Sr. Vice President of Business Investment

Salary : $108,672.00 - $181,479.00 Annually
Location : City Hall, 900 East Broad Street, Richmond, VA
Job Type: Full-Time
Job Number: 36M00000006
Department: Economic Development
Opening Date: 03/23/2026
Closing Date: Continuous


Are you Richmond R.E.A.D.Y ? R espect. E quity. A ccountability. D iversity... YOU !!!


This is an EXCITING time to Join the City of Richmond! We are committed to nurturing talent, fostering growth opportunities, and building strong connections within our workforce. As we continue to make strides to becoming the employer of choice, we are thrilled about the below employee benefit enhancements:

• Virginia Retirement System (VRS)
• Language Incentive
• Referral Bonus
• T uition Assistance Program

Description


The City of Richmond's Department of Economic Development seeks a results-oriented Senior Vice President of Business Investment (Senior Policy Advisory) to lead strategy and execution of the City's efforts to attract, retain, and engage businesses, and activate commercial corridors. This highly visible senior position will work with leaders across the City to manage mission-critical initiatives that will help shape the city's future.

Duties include but are not limited to

• Work directly with the Director, Senior Deputy Director, and other Department and City leaders to define priorities, positioning, and near- and long-term strategy.
• Oversee team focused on business attraction, retention, business engagement, and commercial corridor activation.
• In collaboration with colleagues in real estate and program administration, develop or oversee the development of policies and programs to activate commercial corridors, encourage placemaking, attract commercial investment, and support small businesses.
• Lead or oversee high-stakes corporate recruitment and retention projects and prospecting opportunities, including proposal development, negotiations, and deal closures to secure new investments.
• Represent the City to press, elected leaders, and public and private partners.
• Serve on industry and community task forces, boards, or other collaborative initiatives to support economic and community growth.
• Oversee team performance by tracking key performance metrics related to business investment efforts, ensuring transparency and accountability. Use data to continuously improve outcomes.
• Develop and manage annual budgets,employee work plans, consultant projects.

Qualifications, Special Certifications and Licenses

• Bachelor's degree in public administration, urban planning, public policy/political science, economic development, business administration, or a similarly related area of study.
• Seven years of progressively responsible related experience in an economic development organization that includes significant program management and supervisory experience.
• An equivalent combination of training and experience (as approved by the department) may be used to meet the minimum qualifications of the classification.

PREFERRED TRAINING AND EXPERIENCE:

• Master's degree in public administration, urban planning, public policy/political science, economic development, business administration, or a similarly related area of study.
• Ten years of progressively responsible related experience in an economic development organization that includes significant program management and supervisory experience.

LICENSING, CERTIFICATIONS, and/or OTHER SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS:

• A valid Commonwealth of Virginia driver's license

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES:
TYPICAL KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES: These are a representative sample; position assignments may vary.

• Experience leading business attraction, expansion, and retention projects and initiatives.
• Demonstrated experience leading placemaking and commercial corridor initiatives, such as business improvement district efforts and street-level retail strategies.
• Proven ability to conceptualize, draft, and implement new policies and programs, including interpreting City and State regulations and effectively incorporating feedback from leadership and stakeholders.
• Direct experience in managing and supervising economic development professionals.

• Experience building andmaintainingproductive relationships with corporate and community stakeholders.
• Experience leading complex cross-division and/or cross-department initiatives and special projects.
• Experience creating and managing budgets.
• Experience presenting to City Councils, economic development authorities, planning commissions, and other similar governing bodies.
• Experience with Customer Relationship Management software (Salesforce) andoverseeing its use for business investment performance management and tracking.

Americans with Disabilities Act Requirements
Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the job. Prospective and current employees are invited to discuss accommodations.

ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARDS: Working conditions may include exposure to travel to other locations within the City of Richmond as well as outside of the City of Richmond; exposure to hazardous physical conditions such as mechanical parts, electrical currents, vibrations, etc.; atmospheric conditions such as fumes, odors, dusts, gases, and poor ventilation; inadequate lighting; intense noise; and environmental hazards such as disruptive people, imminent danger, and a threatening environment.


PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS AND WORKING ENVIRONMENT: Due to the nature of work assignments, incumbents must be able to perform detailed work on multiple, concurrent tasks, with frequent interruptions and under time constraint. The essential duties of this classification may require the ability to regularly talk; frequently finger, hear, see, and perform repetitive motions; and occasionally climb, balance, stoop, kneel, crouch, crawl, reach, stand, walk, push, pull, lift, feel, and grasp. The working conditions may include environmental hazards. In terms of the physical strength to perform the essential duties, this classification is considered to be sedentary, exerting up to 10 pounds of force occasionally, and a negligible amount of force frequently or constantly to move objects.
Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

The City of Richmond provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.


The City of Richmond is committed to the full inclusion of all qualified individuals. As part of this commitment, the City of Richmond will ensure that persons with disabilities are provided with reasonable accommodations. If you require reasonable accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to participate in the job application and/or the interview process, please contact Jessica McKenzie, HR Division Chief by email at


This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruitment, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training.
The City of Richmond Values Veterans. We are an official V3 Certified Company .

The City of Richmond is a proud partner with the US Army Partnership for Your Success PaYS Program.
With over 4,000 employees, the City of Richmond is an "Employer of Choice" among cities throughout the nation. The City strives to hire and retain employees who bring dedication and talent to the workforce. Offering a competitive, cost effective, and quality benefits package is one element of an "Employer of Choice".


The City offers a full range of benefit programs from initial hire through retirement. Please visit our Web site for details.
01


10-point compensable veteran. You must have an existing compensable service-connected disability of 10 percent or more. Other 10-point veteran include disabled veteran or a veteran who was awarded the Purple Heart for wound or injuries received in action, veteran's widow or widower who has not remarried, wife or husband of a veteran who has a service-connected disability, widowed, divorced or separated mother of an ex-service son or daughter who died in action, or who is totally and permanently disabled. Do any of these apply?

• Yes
• No

02


5-point veteran's must have been discharged under honorable conditions and had one of the following:Active duty in the Armed Forces of the United States, in a war, or during the period 4/28/52-7/1/55 or active duty for more than 180 consecutive days other than for training, any part of which occurred during the period beginning 2/1/55 and 10/14/76 or active duty during the Gulf War sometime between 8/2/90 - 1/2/92 or active duty in a campaign or expedition for which a campaign badge has been authorized or active duty for which more than 180 consecutive days other than for training, any part of which occurred during the period beginning 9/11/2001 and ending on the date prescribed by the Presidential proclamation or by the law as the last date of operation Iraqi Freedom. Do any of these apply?

• Yes
• No

03


Which answer best describes your highest level of education?

• High school diploma/ GED
• Some College
• Associate's Degree
• Bachelor's Degree
• Advanced Degree

04


How many years of experience do you have working in economic development?

• Less than 7 years of experience
• 7 to 10 years of experience
• 10 to 13 years of experience
• More than 13 years of experience

05


Do you have experience representing executive staff at meetings and hearings involving City Council, Board of Directors, State Representatives an/ or various committees/ boards?

• Yes
• No

06


Do you have at least seven years of experience leading/supervising in an economic development organization?

• Yes
• No

07


Do you have experience representing executive staff at meetings and hearings involving City Council, Board of Directors, State Representatives an/ or various committees/ boards?

• Yes
• No

08


In the space below, describe your experience leading economic development business attraction, expansion, retention strategy.
09


In the space below, describe your experience leading placemaking and commercial corridor initiatives, such as work with business improvement district efforts and street-level retail strategies.
10


In the space below, describe your experience managing and supervising economic development professionals.
Required Question