- Salary
- $114k – $143k/yr
- Location
- Oregon City, OR, OR
- Type
- Full-time
- Department
- IT
- Seniority
- Manager
- Education
- Master
- Source
- GovernmentJobs
Description
This recruitment will remain open until the position is filled. The first review of applications will occur on November 16, 2026.
Oregon City was the first incorporated city west of the Rockies, the end of the Oregon Trail, and home to Willamette Falls. Today it's a growing community of 38,000 with a historic downtown, a riverfront poised for change, and a strong network of business and community partners. We're looking for an Economic Development Manager to help shape what comes next.
This is a chance to lead a varied economic development portfolio and see the results on the ground. The City's adaptive reuse grants and Vertical Housing Tax Credit program put real dollars to work, helping owners bring older buildings back to life and add housing downtown. The position also supports the Urban Renewal Commission and helps manage the Agency's budget and redevelopment projects. Arts and culture are part of the mix too, including support for the Arts Commission and leadership of the public art, mural, and film programs that give Oregon City its character.
Businesses that are growing, relocating, or building here will look to this position as their go-to partner at the City. Time with local employers is part of the job, as is close collaboration with the Chamber and downtown business organizations. Other work includes responding to site-selection opportunities with Business Oregon and connecting entrepreneurs and employers with the resources they need.
The position is housed in the Community Development Department alongside Planning and Building, so development projects get a coordinated team behind them. It reports to the Community Development Director and works closely with the City Manager and City Commission.
The ideal candidate is a self-starter who enjoys variety, is comfortable with real estate and development finance, communicates well with commissions and business owners alike, and wants to make a visible difference in a community with a remarkable past and a lot of momentum.
Classification Summary
The Economic Development Manager will focus on working with the City Commission, Urban Renewal Commission, Arts Commission, other City advisory committees and boards, interest groups and City staff to lead the City’s economic development program and promote new investments in the urban renewal district, downtown, employment and industrial lands and other development areas of interest throughout the City.
The program is organized around foundational pillars: business retention and expansion, business recruitment, entrepreneurship, and community development, grant and the arts and urban renewal. The City leads where it has the authority or tool, connects businesses to partners where another organization provides the service, and relies on partners where the expertise already exists outside the City. Develop strategies to attract and retain business and targeted industries, create employment opportunities and increase the City’s tax base. Develop and market programs to promote investment in new commercial and industrial developments; conduct studies to assist in enhancing existing commercial and industrial uses, and work closely with existing businesses, property owners and commercial real estate professionals to recruit new tenants. Coordinate public and private proposals with regional and state economic development partners, consultants, and City staff. Supervises the Economic Development Coordinator when the position is funded and filled.
Distinguishing Characteristics
The Economic Development Manager is responsible for managing, directing and integrating current and advanced economic development programs and strategies that enhance community image and environment. The Manager runs the day-to-day program, makes routine decisions within adopted policy and budget, keeps the Community Development Director informed, and elevates policy, financial, legal, interdepartmental and high-profile issues. The Manager leads the City’s Business Concierge function and the Division’s business, investment, and project relationships, leads negotiations within the authority delegated to the position, and approves Division expenditures within delegated authority. The Manager serves as lead staff for the Urban Renewal Agency, working under the direction of the Agency’s Executive Director and Community Development Director. When the Economic Development Coordinator position is unfilled, the Manager also performs core program administration at a level consistent with available capacity. Advancement to this position requires the ability to accomplish all short- and long-range economic development objectives by working with a diverse group of stakeholders.
Typical Duties and Responsibilities
The list of duties is a representative sample of the work appropriate to this class and does not include all the duties or specific tasks that may be assigned to a particular position. The incumbent may perform a combination of some or all the following duties:
- Work closely with the Community Development Director and City Manager in bringing development proposals to Urban Renewal and City Commissions.
- Work closely with Planning, Building, Engineering/Public Works and other City staff to help development proposals and business projects navigate city permitting and land use processes as the City’s Business Concierge; facilitate process, schedule and communication and tracks recurring process issues, but does not direct or advocate for the outcome of a land use or permit decision.
- Lead the business retention and expansion program, including substantive business visits, needs assessments, issue tracking, referrals and follow-up, and reports annually on themes heard from the business community, and propose policy direction and program development based on data gathered from the business community.
- Serve as project leader for urban renewal development activities, administer the Urban Renewal Plan and its project list, manage Agency-owned property and leases.
- Develop and recommend approval of the biennial program work plan, services, policies, procedures and reports, including translating City Commission goals assigned to the Division into defined work products, schedules, budgets and capacity impacts. Evaluate program effectiveness using performance measures and recommend actions for improvement as necessary.
- Promote and coordinate development opportunities in the community to private sector development interests. Prepare support data/site information reports, including possible city incentives. Maintain relationships with brokers, property owners and developers, coordinates the developer stakeholder group, and lead site-selection and state recruitment responses.
- Conduct comprehensive analyses, technical investigations and research on issues which could impact downtown redevelopment and other development areas of interest.
- Research, develop and recommend new programs, projects or program improvements to enhance the attractiveness of downtown and the community as a business location.
- Monitor, coordinate and provide assistance to business and property owners and business organizations involved in downtown redevelopment and other development areas of interest.
- Maintain working relationships with regional, state and local partners, such as Business Oregon, Clackamas County, small business and lending partners, and local business organizations.
- Develop work plans, timelines and resource allocations for assigned projects. Manage consultants and authorize payment for consultant, program and urban renewal capital projects within delegated authority, after receipt of deliverables has been verified; amounts above that authority follow City and Agency approval procedures.
- Develop, prepare, recommend and present reports/documents.
- Provide staff support to the Urban Renewal Agency and Urban Renewal Commission.
- Represent program and/or City to the public in legal or administrative proceedings, to other organizations or entities.
- Develop and manage the Urban Renewal budget and the Economic Development Division budget, in coordination with the Community Development Director.
- Research funding opportunities and prepare grant proposals.
- Recommend and oversee local business incentives and grant programs, including program rules, award recommendations and compliance policy.
- Ensure due diligence is completed on private development partners; financial and background review is performed or verified by the City Attorney, Finance or a qualified third party independent of the negotiation.
- Supervise the Economic Development Coordinator when the position is filled, including assigning and reviewing work, approving time records and conducting performance evaluations.
- When the Economic Development Coordinator position is unfilled, perform or arrange program administration, including small business resource navigation, Arts Commission and public art support, assigned grant administration, communications, and program data and reporting.
- Perform other duties as assigned.
Minimum Qualifications
Knowledge of
- Practices and principles of development, including downtown development/redevelopment and industrial development.
- Laws and regulations governing land development.
- Strategic planning methods with an emphasis on services related to assigned program area.
- Practices and principles of public/business administration and decision-making
- Public purchasing and contracting laws and regulations.
- Business retention and expansion practices, state and local business incentive programs, development pro formas and public-private partnership structures.
- Oregon urban renewal law and tax increment finance.
Skills and Abilities to
- Monitor and evaluate programs.
- Establish and maintain effective working relationships with employees, contractors, outside agencies, public officials and the general public.
- Supervise, train and evaluate staff.
- Read, analyze, and interpret common scientific and technical journals, financial reports, and legal documents.
- Respond to common inquiries or complaints from customers, regulatory agencies, or members of the Business community.
- Write speeches and articles for publication that conform to prescribed style and format.
- Effectively present information to top management, public groups, and/or boards of directors.
- Work with mathematical concepts such as probability and statistical inference. Ability to apply concepts such as fractions, percentages, ratios, and proportions to practical situations.
- Analyze development pro formas, project financing and tax increment projections.
- Perform this job successfully, an individual should have knowledge of standard office software (word processing, spreadsheets and presentations), project management software, GIS and property data tools, and customer relationship management (CRM) or business tracking tools.
Education, Training, and Experience
A typical way to obtain the required knowledge and abilities would be to obtain a Bachelor’s degree or equivalent from a four-year accredited college or university, Master's degree preferred. Preferred fields include Business/Public Administration, urban planning, design, economics or related field and a minimum of five years progressively responsible experience in economic development, urban renewal, real estate development, redevelopment or urban planning, including project management; supervisory or lead experience preferred.
Other Requirements
- Valid driver’s license
Working conditions/Physical and Mental Demands
The physical demands and work environment described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
While performing the duties of this Job, the employee is regularly required to sit; use hands to finger, handle, or feel; reach with hands and arms and talk or hear. The employee is frequently required to stand and walk. The employee is occasionally required to climb or balance; stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and ability to adjust focus.
Work is performed indoors and outdoors. While performing the duties of this Job, the employee is infrequently exposed to wet and/or humid conditions; moving mechanical parts; high, precarious places; fumes or airborne particles; toxic or caustic chemicals; outside weather conditions and risk of electrical shock. The noise level in the work environment is usually low.
This job/class description, describes the general nature of the work performed, representative duties as well as the typical qualifications needed for acceptable performance. It is not intended to be a complete list of all responsibilities, duties, work steps, and skills required of the job.
The City of Oregon City is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
The City of Oregon City is an Equal Opportunity Employer; it is the City’s policy to provide equal employment opportunities to all qualified persons without regard to race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, mental or physical disability, uniformed/military service or veteran’s status, use of the worker’s compensation system, expunged juvenile records, or any other protected status or activity in accordance with applicable law. It is the City’s policy to make employment, internship, volunteer selection, etc. decisions based on its evaluation of an individual’s qualifications, ability and contribution to the success of the City.
We will consider any equivalent combination of knowledge, skills, education, certifications, and experience to meet the minimum positions qualifications. If you are interested in applying for this position, we encourage you to think broadly about your background and skillset for the role.
Studies have shown that many candidates are less likely to apply for a job if they do not believe they meet all of the hiring criteria. Our talent acquisition goals include hiring the candidate who is best able to meet the performance objectives of this role. We therefore encourage persons with non-traditional skill sets and experiences to apply, and to take the time to explain how those skills and experiences qualify them for this role.