What are the responsibilities and job description for the Business Development Manager II position at State of Colorado?
NOTE: The position offers full-time employment as an exempt, at-will State of Colorado Employee with an anticipated duration through December 2027, with the possibility of extension based on available funding.
DEPARTMENT INFORMATION
The Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT) fosters a positive business environment and encourages high-quality economic development by supporting local and regional economic development activities across the state. A comprehensive slate of programs within OEDIT’s divisions work together to offer economic development services for all Colorado businesses – new and expanding, traditional and emerging, small and large – including retention programs to ensure the continued competitiveness of Colorado’s economic base, and job training to keep Colorado’s workforce the best in the nation.
GLOBAL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT (GBD) MISSION
Within OEDIT, the Global Business Development (GBD) division elevates Colorado businesses and communities by offering programs, services and incentives that foster an innovative and healthy economy where people, businesses and communities thrive. Such offerings include tax incentives and grant programs related to business recruitment, retention and expansion, foreign direct investment and data analytics services.
BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVES
Retain and maintain Colorado’s current economic base using a data-driven approach
Attract, retain and grow international business opportunities in Colorado
Attract, retain and grow domestic business opportunities in Colorado
Strengthen Colorado’s unique attributes and empower access for Coloradans to OEDIT’s global programs and services
Assist rural Colorado communities to develop strong, diverse workforce and leadership pipelines.
Develop and execute a work plan will both support and accomplish OEDIT/GBD’s combined missions and initiatives, yet also maintain flexibility to quickly adjust to changing demands in Colorado’s economy and key industries. This team focuses on a portfolio of strategic industry clusters and key industries(e.g. energy and natural resources, aerospace and defense, IT, and critical emerging tech etc.) and markets (e.g. domestic regions, foreign countries, etc.) defined in our data-driven strategic plan. While this is a public-sector role, economic development in this context is similar to business development—it involves attracting businesses to the state, which requires strong sales, communication, and relationship-building skills. The team operates as an entrepreneurial, data-driven, business development team; working to create jobs in Colorado that support our statutory mandate: (I) The economic health of the state (II) The economic viability of the proposed new jobs (III) The economic benefits to the state of the new jobs.
Description of BD Manager II: An experienced practitioner who independently manages a portfolio of industry sectors and recruitment projects. This person leads deals, represents OEDIT externally, and contributes to team strategy.
KEY DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
The Business Development Manager’s responsibilities are to gain expertise in regular work of the Business Development Team, and to grow in their role by learning the skills outlined below.
Lead Generation
Develop and maintain a proactive pipeline of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) and Domestic Investment (DI) opportunities
Engage in outbound recruitment, trade shows, marketing events, and ecosystem coordination to source leads according to individual work plan under BD Senior Manager strategy
Partner with local economic development organizations (EDOs), chambers, and industry groups to identify and qualify prospects
Serve as project lead on company attraction/expansion deals, supporting companies through the sales cycle under the guidance of the BD Manager II
Guide companies through the incentive process, including application support and internal coordination
Maintain current knowledge of all OEDIT incentive programs and assist with internal cross-agency coordination
Monthly EDC / PRC
Project Management and responsible for full sales cycle of prospects within individual industry breakdown
Assist with preparation and submission of Economic Development Commission (EDC) materials and Pre Review Committee (PRC) materials and project presentation
Attend PRC and EDC meetings and support the BD Manager II in representing projects and initiatives
RFI Process
Respond to, draft and Send out Requests for Information (RFIs) with tailored, data-informed content
Coordinate with Site Selectors, Companies and local partners to ensure high-quality responses
KPI Tracking & Reporting Support
Track performance indicators such as job creation, capital investment, and conversion rates
Support quarterly and annual performance reports
Build relationships and familiarity with programs with:
Governor’s Office and other state agencies (CEO, CDA, CDPHE)
Regional and local EDOs
Site selectors and national consultants
Other OEDIT and GBD Divisions (Advanced Industries Programs, CHIPs funding, BF&I programs)
Build knowledge of one or more strategic sectors
Develop an industry engagement plan
Track sector trends, workforce needs, and investment drivers
Support the development of sector-specific pitch materials and engage with relevant stakeholders
COMPETENCIES
Strategic planning - Identifies and analyzes organizational opportunities; accurately forecasts trends and emerging needs; frames strategic questions; makes decisions and deploys resources in alignment with strategic priorities; plans for future problems and opportunities by forecasting business trends and outside forces.
Results-driven - Drives for successful results; makes things happen and conveys a sense of urgency; sets aggressive goals and works hard to achieve these goals; moves tasks and assignments toward closure; invests considerable effort to ensure goals are met in a high-quality manner.
Continuous improvement - Focuses on evolving internal and external programs, processes, communication flows, and more to strengthen the performance of OEDIT.
Relationship management - Builds collaborative relationships and effectively manages relationships with all constituents; diplomatically and proactively builds networks both domestically and internationally.
Communication - Is understood and understands others; clearly articulates key points when writing and speaking; actively listens; effectively interprets non-verbal communication and truly hears what a wide variety of people are trying to say; accurately assesses personal styles and adjusts own style of communication to optimize personal effectiveness.
Project Management - Plans, directs, manages and monitors projects and programs effectively; provides the right resources to enable successful projects or programs; proven ability to manage multiple projects at one time.
Customer service - Responsively addresses the needs of customers/clients; assures that customer service is a top priority; accurately diagnoses customer needs and responds accordingly.
Problem-solving - Effectively gathers, researches, analyzes and/or assimilates information; uses logic and critical thinking to address issues and problems; makes quality decisions based on a mixture of analysis, wisdom and judgment and due diligence.
Minimum Qualifications, Substitutions, Conditions of Employment & Appeal Rights
REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS & ABILITIES
Strong independent work skills with a proven track record of taking initiative and developing relationships with key decision-makers within an organization
Good communication skills necessary to establish and maintain relationships, strong attention to detail, creativity and motivation to meet and exceed established goals.
A proven track record of successfully maintaining and developing business and community relationships
Strong verbal and written communication skills
Knowledge of city, county, and state government structures
EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE
3-5 years of experience in business or economic development, government relations, sales, or other relevant fields
Bachelor's Degree in business, economics, finance, international relations, political science, or other relevant fields of study
An equivalent combination of education and proven experience in comparable fields will be considered.
Previous experience using Salesforce or other comparable CRM systems
Excellent research, presentation, and interpersonal skills required
Proven track record closing or advancing business attraction/expansion projects
Established relationships with CO ecosystems, site selectors, EDOs or industry stakeholders
Project Management Certification and experience
Experience working and/or living in major international markets is preferred;
Proficiency in a foreign language
CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT
Statewide travel required, including overnights
Availability to work outside of standard business hours for stakeholder engagements
Ability to travel internationally (minimum 2 trips per year)
Estimated travel between 15-25% of year; self determined but this is a baseline expectation
Salary Range: $75,000 - $85,000 Annually
This position is considered non-classified, which means the position is not part of the Colorado State Personnel System. Therefore, the individual appointed to this position is considered at-will, and is not covered by the State Personnel Rules or the State Classification System. However, this position does come with the same benefits (retirement, insurance, etc.) as every other State employee, and with the same opportunities, pride and passion that comes with working for the great State of Colorado. Even though employment is at-will, non-classified positions have protections against discrimination and retaliation in state and federal employment laws. “At-will” employment means that either the employee or the State may terminate the employment relationship at any time for any reason or no reason, with or without notice or cause, as long as no federal or state law is violated.
A wide salary range is posted for this position and any job offer is based upon a salary analysis to comply with the Colorado Equal Pay for Equal Work Act. The salary analysis considers relevant experience, education, certifications, and state seniority as compared to others doing substantially similar work. While all offers are compliant with the Colorado Equal Pay for Equal Work Act, there is no guarantee an offer will be at the top of the posted range based on the salary analysis.
Benefits
The State of Colorado/Office of the Governor offers generous benefits to full-time employees including:
Annual leave accrued at 13.33 hours per month
Sick leave accrued at 6.66 hours a month
11 paid holidays per year
Medical plans - choice of Cigna or Kaiser; several plan options (including High Deductible Health Plan with HSA); most plans offered with significant state contribution towards premium
Dental and vision plans
Flexible spending accounts
State-paid life insurance policy of $50,000
Choice of 2 retirement plans (defined contribution or defined benefit) with generous state contribution
Optional 401(k) and 457 plans for additional retirement savings
State-paid short-term disability coverage
Additional optional life and disability plans
Access to the Colorado State Employee Assistance Program
Membership opportunity with the Credit Union of Colorado
RTD (transit) EcoPass
Training and professional development
To learn more about State of Colorado benefits, please visit: https://www.colorado.gov/dhr/benefits
Equity, Diversity and Inclusion
The State of Colorado believes that equity, diversity, and inclusion drive our success, and we encourage candidates from all identities, backgrounds, and abilities to apply. The State of Colorado is an equal opportunity employer committed to building inclusive, innovative work environments with employees who reflect our communities and enthusiastically serve them. Therefore, in all aspects of the employment process, we provide employment opportunities to all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, pregnancy, medical condition related to pregnancy, creed, ancestry, national origin, marital status, genetic information, or military status (with preference given to military veterans), or any other protected status in accordance with applicable law.
To learn more about the “State of Colorado For All”, visit our Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion website.
ADAAA Accommodations
The Office of the Governor is committed to the full inclusion of all qualified individuals. As part of this commitment, our agency will assist individuals who have a disability with any reasonable accommodation requests related to employment, including completing the application process, interviewing, completing any pre-employment testing, participating in the employee selection process, and/or to perform essential job functions where the requested accommodation does not impose an undue hardship. If you have a disability and require reasonable accommodation to ensure you have a positive experience applying or interviewing for this position, please direct your inquiries to our ADAAA Staffing Coordinator, the Director of Human Resources: jennifer.salvatore@state.co.us
Application
Your application must provide sufficient detail about your background and experience to allow the screening panel to properly assess your experience in the required elements, including your experience and achievements.
Due to the large volume of resumes we receive, we do not acknowledge receipt of each application and are unable to give status updates. If a strong match is found between your qualifications and the requirements of the position, a member of the recruiting staff will contact you to further discuss the career opportunity.
Salary : $75,000 - $85,000