Assistant Director of Economic Development

Assistant Director of Economic Development

Salary

$95,000.00 - $124,883.00 Annually

Location

Lynchburg, VA

Job Type

Full-time

Job Number

03343-1

Department

Economic Development

Division

Economic Development

Opening Date

07/30/2026

Closing Date

7/30/2026 5:00 PM Eastern

• Description
• Benefits
• Questions

Description

The Assistant Director of Economic Development serves as the senior operational leader responsible for driving business growth, investment attraction, and team performance within the City of Lynchburg's Office of Economic Development & Tourism.

Reporting to the Director, this position leads execution of the Unified Economic Development & Tourism Plan-the City's integrated framework for aligning business recruitment, workforce engagement, site readiness, and marketing into a coordinated growth strategy-and ensures that strategy translates into measurable outcomes, including capital investment and job creation.

The Assistant Director directly supervises economic development staff, manages the business prospect pipeline, negotiates performance-based incentives, and provides staff leadership for the Economic Development Authority of the City of Lynchburg.

This is an in-office leadership position requiring visible external engagement, executive presence, and political acumen.

The anticipated hiring range for this position is $95,000 - $100,000.

The City of Lynchburg is an Equal Opportunity Employer and encourages all qualified applicants to apply.

Essential Duties

CORE RESPONSIBILITIES

Business Development & Investment

• Lead and close business recruitment and expansion projects resulting in capital investment and job creation.
• Develop and manage a qualified prospect pipeline aligned with target industry sectors.
• Structure and negotiate performance-based incentives in coordination with the Director and the Economic Development Authority of the City of Lynchburg.
• Maintain high-level relationships with major employers, regional partners, VEDP, developers, and site selectors.
• Prepare and deliver presentations to City Council, the Economic Development Authority of the City of Lynchburg, and other stakeholders.
• Work in close coordination with the Assistant Director of Tourism to align economic development, tourism, and marketing initiatives under the Unified Plan.

Site Readiness & Funding

• Lead strategic site development efforts, including infrastructure planning, site readiness, and disposition of key economic development properties.
• Oversee commercial site readiness strategy and work to accelerate development timelines.
• Identify and pursue funding opportunities and oversee grant strategy in coordination with state and regional partners.

Team Leadership & Project Execution

• Supervise the Economic Development Manager and assigned staff, including performance management, coaching, and accountability for results.
• Ensure adherence to established workflows, reporting standards, and performance expectations across staff and projects.
• Implement and maintain data-informed reporting dashboards measuring investment activity, pipeline strength, and business engagement outcomes.
• Provide staff leadership and coordination for the Economic Development Authority of the City of Lynchburg, including preparation of project updates, board materials, and alignment of EDA initiatives with departmental strategy.
• Lead and manage complex economic development projects, ensuring coordination across internal departments and external partners, adherence to timelines, and delivery of measurable outcomes.

Minimum Education and Experience Required

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily with or without accommodation. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in economic development, public administration, business, or a related field; master's degree preferred.
• Seven (7) or more years of progressively responsible experience in economic development or a related field such as business development, commercial real estate, workforce development, corporate engagement, or public-private partnerships.
• Demonstrated success leading external initiatives and delivering measurable economic development outcomes.
• Experience supervising staff and holding teams accountable to performance metrics.
• Experience operating in environments requiring political awareness, executive communication, and stakeholder alignment.
• Demonstrated ability to manage complex, multi-stakeholder projects and drive initiatives from concept through execution.
• Working knowledge of economic development programs, public sector processes, and incentive frameworks is preferred.

Operating Environment

This role operates within the City's established operational framework, including defined workflows, reporting structures, and decision authority. The Assistant Director is responsible for ensuring workflow discipline, reporting consistency, and alignment with departmental performance expectations across all staff and projects.

Additional Requirements

Additional Requirements

Possession of valid drivers license issued by Commonwealth of Virginia and acceptable driving record according to City criteria

Must successfully complete IS100 and IS700 National Incident Management (NIMS) training within 90 days of employment. May also be required to complete higher levels of NIMS training as determined appropriate for the position.

The City offers an array of benefits combined with direct salary/wages in order to establish a total compensation package that supports the Citys goals of attracting, rewarding, and retaining employees who are both representatives of the community and are also able to deliver exceptional services.

• Employees in full-time positions are eligible for the following benefits:
• Medical, dental, and vision coverage
• Retirement through the Virginia Retirement System (VRS);

the City's contribution is based on a rate determined bi-annually by the VRS Board and employees pay 5% of base pay (pre-tax) towards their VRS benefit

• Life insurance at no cost to the employee

• Optional benefits such as 457 deferred compensation, Roth IRA, flexible spending accounts, etc.

• Eligibility for parental leave and tuition assistance

• Paid Time Off

• Employees in hourly and part-time positions may be eligible for benefits depending on the position

Employees of the City of Lynchburg may also be eligible for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program for federal student loans

Additional information about City benefits can be found on our website and in the Employment Policies & Procedures

01

DMV Release Notice: This position requires a valid drivers license and acceptable driving history. I hereby certify that I have read the DMV Record Release Notice, and give the City permission to obtain my driving record.

• Yes
• No
• I do not currently possess a Virginia Drivers License

02

If you answered in the above question that you currently possess a Virginia Drivers License, please provide your License Number.

03

(Current Out-of-State applicants and applicants who have had an Out-of-State Drivers License at any time in the last 3 years): I agree to provide, WITHIN 2 WEEKS OF MY APPLICATION, a copy of my driving record from that state where I am currently licensed or have been licensed within the past 3 years. I will contact Human Resources within 2 weeks if I am unable to obtain my out of state driving record in that time. I understand that my application may not be considered for this position until I submit my out of state driving record. You can email this information to human.resources@lynchburgva.gov, or fax to 434-845-4304 or mail this information to Human Resources, 900 Church Street, Lynchburg VA 24504. Include the name of the position for which you are applying. If you have a driving record less than 30 days old you can upload as an attachment to your application.

• Agree to provide record within 2 weeks of application date
• Do not agree (I understand I will no longer be considered for this position if I disagree.)
• Not applicable (I have not had an Out-of-State Drivers License during the past 3 years.

Required Question

Employer City of Lynchburg

Address 900 Church Street

Lynchburg, Virginia, 24504

Phone (434) 455-4200

Website https://www.lynchburgva.gov/human-resources