Senior Director, Economic Development - ASWIC & MCEDF

PURPOSE OF POSITION: This position serves in a dual-capacity role to facilitate, coordinate, and lead economic development activities and strategic initiatives throughout rural Pottawattamie County and Mills County, Iowa, on behalf of Advance Southwest Iowa Corporation (ASWIC) and Mills County Economic Development Foundation (MCEDF). The position holds direct responsibility for advancing business recruitment, retention, expansion, entrepreneurship, and community development initiatives across both service areas. The role is responsible for fostering job creation, supporting private capital investment, encouraging business growth, and advancing long-term economic prosperity throughout both Counties. This position will cultivate and maintain strong working relationships with municipalities, county governments, utility providers, businesses, developers, community leaders, educational institutions, workforce partners, and other key stakeholders to strengthen the overall business climate, support infrastructure and workforce development initiatives, encourage new investment, and expand the local tax base within rural Pottawattamie County and Mills County. In addition, this position will proactively identify and pursue opportunities that enhance regional competitiveness, promote site and community readiness, support existing industry, and position both counties for sustainable economic growth and long-term investment success. ESSENTIAL JOB DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES: 1. Promote business attraction, retention, and expansion efforts throughout rural Pottawattamie and Mills Counties. Provide direct assistance to businesses and developers including identification of real estate and site opportunities; access to local, regional, and state incentive programs; financing resources; coordination with utility providers regarding infrastructure capacity and improvements; facilitation of zoning, planning, annexation, and entitlement processes; connections to workforce development and training programs; and access to relevant demographic, labor, and market data. 2. Conduct regular outreach and engagement with all communities located within rural Pottawattamie and Mills Counties, including providing ongoing communication, project updates, and formal presentations to City Councils, County Boards of Supervisors, utility boards, and other local governing bodies and stakeholder organizations. 3. Serve as lead project manager and primary point of contact for new-to-market business attraction projects, business expansion opportunities, and other economic development initiatives within rural Pottawattamie and Mills Counties, as well as additional ASWIC and MCEDF projects as assigned. Responsibilities include providing accurate and timely information to clients and site selectors; coordinating all inbound and outbound project communications and site visits; ensuring consistent follow-up and follow-through; facilitating coordination among public and private stakeholders; and maintaining complete, accurate, and organized digital project records. 4. Plan, coordinate, and implement public relations, marketing, and community awareness initiatives designed to elevate the visibility of economic development opportunities, available sites, infrastructure investments, and business growth activities throughout rural Pottawattamie and Mills Counties. 5. Build and maintain collaborative relationships with investors, funding partners, municipal officials, county leadership, utility providers, educational institutions, regional organizations, state agencies, and other local and regional economic development stakeholders to advance strategic economic development goals. 6. Monitor, evaluate, and remain informed regarding local, regional, state, and federal policies, legislation, programs, and funding opportunities that may impact economic development, infrastructure investment, workforce development, housing, business recruitment, and industry growth within rural Potta…