Director, Economic Development

Overview

The Center for Economic Growth (CEG) is seeking an experienced Director of Economic Development to lead business attraction, expansion, and strategic initiatives across the Capital Region. This high impact, externally focused role is ideal for a mission-driven economic development professional who enjoys working with companies, partners, and stakeholders to translate opportunity into measurable regional growth.

As a key member of the CEG team, the Director serves as a primary point of contact for companies considering expansion or location and plays a central role in advancing initiatives that strengthen long-term economic competitiveness, entrepreneurship, and job creation.

• Business Attraction & Investment
  • Lead business attraction efforts focused on targeted industries, driving new investment, job creation, and long-term regional impact.
  • Manage a pipeline of domestic and international company prospects, evaluating expansion or relocation in the Albany Capital Region.
  • Serve as a trusted liaison between prospective companies and regional, state, and local partners, connecting projects to incentives, sites, workforce resources, and infrastructure.
  • Respond to business inquiries with customized information related to sites, incentives, workforce, and community assets.
  • Represent CEG and the Capital Region at industry trade shows, recruitment missions, and business development events.
  • Maintain current knowledge of industry trends, regional assets, and competitive positioning to support recruitment strategies.
  • Identify, evaluate, and maintain an up-to-date inventory of existing and future development sites.
• Strategic Initiatives & Entrepreneurship
  • Lead strategic initiatives that advance CEG’s mission and regional economic priorities.
  • Serve as program lead for CEG’s Venture Readiness initiative, supporting high-growth startups by coordinating program delivery and partner engagement, managing grant compliance, reporting, and outcomes, connecting participating companies to capital, mentorship, and regional resources.
  • Develop and implement new initiatives that align with regional competitiveness, innovation, and long-term economic growth.
• Partnerships & Performance
  • Collaborate closely with area economic development organizations, government agencies, academic institutions, and private sector partners.
  • Produce reports, dashboards, and performance metrics to track outcomes and inform strategy.

• Demonstrated experience in economic development or a related field
• Bachelor’s degree in urban planning, economic development, public or business administration, finance, or related field.
• Strong writing, presentation, and public speaking skills.
• Proven ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously with organization, flexibility, and attention to detail.
• Demonstrated project management and strategic execution experience.
• Collaborative, solution-oriented mindset with the ability to work independently and take ownership of outcomes.
• Excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to build credibility across diverse stakeholders.
• Proficiency with Microsoft 365; experience with Salesforce or a comparable CRM preferred.
• Familiarity with grant application and administration is helpful but not required; a willingness to learn is essential.
• Willingness and ability to travel domestically; some evening or weekend work may be required.
• Genuine enthusiasm for strengthening the Capital Region’s economy.

The salary range for this position is $80,000 - $95,000. Benefits package includes PTO, generous 401(k), and health/life/disability insurance.

Before applying, please ensure you meet the following criteria:

• Minimum three years of experience in economic development, business attraction, or related fields
• Experience leading or supporting business recruitment/expansion projects
• Strong communication and stakeholder engagement skills
• Grant management experience preferred
• Familiarity with CRM tools (Salesforce a plus)

A cover letter and resume are required. To be considered, please include a brief (2–4 sentence) response in your cover letter describing:

• Your experience…