Founded in 2001, the Champaign County Economic Development Corporation (CCEDC) is a public-private partnership dedicated to fostering a cooperative, county-wide approach to economic development. CCEDC works to improve the economic well-being of all Champaign County through efforts that entail job creation, job retention, tax base enhancements, small business development, and promotion of quality of life. CCEDC brings together community partners to support economic development by aligning interests through productive relationships, open dialogue, and advocacy efforts. CCEDC serves on the leadership team of the iFAB Tech Hub and invites applications for the Director of Business Attraction position.

About the iFAB Tech Hub:

The Illinois Fermentation and Agriculture Biomanufacturing Tech Hub (iFAB) is poised to become the global leader in precision fermentation and biomanufacturing — an industry expected to grow to $200 billion over the next 15 years. Leveraging biology as a manufacturing technology of the future, iFAB is uniquely uniting world-class R&D, industry leaders, innovative startups, scalable infrastructure, abundant feedstock production, unparalleled transportation networks, and strong relationships with corn and soybean suppliers within a 51-mile radius. This unique lab-to-line approach establishes the iFAB region (Champaign, Piatt, and Macon counties) as the preeminent destination for the biomanufacturing industry.

iFAB leadership includes representatives from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Champaign County Economic Development Corporation, Economic Development Corporation of Decatur-Macon County, and University of Illinois Research Park. iFAB was designated by the U.S. Economic Development Administration as a Tech Hub in October 2023 and selected for a Phase 2 Implementation grant in July 2024.

About the Director of Business Attraction position:

The Director of Business Attraction is responsible for generating and cultivating opportunities for the iFAB Tech Hub region (Champaign, Piatt, and Macon counties) and managing active projects related to businesses seeking to locate or expand in the iFAB region.

This position will work directly with clients, managing projects with the highest quality and efficiency from prospect to closing. The Director of Business Attraction is responsible for executing activities that drive interactions with site selectors and corporate decision-makers, resulting in new business locations in the iFAB region.

The Director of Business Attraction will work to promote iFAB’s assets and provide information to prospective companies that may relocate or expand in the region. This role will serve as the primary point of contact for companies making location decisions and will work closely with site consultants, brokers, corporate end users, local economic development stakeholders and communities, utilities, and other strategic partners. Some business attraction efforts will be in collaboration with iFAB industry partners. This role will collaborate with state of Illinois economic development leadership on projects requiring programmatic support, including incentives and grants.

While the Director of Business Attraction reports directly to the CCEDC Executive Director, the position supports the iFAB leadership team and serves the three counties of the iFAB Tech Hub region – Champaign, Piatt, and Macon counties. The Director of Business Attraction will represent the iFAB Tech Hub at the local and regional level within the economic development and business communities and collaborate closely with iFAB members and stakeholders throughout Illinois.

Required qualifications:

· Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution in business, real estate, public administration/policy, planning, economic development, community development, or a related field; Master’s degree, professional certifications, or advanced training is a plus

· Five (5) years of experience in either economic development or site selection

· Excellent written, verbal, communication, and presentation skills

· Must be a self-starter who can work with little supervision

· Ability to organize, plan, and implement multiple projects and deadlines - must be able to respond quickly and accurately to changing project conditions in a fast-paced environment

· Proven strong customer service skills and ability to work with diverse constituencies

· Experience collaborating with multiple organizations

· Commitment to maintaining confidentiality

Job responsibilities – what you’ll do:

· Plan, coordinate, and manage programs, services, and activities consistent with the goals and objectives of the iFAB Tech Hub

· Coordinate and lead RFI/RFP responses; provide general market information, site specifics, and relevant information (i.e. workforce development, tax incentives) to prospects

· Meet and work with clients and/or business owners, investors, and developers to commit to bringing their business or starting, expanding, or investing in the iFAB region

· Work with various stakeholders to identify site readiness opportunities - planning, assessments, and infrastructure improvements - to expand the pipeline for future industrial site development

· Manage several business development projects to completion, including leading project calls, communicating with local and state government stakeholders, organizing site visits, following up with consultants and clients, and reporting outcomes through an internal CRM system

· Identify new business development opportunities through direct engagement with iFAB members, companies, site selectors, and the real estate community

· Promote iFAB’s assets; provide information and deliver pitches and presentations to prospective companies and partners

· Maintain site information in a variety of databases

· Generate leads through proactive outreach and attend relevant conferences and trade shows

· Provide timely and accurate reports to the iFAB leadership team - regularly report the status of projects, including managing the monthly metrics reports and KPIs

· Champion the iFAB Tech Hub region in cooperation with the iFAB leadership team, iFAB members, and strategic partners

· Travel as needed for meetings and engagement with clients and partners and/or to attend events and conferences (you must possess a valid Illinois driver’s license) - domestic and international travel may be required

· Maintain strong working relationships with the commercial real estate community, site selectors, developers, landowners, utility partners, and community stakeholders to generate and coordinate attraction and retention opportunities and assist clients with location-related requests

· In coordination with the iFAB leadership team, communicate with officials of Federal, State or local government agencies as well as community stakeholders, investors, and business leaders to achieve iFAB’s goals

· Perform other duties as required to support the overall goals of the iFAB Tech Hub

Skills we are looking for:

· Creativity and resourcefulness in developing and implementing projects

· Strong attention to detail, with a commitment to quality and accuracy

· Knowledge of common economic development programs

· Strong communication, listening, and research skills

· An innovative, creative, and strategic thinker who has experience in developing relevant initiatives and goals

· Strong time management skills and dedication to providing prompt responses and follow-up to clients and stakeholders

· Experience with Microsoft Office Suite, especially Word, Excel, and PowerPoint

Nice to have:

· Local community and/or regional knowledge

· Prior experience working for an economic development organization or site selection firm

· Proven track record of successful business attraction, retention, and expansion projects

· Knowledge of the bioprocessing and precision fermentation industry

Things to know:

· Although the position is primarily 8:30 AM – 4:30 PM, Monday – Friday, early morning or evening work may be required

· Most of the time, duties are performed indoors in an office or workplace environment; some remote work is available

· You’ll be an integral part of a small staff – this is an important position for CCEDC and iFAB

This is not necessarily an all-inclusive list of job-related responsibilities, duties, skills, efforts, requirements, or working conditions, and this job description in no way states or implies that these are the only duties that will be required in this position. Management reserves the right to revise the job or require other or different tasks to be performed or assigned.

Compensation is commensurate with education, experience, and qualifications. CCEDC offers a competitive benefits package. For full consideration, please submit a letter of interest, resume, and at least three professional references to carly@champaigncountyedc.org. Please note Director of Business Attraction in the subject line. Review of applications will begin immediately. The position will remain open until filled.

The iFAB Tech Hub is funded through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA). While the continuation of this position is foreseen for years to come, all iFAB positions are contingent on continued grant funding.

CCEDC strongly encourages candidates who are Black, Indigenous, People of Color, Women, LGBTQIA+, and others who identify as being from an underrepresented group to apply. As an Equal Opportunity Employer, all qualified applicants will be considered for employment without regard to any of the above characteristics or others protected by law.

Champaign County Economic Development Corporation is an equal opportunity employer.

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