President & Chief Executive Officer

The Will County Center for Economic Development (CED) seeks an accomplished and visionary leader to serve as its next President & Chief Executive Officer.

This is an opportunity to lead one of the Midwest's premier regional economic development organizations at a defining moment in its history. With a strong financial foundation, an experienced professional staff, engaged private-sector investors, and respected public-sector partnerships, the organization is well positioned for its next era of leadership.

Will County has emerged as one of the nation's most dynamic economic regions. Home to more than 700,000 residents, the county has led Illinois in job and population growth and become one of the country's premier logistics and advanced manufacturing markets. The CED leads regional initiatives in business attraction and retention, workforce development, housing, brownfield redevelopment, infrastructure advocacy, small business support, and long-range economic competitiveness.

The Organization

The Will County Center for Economic Development is a private, nonprofit economic development organization supported by a broad coalition of public and private investors. The organization serves as the county's lead economic development organization while working collaboratively across municipal boundaries and throughout the greater Chicagoland region.

The CED combines strategic leadership with practical execution. The organization also serves as a trusted convener, bringing together business, government, education, and community partners to advance projects that no single organization could accomplish alone.

What Success Looks Like

The successful candidate will:

• Provide strategic leadership for one of Illinois' leading regional economic development organizations.
• Inspire and lead a talented professional staff while fostering a collaborative, innovative organizational culture.
• Strengthen relationships with investors, municipalities, educational institutions, utilities, state agencies, and regional partners.
• Advance initiatives that enhance the region's long-term economic competitiveness.
• Ensure the long-term financial strength and sustainability of the organization through sound fiscal management and investor engagement.
• Represent the organization with credibility and professionalism before business leaders, elected officials, community organizations, and the media.
• Identify emerging economic trends and position the organization to capitalize on future opportunities.
• Work closely with the Board of Directors to establish strategic priorities while ensuring excellence in organizational execution.

The Leadership Profile

The Board recognizes that exceptional economic development leadership can come from a variety of professional backgrounds. Candidates may have experience in economic development or related fields.

The ideal candidate will demonstrate:

• A record of strategic leadership and organizational accomplishment. Demonstrated experience advancing economic development, community development, corporate expansion, real estate development, public‑private partnerships, site selection, infrastructure, or related initiatives, with a record of successfully leading complex projects and bringing opportunities to completion.
• Exceptional relationship-building and communication skills.
• Strong financial and organizational management experience.
• The ability to build consensus among diverse stakeholders.
• Sound judgment, integrity, humility, and professionalism.
• The ability to translate complex economic and organizational challenges into actionable strategies.
• A collaborative leadership style that empowers staff while fostering accountability and high performance.
• Educational requirements: Bachelor's Degree required in a relevant field such as business, economics, public administration from an accredited college or university. Advanced degree in a related field of study preferred.

Essential Job Duties and Responsibilities:

Duties include but are not limited to the following:

Strategic Leadership and Management

• Develop, in conjunction with the Board, annual and long‑term strategic plans and provide timely reporting on accomplishments.
• Shape an organizational culture for talent attraction and retention.
• Provide executive level management, including the support and development of staff and oversight for performance management and adherence to human resource policies and practices.

Business Operations

• Create strategies to promote the CED brand and Will County to investors and developers.
• Develop and implement a comprehensive brand identity and marketing program to properly position Will County for business attraction, retention, and expansion efforts.
• Work in collaboration with government agencies, business leaders, and other partners on strategies for advancing economic development.

Advocacy and External Engagement

• Build and sustain effective working relationships with external stakeholders including but not limited to elected officials, business leaders, government agencies, and other partner organizations for purposes of driving economic development.
• Act as the primary liaison between the local government agencies and other stakeholder groups and partners.
• Serve as the chief spokesperson for the CED; a persuasive communicator of CED’s mission and services to current and potential partners, businesses, and other stakeholders.
• Position CED as a highly regarded and trusted partner for advancing Will County’s economic development goals.
• Serve on boards and attend events to advance the CED’s goals.

Financial Management and Oversight

• Ensure that the CED maintains accurate financial records, including oversight for tax and audit services in conjunction with the Board and Finance Committee.
• Develop annual plans and operating budgets for Board approval and ensure internal monitoring and compliance with annual budgets.
• Oversee the preparation of financial reports and quarterly or monthly reporting to the Treasurer, Finance Committee, and Executive Committee as required by the Board.
• Create and lead fundraising opportunities.
• Safeguard the assts of the organization and ensure appropriate internal controls.

Board Relations

• Serve as a non‑voting member of the Board and as the principal liaison to the Board and committees.
• Communicate effectively with the Board, providing timely and accurate information necessary for the Board to make informed decisions.
• Develop, maintain, and support a strong Board and related committees.

Qualifications

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be considered, as appropriate.

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university in a related field, including but not limited to economics, business, or urban and regional planning.
• Significant and substantial portfolio of success in economic development, including executive experience with responsibility for strategy, staff, and budget.
• Demonstrated experience leading economic development initiatives.

Required Knowledge and Skills

• Broad general knowledge of the leading economic development approaches and associated creative problem‑solving techniques.
• A deep understanding of the issues confronting Will County, and knowledge of best practices to confront those issues.
• Demonstrated ability to support fundraising; and to identify and secure commitments from potential investors.
• Exceptional organizational and strategic planning capability; experience managing public/private partnership initiatives is a plus.
• Experience working with or reporting to a Board to advance strategic objectives.
• Executive presence and political acumen with the requisite communication and influencing skills.

Compensation

Starting salary is between $170,000-$190,000 but will be commensurate with experience. This job includes a performance bonus based on individual and organizational goals.