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 Administrative Program Manager 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 Administrative Program Manager position:

The Administrative Program Manager is responsible for high-level administrative support to the iFAB Tech Hub, including iFAB leadership, staff, members, and councils. This position will be responsible for coordinating iFAB meetings, activities, events, and operations. Additionally, this position will oversee, manage, coordinate, and collate Tech Hub economic development data.

While the Administrative Program Manager 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.

Required qualifications:

· Associates degree from an accredited institution; Bachelor's degree preferred

· At least three years of related work experience

· Excellent written, verbal, and communications 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

· 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

· Provide high-level administrative support and assistance to iFAB leadership and staff, including calendar management and travel arrangements

· Perform clerical and administrative tasks, including drafting letters, memos, invoices, reports, and other documents

· Schedule and attend meetings – prepare agendas, take notes, and record minutes

· Create and maintain client and activity records to ensure accuracy and required reporting information; includes management of Customer Relationship Management (CRM) tool

· Serve as the point of contact for data and grant reporting; work with iFAB members to collect data on categories such as fermentation tank capacity, jobs created, industry partnerships, training programs, and training program graduates

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

· Maintain KPI dashboards for the Tech Hub and its members

· Work with iFAB leadership and the communications team to find ways to visualize and distribute the data to show iFAB’s impact

· Travel as needed for meetings, events, and engagement with partners, clients, and stakeholders (you must possess a valid Illinois driver’s license)

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

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

Skills we are looking for:

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

· Experience with a CRM tool

· Strong communication, listening, and research skills

· 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

· Experience collaborating with multiple organizations

· Experience with data management for a federally-funded grant

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.

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 Administrative Program Manager 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.

Apply now

See more open positions at Champaign County Economic Development Corporation

Privacy policy Cookie policy