Director, Business Development

Salary: Depends on Qualifications
Location : Houston, TX
Job Type: Regular Full-time
Job Number: 16984
Department: Commissioner Precinct 1
Division: Finance
Opening Date: 07/21/2026
Closing Date: 11/10/2026 11:59 PM Central
Max Number of Applicants: 175


Position Description
About the Office of Commissioner Rodney Ellis There are four precincts in Harris County. The four elected commissioners, along with an elected county judge, serve as members of Harris County Commissioners Court, the administrative head of the county's government. Commissioner Rodney Ellis represents the constituents of Precinct One.
With approximately 1.17 million residents, Harris County Precinct One is a diverse, urban precinct that covers 363 square miles. Precinct One's multi-racial, multi-ethnic population is roughly 33 percent African American, 38 percent Latino, 21 percent Anglo, 6 percent Asian and 2 percent other or multiple races. Precinct One stretches south to Brazoria County and reaches into eastern and northern sections of Harris County. The Precinct's territory includes a large section of Downtown Houston, including the Downtown Harris County Courthouse Complex, Toyota Center, Minute Maid Park and the BBVA Compass Stadium. Other notable landmarks include the 263-acre NRG Park Complex and the renowned Texas Medical Center. The Precinct is also the higher educational home to Houston Community College, Rice University, Texas Southern University, the University of Houston and the University of St. Thomas. Precinct One manages more than 21 parks, 10 community centers, numerous hike-and-bike trails, three maintenance service centers and several area offices, all of which provide an array of services to Precinct One residents.
Commissioner Rodney Ellis' Office Mission Precinct One:

Commissioner Rodney Ellis' Office, is committed to becoming a national model for delivering responsive public service that utilizes inclusive, innovative, and collaborative approaches to improve the quality of life, advance equality of opportunity, and promote the fair treatment of all people in Harris County.
Key Areas of focus for our organization include, but are not limited to:

• Advancing more effective, fair and equitable criminal justice system.
• Furthering economic justice, equity, and opportunity for all Harris County residents, especially those often and historically left behind by government programs.
• Ensuring equitable outcomes in health and access to quality, affordable healthcare
• Fighting for environmental and climate justice that keeps all communities safe and healthy.
• Equitably investing in developing and maintaining resilient infrastructure and transportation for the 21st century Building and defending voting rights and a democracy that ensures equitable representation.
• Progressing equity and social and racial justice as common threads through all areas of public policy and public service.
• As the One For All Foundation Business Development Director, the position will lead the effort to build and execute funding partnerships in support of the Foundation's and OCRE's mission.
• Identify, engage, and cultivate financial relationships with corporate entities, nonprofit organizations, philanthropic foundations, and government agencies to secure new partnerships for capital campaigns and programming for Commissioner Precinct 1residents.

What you will do at Precinct One:

Office of Commissioner Rodney Ellis seeks a Business Development Director. Reporting to the Executive Director of the One For All Foundation and the CFO of the Office of Commissioner Rodney Ellis (OCRE), the successful candidate will lead a team in identifying and securing philanthropic and federal and state grant funding to advance OCRE's agenda. The ideal candidate will have a background in identifying potential grants, running capital campaigns and funding partnerships, the ability to manage crucial grantor and funder relationships, a drive to identify and cultivate potential new funding collaborators, and a successful track record of grants management and reporting. This position requires occasional attendance at evening and weekend events.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• In collaboration with our Law and Compliance Officer, develop comprehensive agreements, MOUs, and strategic funding partnership proposals to formalize and operationalize external collaborations.
• Research and secure federal, state, and private funding opportunities to enhance OCRE programs and initiatives.
• Work across OCRE divisions to identify grant and philanthropic opportunities with OCRE priorities and ensure seamless execution of funders expectations.
• Track and evaluate the success of funding partnerships and grants using data-driven metrics, providing regular reports to leadership on impact and opportunities for improvement.
• Manage reporting, and financial oversight for grants and strategic partnership initiatives, ensuring compliance with funding requirements, including donor and partner expectations, deliverables, and restrictions on funding sources.
• Develop and implement a comprehensive strategy for grants acquisition and management.
• Other duties may be assigned as necessary.

Harris County is an Equal Opportunity Employer


If you need special services or accommodations, please call View phone number on click.appcast.io or email View email address on click.appcast.io.

This position is subject to a criminal history check. Only relevant convictions will be considered and, even when considered, may not automatically disqualify the candidate.

Requirements
Education:

• Bachelor's degree in a related field.

Experience:

• Ten (10) years of experience in funding partnerships, business development, grant management, and/or cultivating strategic relationships.
• Five (5) years prior work experience in a local government or nonprofit.
• Demonstrated experience in developing and managing capital funding initiatives that support the construction, renovation, and long-term sustainability of parks, trails, transportation, drainage, and other public infrastructure projects.

KSAs:

• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills.
• Extensive knowledge of public-private partnership development, funding mechanisms, and stakeholder engagement strategies.
• Strong sense of urgency about the work for the constituents of OCRE.
• Strong leadership and interpersonal skills to facilitate collaboration across diverse stakeholders and drive successful initiatives.
• Expertise in identifying, applying for, and managing federal and state funding opportunities.
• Dynamic leadership style that invites partnership, builds trust, and motivates others.
• Ability to assess problems and identify solutions in a proactive and collaborative manner.
• Proficiency in project management and CRM tools

NOTE : Qualifying education, experience, knowledge and skills must be documented in your job application. You may attach a resume to the application as supporting documentation but ONLY information stated on the application will be used for consideration. "See Resume" will not be accepted for qualifications.

General Information

• Hours:
• Full-time | Regular
• Monday - Friday | Evenings and weekend will be required at times.

Work environment:

• This position includes standard office work which may require remaining stationery and working at a computer workstation for extended periods.
• Will generally perform duties in an office, though sometimes at external event locations
• Occasional travel within Harris County

Physical Demands:

• Ability to lift at least 20 lbs.
• Subject to kneeling, crouching, walking, sitting, twisting, standing, carrying equipment, and reaching as needed to perform the essential functions.
• Ability to support field production and event coverage, including moving between indoor and outdoor locations, setting up basic equipment, and working in varying weather conditions as needed.

Location:

• This in-office role is located at 2787 El Camino Street, Houston, TX 77054

Employment may be contingent on passing a drug screen and meeting other standards.

Due to a high volume of applications positions may close prior to the advertised closing date or at the discretion of the Hiring Department.

HARRIS COUNTY EMPLOYEE BENEFITS

Harris County offers a highly competitive benefits program, featuring a comprehensive group health plan and defined benefit retirement plan.
The following benefits are offered only to Harris County employees in regular (full-time) positions:
Health & Wellness Benefits

• Medical Coverage
• Dental Coverage
• Vision Coverage
• Wellness Plan
• Life Insurance
• Long-Term Disability (LTD) Insurance
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• Healthcare Flexible Spending Account
• Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account

Paid Time Off (PTO)

• Ten (10) days of vacation leave per year (accrual rate increases after 5 years of service)
• Eleven (11) County-observed holidays
• One (1) floating holiday per year
• Paid Parental Leave*
• Sick Leave

Retirement Savings Benefit

• 457 Deferred Compensation Plan

The following benefits are available to Harris County employees in full-time and select part-time positions:

• Professional learning & development opportunities
• Retirement pension (TCDRS defined benefit plan)
• Flexible work schedule*
• METRO RideSponsor Program*

* Participation may vary by County department. The employee benefits plans of Harris County are extended to all eligible participants across various departments with the exception of the Harris County Community Supervision and Corrections Department, for which the cited Health & Wellness Benefits are administered through the State of Texas.
In accordance with the Harris County Personnel Regulations, group health and related benefits are subject to amendment or discontinuance at any time. Harris County Commissioners Court reserves the right to make benefit modifications on the County's behalf as needed.
For plan details, visit the Harris County Benefits & Wellness website:
01


Which of the following best describes your highest level of education completed as it relates to this position?Qualifying information must be documented in the Education section of your application.

• High School or GED diploma
• Associate Degree
• Bachelor's Degree
• Master's Degree or higher
• None of the above

02


Please describe your educational background including level of education completed, area of study and completed major and minor programs.
03


Which of the following best describes your verifiable experience in funding partnerships, business development, grant management, and/or cultivating strategic relationships?(To be considered, qualifying experience must be documented in your application's employment history)

• Less than ten (10) years
• Ten (10) years but less than eleven (11) years
• Eleven (11) years but less than twelve (12) years
• Twelve (12) years or more
• I do not have this experience

04


Please provide the dates of employment during which you obtained experience working in funding partnerships, business development, grant management, and/or cultivating strategic relationships. Provide the month and year that began and ended the experience ( Example: "January 2020 - December 2025" ) If this experience is not clearly documented in the Work Experience section, your application will be disqualified. If you do not have this experience, type "N/A" in the space provided.
05


Which of the following best describes your verifiable prior work experience in a local government or nonprofit?(To be considered, qualifying experience must be documented in your application's employment history)

• Less than five (5) years
• Five (5) years but less than six (6) years
• Six (6) years but less than seven (7) years
• Seven (7) years or more
• I do not have this experience

06


Please provide the dates of employment during which you obtained experience working in a local government or nonprofit. Provide the month and year that began and ended the experience ( Example: "January 2020 - December 2025" ) If this experience is not clearly documented in the Work Experience section, your application will be disqualified. If you do not have this experience, type "N/A" in the space provided.
Required Question