What does a director of economic development do?
An economic development director develops and spearheads the implementation of economic development programs in a city. They usually work for the city government, although there are some who work for private companies. It is their responsibility to perform market research and analysis, developing strategies to help the city in building positive relationships with businesses and potential economic partners. Moreover, as an economic development director, they are also responsible for managing and directing staff, encouraging them to reach project goals while implementing policies and standards.
Director of economic development responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real director of economic development resumes:
- Lead and manage the implementation of the Medicaid network contract optimization initiatives.
- Manage domestic and international travel arrangements including transportation, lodging, and logistics for individuals and groups utilizing travel management systems.
- Serve as interim Texas Medicaid CFO for several months until a replacement CFO are hired.
- Manage domestic and international travel arrangements including transportation, lodging, and logistics for individuals and groups utilizing travel management systems.
- Develop and coordinate program operations compliant with federal TANF and local program requirements.
Director of economic development skills and personality traits
We calculated that 12% of Directors Of Economic Development are proficient in Business Development, Project Management, and Real Estate. They’re also known for soft skills such as Organizational skills, Speaking skills, and Writing skills.
We break down the percentage of Directors Of Economic Development that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Business Development, 12%
Coordinated with various city and county departments in expediting or resolving issues impeding business development or future economic development projects.
- Project Management, 12%
Conducted macroeconomics and microeconomics analysis, project management planning and budget planning and execution.
- Real Estate, 8%
Marketed District through networking and presentations to local real estate community and potential member companies.
- Global Health, 7%
Represent the Global Health Economics and Reimbursement Team at Regional and National medical society meetings.
- Community Development, 7%
Manage agency community development organization.
- Economic Development, 5%
Directed all economic development activities, including grants/funding, business retention and recruitment, economic analysis, planning, and marketing.
"business development," "project management," and "real estate" are among the most common skills that directors of economic development use at work. You can find even more director of economic development responsibilities below, including:
Organizational skills. The most essential soft skill for a director of economic development to carry out their responsibilities is organizational skills. This skill is important for the role because "public relations and fundraising managers are often in charge of running several events at the same time, requiring superior organizational skills." Additionally, a director of economic development resume shows how their duties depend on organizational skills: "key problem solver/decision maker and organizational development executive for tribes economic development commission"
Speaking skills. Many director of economic development duties rely on speaking skills. "public relations and fundraising managers regularly speak on behalf of their organization," so a director of economic development will need this skill often in their role. This resume example is just one of many ways director of economic development responsibilities rely on speaking skills: "represented the business community in the coordination of school to career federal grant. "
Writing skills. This is an important skill for directors of economic development to perform their duties. For an example of how director of economic development responsibilities depend on this skill, consider that "managers must be able to write well-organized and clear press releases and speeches." This excerpt from a resume also shows how vital it is to everyday roles and responsibilities of a director of economic development: "attend and set on boards for economic development, grant writing for office and county businesses when required. ".
Problem-solving skills. director of economic development responsibilities often require "problem-solving skills." The duties that rely on this skill are shown by the fact that "managers sometimes must explain how the company or client is handling sensitive issues." This resume example shows what directors of economic development do with problem-solving skills on a typical day: "resolved grant issues with federal agencies (hud, eda, and epa). "
Communication skills. Another common skill required for director of economic development responsibilities is "communication skills." This skill comes up in the duties of directors of economic development all the time, as "managers deal with the public regularly; therefore, they must be friendly enough to build a rapport with, and receive cooperation from, their media contacts and donors." An excerpt from a real director of economic development resume shows how this skill is central to what a director of economic development does: "developed communication campaigns for economic development and peacekeeping initiatives on behalf of u.s government and foreign clients. "
Leadership skills. While "leadership skills" is last on this skills list, don't underestimate its importance to director of economic development responsibilities. Much of what a director of economic development does relies on this skill, seeing as "public relations and fundraising managers often lead large teams of specialists or fundraisers and must be able to guide their activities." Here is a resume example of how this skill is used in the everyday duties of directors of economic development: "provided leadership for programs that strengthen partnership and enhance community resources and economic development. "
The three companies that hire the most director of economic developments are:
- Evolent Health26 directors of economic development jobs
- Huntington National Bank7 directors of economic development jobs
- UnitedHealth Group3 directors of economic development jobs
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Compare different directors of economic development
Director of economic development vs. Campaign manager
Campaign managers are responsible for developing, executing, and managing marketing campaigns for events, products, and services targeting consumers or organizations. These professionals typically collaborate with external agencies in the preparation and execution of campaigns. They perform other duties that may include managing the measurement and tracking of marketing campaigns, writing, proofreading, and editing copy for promotional materials, and maintaining regular measurement of the campaigns' ROI. Campaign managers are also expected to evaluate existing marketing campaigns and be up-to-date on the latest marketing trends.
There are some key differences in the responsibilities of each position. For example, director of economic development responsibilities require skills like "business development," "real estate," "global health," and "community development." Meanwhile a typical campaign manager has skills in areas such as "digital marketing," "email marketing," "email campaigns," and "event planning." This difference in skills reveals the differences in what each career does.
Campaign managers really shine in the technology industry with an average salary of $86,390. Comparatively, directors of economic development tend to make the most money in the health care industry with an average salary of $135,521.campaign managers tend to reach lower levels of education than directors of economic development. In fact, campaign managers are 16.3% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 1.5% less likely to have a Doctoral Degree.Director of economic development vs. Client relations manager
A client relations manager is responsible for managing and maintaining healthy and professional relationships with business partners and clients. Client relations managers coordinate with account managers and the marketing department to monitor the growth and development of client accounts by strategizing methods of enhancing the brand image in the market. They also identify and recruit potential clients through lead generation and market research to discuss the services offered by the company that matches their needs and requirements.
In addition to the difference in salary, there are some other key differences worth noting. For example, director of economic development responsibilities are more likely to require skills like "global health," "community development," "economic development," and "strategic plan." Meanwhile, a client relations manager has duties that require skills in areas such as "client relations," "customer service," "customer satisfaction," and "hr." These differences highlight just how different the day-to-day in each role looks.
Client relations managers may earn a lower salary than directors of economic development, but client relations managers earn the most pay in the internet industry with an average salary of $108,724. On the other hand, directors of economic development receive higher pay in the health care industry, where they earn an average salary of $135,521.In general, client relations managers achieve lower levels of education than directors of economic development. They're 16.7% less likely to obtain a Master's Degree while being 1.5% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Director of economic development vs. Public relations manager
A public relations manager is responsible for monitoring the public relations department to boost its brand image and attract potential clients through press releases and media coverage. They work closely with the marketing team, developing marketing campaigns and promotional strategies for creating brand awareness. Public relations managers maintain the company's presence on various social media platforms, responding to the customers' inquiries and concerns regarding the company's goods and services. A public relations manager must have excellent communication and leadership skills, especially in identifying business opportunities to increase revenues and profitability.
The required skills of the two careers differ considerably. For example, directors of economic development are more likely to have skills like "project management," "real estate," "global health," and "community development." But a public relations manager is more likely to have skills like "web content," "pr campaigns," "marketing campaigns," and "digital marketing."
Public relations managers earn the highest salary when working in the technology industry, where they receive an average salary of $114,540. Comparatively, directors of economic development have the highest earning potential in the health care industry, with an average salary of $135,521.Most public relations managers achieve a lower degree level compared to directors of economic development. For example, they're 14.6% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 2.7% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Director of economic development vs. Community relations director
A community relations director is an individual who is responsible for managing positive relationships with community members, nonprofit organizations, and fellow employees surrounding an organization. Community relations directors must plan, organize, and manage activities to help the organization achieve its public relations goal. They need to interface with vital community groups so that they can ensure the organization is producing effective results. Community relations managers must also assist in preparing a variety of publicity materials such as speeches and media content.
Even though a few skill sets overlap between directors of economic development and community relations directors, there are some differences that are important to note. For one, a director of economic development might have more use for skills like "project management," "real estate," "global health," and "community development." Meanwhile, some responsibilities of community relations directors require skills like "community events," "memory care," "sales process," and "senior care. "
Community relations directors enjoy the best pay in the manufacturing industry, with an average salary of $87,495. For comparison, directors of economic development earn the highest salary in the health care industry.community relations directors reach lower levels of education compared to directors of economic development, in general. The difference is that they're 12.7% more likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 2.4% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Types of director of economic development
Updated January 8, 2025
