Director, Business Retention & Expansions, Central Region

Work for Indiana

Begin a fulfilling career with the State of Indiana by joining one of the largest employers in the state, offering a range of opportunities across 60+ agencies. At the state, you'll find competitive compensation, a robust benefits package and a commitment to work-life balance. Most importantly, you'll have the chance to make a real and measurable impact on the lives of Hoosiers across Indiana.

About the Indiana Economic Development Corporation :

Bring your biggest and boldest ideas to life as an employee of the IEDC. We are a fast-paced and forward-thinking team charged with pursuing economic development opportunities for current and future Hoosiers in our state and around the world. Our culture embodies the spirit of being bold and working collaboratively to create the economy of the future.

The IEDC is organized as a public private partnership led by the Secretary of Commerce and governed by a board chaired by the Governor of Indiana.

The Indiana Economic Development Corporation has been recognized as one of the 2023, 2024, and 2025 Top Workplaces by Indianapolis Star.

Role Overview:

The Director, Business Retention & Expansions (BR&E), Central Region serves as the primary Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IEDC) project representative for Central Indiana retention and expansion strategy and projects. The Director is responsible for overall management of the IEDC central regional office and Central region team members, successful negotiation of economic development deals taking place within the region, representing the IEDC throughout the region, and other critical functions as outlined herein.

Salary:

The salary range for this position is $80,011 – $82,500, commensurate with education and work experience.

A Day in the Life:

• Leads, directs, organizes and manages the daily operations of the Central Region Retention & Expansions staff and Central Business Development Regional Office, including assigning projects to designated Central Region BD staff
• Manages and negotiates high-profile and highly competitive projects with emphasis on retaining and attracting new capital investment resulting in new job opportunities for Hoosiers; manages and oversees negotiations for other competitive projects within the Central Region being handled by Expansions team Project Managers
• Builds and maintains relationships with economic development partners within the State, and in particular within the Central Region, acting as a professional resource for education and training of economic development and local elected officials
• Visits local businesses, local elected officials and development-related organizations to assess needs and identify opportunities for the IEDC, including coordination and completion of business retention/expansion visits covering a multi-county region in conjunction with regional partner organizations, Local Economic Development Organizations and various state agencies
• Serves as primary Central Indiana regional Retention & Expansions liaison to IEDC central office, utilizing and regularly updating IEDC leadership on regional activities
• Encourages collaboration between economic development partners within the IEDC and the Central region
• Responsible for the leadership of the BR&E team-based strategy for the central region assigned counties, and other counties as requested, to include reporting out weekly on visits, planning and scheduling of the visits
• Responsible for leading the central region BR&E team to include local economic developers, workforce and higher education representatives, and other external partners as deemed appropriate
• At the direction of and/or approval by IEDC leadership, provides representation on economic development related regional boards and commissions on ex-officio basis
• Maintain confidentiality to protect the integrity of the client and State of Indiana
• Supports outside sales trips and other outside sales efforts to generate leads and raise Indiana brand awareness; responsible for attending conferences, out of state meetings, and events as needed
• Other critical Business Development functions as identified by IEDC Senior Leadership

What You’ll Need for Success:

Education:

• Relevant Bachelor’s degree (or higher) and equivalent experience including, but not limited to, the following fields: economic development, community development urban planning real estate, sales/business development, tax / regulatory law, or any of the core industries listed below

Experience:

• Eight years of post-graduate professional work experience, or other equivalent background and experience, preferably in a client-facing role
• At least five years of experience working in the field of economic development is desired
• Appropriate business development/professional experience and background, in particular with an emphasis on business deal negotiation and/or government relations

Knowledge of:

• Core industries to the State of Indiana such as manufacturing, life sciences, agribusiness, “economies of the future,” and information technology
• IEDC and other government-agency programs and processes; both in-state and other states
• IEDC business development processes and account management processes
• Region’s community and business development- organizations, including local government officials, economic development leaders, business executives and non-profit and community development organizations
• Region’s business climate, quality of place offerings, workforce makeup, and state economic development laws and trends
• Indiana government structure, including local government structure and how it engages with state government structures
• Local government incentive programs, administrative processes, etc.
• Microsoft Dynamics CRM program or other similar client management system

Ability to:

• Engage a broad range of business professionals in order to generate desired project outcomes.
• Identify the leverage of each side in a business deal via analysis of the overall context within which the deal is taking place.
• Negotiate on behalf of the State of Indiana in complex business transactions, optimizing the outcome for Hoosier taxpayers.
• Lead state and local economic development partners in presenting unified responses to company requests for proposals.
• Develop relationships with local economic development officials, brokers, site selectors, consultants to help develop economic development projects in the region.
• Mentor and grow Central Region project managers in their business transaction management and business negotiation abilities as well as interaction with businesses, government agencies and local economic development offices.
• Analyze and evaluate needs of businesses and communities to determine the appropriate level of IEDC and other state, public and private sector services to meet those needs.
• Communicate clearly and directly both orally and in writing, including public speaking and presentations.
• Navigate, use and understand CRM-based databases and spreadsheets.
• Travel in-state and nationally as needed.
• Maintain residency within the Central Region, and preferably near the IEDC’s primary offices, or willingness to locate within region.

Benefits of Employment with the State of Indiana:

The State of Indiana offers a comprehensive benefit package for full-time employees which includes:

• Three (3) medical plan options (including RX coverage) as well as vision and dental plans
• Wellness Rewards Program: Complete wellness activities to earn gift card rewards
• Health savings account, which includes bi-weekly state contribution
• Deferred compensation 457(b) account (similar to 401(k) plan) with employer match
• Two (2) fully-funded pension plan options
• A robust, comprehensive program of leave policies covering a variety of employee needs, including but not limited to:
  • 160 hours of paid New Parent Leave and up to eight weeks of paid Childbirth Recovery Leave for eligible mothers
  • Up to 16 hours of paid community service leave
• Combined 192 hours of paid vacation, personal, and sick leave time off
• 12 paid holidays, 14 on election years
• Education Reimbursement Program
• Group life insurance
• Referral Bonus program
• Employee assistance program that allows for covered behavioral health visits
• Qualified employer for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program
• Free Parking for most positions
• Free LinkedIn Learning access

Equal Employment Opportunity:

The State of Indiana is an Equal Opportunity Employer and is committed to recruiting, selecting, developing, and promoting employees based on individual ability and job performance. Reasonable accommodations may be available to enable individuals with disabilities to complete the application and interview process as well as perform the essential functions of a role. If you require reasonable accommodations to complete this application, you can request assistance by contacting the Indiana State Personnel Department at View email address on aiapply.co.