Executive Director

Duties and Responsibilities

The Development Authority of Pike County is the county's sales and marketing arm, the lead agency for attracting new business investment, encouraging the expansion of existing industry, locating new markets for Pike County products, attracting tourists to Pike County, promoting the county as a location for arts, film, music, and digital entertainment projects, as well as planning and mobilizing county resources for economic development.

The mission of the Development Authority is to market the county for business recruitment, existing business expansion, and small business development.

The Executive Director is responsible for business development efforts in the county. The successful candidate’s primary duty is to assist both existing Pike County companies considering expansion and prospective companies considering a future location into the county and to positively influence investment decisions in Pike County. Working in close partnership with state, local and other officials, the primary goal is the advancement of job creation and investment in Pike County. The successful candidate will spend most days traveling within the region, meeting with business and community leaders, building important working relationships with stakeholders throughout the region. Specific duties include:

• learning the state’s incentive program, pro-business climate, community partnerships, and workforce
• representing Pike County as the lead point of contact for companies considering expansion or new locations in the county.
• calling on community leaders to build value-added relationships.
• attending trade shows, conferences, and networking events to generate leads by developing strategic relationships with community, state, and consultant partners.
• forming and maintaining relationships with executive-level decision makers of existing and prospective companies.
• serving as the county’s first point of contact for communities, regarding economic development efforts.
• Deep understanding of OGCA governance of Development Authorities, public benefits & incentives, Open meetings, Open records, and code of ethics.
• Well versed in Development Authorities financing options

Minimum Qualifications and Competencies

• Bachelor’s degree in Economic Development, Marketing, Economics, Real Estate, or similar field AND two (2) years of professional experience in related field
• Excellent oral, written, and interpersonal communication skills; able to establish and maintain effective working relationships with people and organizations.
• Time management skills with the ability to effectively prioritize and manage complex tasks across multiple projects.
• Self-starter, able to thrive in a fast-paced team environment.
• Good judgment
• High proficiency with MS Office software (Word, Excel, and PowerPoint).
• High level of ethical standards, discipline to self-start and work independently and remotely.
• Must reside within the county (preferable) or within 10 miles of the county currently, or be willing to relocate to the county (at personal expense)
• Must have a valid driver’s license, be willing to travel within the state and out of the state as needed.
• The ideal candidate must be a self-starter, able to thrive in a fast-paced environment, and be highly organized. He or she must also use good judgment; can understand the big picture and the logical order of projects; must be able to manage multiple tasks and priorities simultaneously; must be able to adapt to change quickly.

Preferred Qualifications

• Four or more years of economic development experience within the state
• Past sales experience
• Experience with county government and development authority structure; individual and development authority goals, team building and leadership skills.
• Persuasive and informative public speaking skills
• Proven record of success leading projects involving multi-stakeholders

Entry Salary

$65,000-$75,000, vehicle or mileage reimbursement, health, and retirement

*Highly qualified, right-fit candidates will have the ability to negotiate salary and benefit packages. To be considered for a salary offer above the entry level, the successful candidate MUST exceed the education and experience qualifications shown as preferred.

Applicants selected for hire will be subject to a background check, including a criminal history record check, education verification, credit check, and driving record. Additionally, male applicants between 18 and 26 years of age must present proof of Selective Service Registration if hired.