pipeline and customer relationship management system; and represents PCDC in executive meetings, trade missions, industry events, and presentations before the PCDC Board and Pflugerville City Council. The Director may serve as Acting Executive Director only when formally designated by the Executive Director and in accordance with PCDC policies, bylaws, and applicable authority.

Essential Job Functions and Other Important Duties

Lead the development and execution of PCDC's annual domestic and international business attraction strategy, aligned with the Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy, adopted target industries, available real estate, workforce assets, infrastructure capacity, and organizational priorities.

Proactively identify, qualify, cultivate, and convert business prospects through direct outreach, site-selector and corporate relationships, commercial real estate networks, industry associations, conferences, trade shows, referrals, and state and regional partners.

Lead the preparation, coordination, quality control, and timely submission of responses to requests for information, requests for proposals, site-selection questionnaires, prospect applications, and related information requests.

Conduct or oversee project, company financial, economic, fiscal, and incentive due diligence; evaluate capital investment, employment, wages, taxable value, public benefits, return on investment, project feasibility, and organizational risk.

Coordinate site and building searches and evaluate ownership, site control, zoning, entitlements, permitting, utility capacity, infrastructure, transportation access, workforce availability, development schedules, and other project requirements.

Serve as the primary project manager for assigned recruitment projects from initial inquiry through site selection, negotiations, approvals, agreement execution, announcement, and formal operational handoff.

Develop compelling value propositions and executive-level proposals that position Pflugerville competitively; lead prospect meetings, identify and resolve objections, negotiate solutions within approved authority, and advance projects toward a location decision.

Maintain PCDC's customer relationship management system as the official system of record for assigned projects and relationships, including requirements, contacts, communications, deadlines, submitted sites, confidentiality restrictions, incentive discussions, next actions, project stage, probability, and anticipated outcomes.

Provide regular pipeline forecasts, project summaries, performance dashboards, and strategic recommendations to the Executive Director, including qualified leads, project advancement, site visits, investment, jobs, wages, taxable value, conversion, and mission results; maintain accurate historical project data for publications and reporting.

Develop and maintain long-term relationships with corporate executives, site-selection consultants, commercial real estate professionals, developers, property owners, utilities, and national, state, regional, and local economic development partners.

Work with the Executive Director, legal counsel, finance, and other appropriate partners to develop performance-based incentive deal points, Economic Development Performance Agreements, memoranda of understanding, and related agreements.

Maintain strict professional discretion concerning prospective, active, retained, or relocating businesses and protect confidential, proprietary, financial, trade-secret, and project information in accordance with applicable law, executed agreements, and PCDC policies. Coordinate disclosure questions with the Executive Director, records custodian, and legal counsel.

Serve as PCDC's liaison to assigned state, regional, local, and industry organizations and associations; represent PCDC in executive meetings, industry events, and professional forums.

Collaborate with the Research and Data Analyst to develop market intelligence, labor-force analysis, industry profiles, economic-impact information, site data, competitive materials, and other research supporting business attraction.

Coordinate with appropriate PCDC staff on executive presentations, prospect materials, and external engagement; represent PCDC at partner events as assigned.

Collaborate with the Business Retention and Workforce Director on local industry intelligence, supplier and headquarters information, workforce solutions, outbound mission opportunities, and the formal handoff of successfully recruited projects.

Attend and present at PCDC Board meetings, City Council work sessions and meetings, executive briefings, and other meetings as assigned; communicate complex project information, options, risks, and recommendations clearly.

Maintain and enhance professional knowledge, credentials, and industry networks through continuing education, conferences, seminars, webinars, and active engagement with economic development and site-selection organizations.

May serve as Acting Executive Director only when formally designated by the Executive Director and in accordance with PCDC policies, bylaws, and applicable authority.

Perform other related duties as assigned.

Job Qualifications

Formal Education: Graduation from an accredited college or university with a bachelor's degree in economic development, business administration, public administration, economics, finance, real estate, urban or regional planning, marketing, or a related field.

Related Work Experience: Seven years of progressively responsible, full-time professional experience in economic development, business attraction, corporate location strategy, site selection, commercial or industrial real estate, or a closely related field, including at least five years of direct responsibility for managing competitive business recruitment, site-selection, or incentive projects. Demonstrated professional experience in Texas economic development, including familiarity with municipal development processes and local and state incentive programs, is required. Demonstrated experience using CRM and database applications and a record of advancing or closing economic development projects are required.

Training, Licenses, and Certifications: Proficiency with Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, CRM, data, mapping, document, and presentation applications. Possession of, or ability to obtain within 90 days of employment, a valid Class C Texas driver's license. Ability to obtain and maintain a valid passport. Project management and advanced economic development training are desired.

Preferred Qualifications: A master's degree in economic development, business administration, public administration, economics, finance, real estate, urban or regional planning, or a related field is preferred. Certified Economic Developer (CEcD), Economic Development Finance Professional (EDFP), or comparable advanced economic development training is preferred. Direct experience with a Texas Type A or Type B economic development corporation, international business attraction, staff supervision, and an established network among Texas site selectors, economic development organizations, utilities, brokers, developers, and state or regional partners are strongly preferred.

Disclaimer: Unless otherwise stated, applicants are permitted to substitute two years of related full-time experience for one year of higher education or one year of related higher education for two years of experience in order to meet the minimum requirements of the job. One year of full-time experience is define as 30 or more hours worked per week for 12 months. One year of higher education is defined as 30 credit hours completed at an accredited college or university.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities Needed & Environmental Factors and Other Physical Requirements

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities Needed:

• Exceptional written, oral, interpersonal, and executive presentation skills.
• Knowledge of Texas economic development practices.
• Knowledge of commercial and industrial real estate.
• Knowledge of economic and fiscal impact analysis.
• Knowledge of company financial and project due diligence.
• Skill in building and managing relationships.
• Skill in project management.
• Ability to identify project risks early.
• Ability to exercise sound judgment in a public-sector environment.
• Ability to lead and coordinate cross-functional teams across organizational boundaries.
• Ability to manage multiple complex, confidential, and time-sensitive projects.
• Ability to represent PCDC professionally in domestic and international settings.

Environmental Factors and Other Physical Requirements:

• Effective operation of computer and other standard office equipment.
• Standing, walking, sitting, repetitive motions, lifting up to 10 lbs.
• Regularly scheduled for 5-day, 40-hour workweek, Monday through Friday.
• Frequent travel within Texas and nationally.