Business Development Manager

The Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT) fosters a positive business environment, encourages quality economic development through the support of 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 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 strategic plan

• 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.

The Business Development Manager plays an important role on the Global Business Development team by helping lead Colorado's business attraction, expansion, and investment efforts. This position is not supervisory, but serves as a subject matter expert in one or more key industries and works closely with the GBD leadership team and external partners to identify, recruit, and support business opportunities aligned with Colorado's strategic goals. This role requires a strategic mindset, strong industry knowledge, relationship-building skills, and the ability to manage and execute economic development projects that advance the state's competitiveness. Economic development in this context is comparable to business development: it requires strong communication, relationship-building, and sales skills to recruit companies to Colorado.

Lead Generation & Incentive

• Develop and manage a proactive pipeline of business attraction prospects aligned with Colorado's strategic priorities for assigned industries

• Serve as project lead for incentive-based expansion deals, guiding clients through the full sales cycle

• Collaborate with the OEDIT Business Funding & Incentives division and other internal teams to align on incentives and program implementation

• Respond to Requests for Information (RFIs) with timely, customized, and compelling materials

• Prepare for the Economic Development Commission (EDC) and Pre-Review Committee (PRC)

Performance & Reporting

• Track key performance indicators including job creation, capital investment, and incentive utilization

• Maintain dashboards and internal tracking systems in coordination with the Strategy & Analytics team

• Generate regular reports for internal and external stakeholders

Stakeholder Engagement

• Represent OEDIT at meetings, panels, and briefings with government officials, business leaders, and community stakeholders in your industries of expertise

• Build strong relationships with site selectors, local and regional Economic Development Organizations, the Governor's Office, and other state agencies

• Coordinate with other OEDIT divisions to ensure aligned outreach and support across programs

Industry Expertise

• Serve as subject matter expert for assigned strategic industry sectors

• Monitor trends, develop industry-specific materials, and represent Colorado's value proposition to target industries

Administrative

• Responsible for timely management of procurement and operations processes such as: your timecards, expense reports, monthly credit card statement, and project trackers

Competencies

• Strategic Planning: Anticipates trends and aligns resources effectively

• Results Driven: Sets and meets aggressive goals with urgency and quality

• Continuous Improvement: Strengthens processes and outcomes

• Relationship Management: Builds and maintains effective stakeholder networks

• Communication: Adapts communication styles and actively listens

• Project Management: Oversees multiple projects with strong planning

• Customer Service: Prioritizes responsiveness and proactive service

• Problem Solving: Applies logic and critical thinking to find solutions

Required Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• Strong independent work ethic and initiative

• Excellent communication and relationship-building skills

• Experience working with business or community partnerships

• Knowledge of state and local government structures

• Understanding of Colorado's key economic industries

• Data fluency and experience tracking KPIs and using metrics to inform strategy

Preferred Education and Experience

• 1 to 5 years or more 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

• Experience working and/or living in major international markets is preferred;

• Proficiency in a foreign language;

• Excellent research skills required

• Familiarity with labor market, investment, or other relevant datasets

Business Development Manager I Minimum Qualifications

At least 2 years of full-time experience in business or economic development, government relations, sales, or other relevant fields

OR: Bachelor's Degree in business, economics, finance, international relations, political science, or other relevant fields of study AND at least 1 years of full-time professional procurement experience for a business or government agency.

Business Development Manager II Minimum Qualifications

At least 4 years of full-time experience in business or economic development, government relations, sales, or other relevant fields

OR: Bachelor's Degree in business, economics, finance, international relations, political science, or other relevant fields of study AND at least 3 years of full-time professional procurement experience for a business or government agency

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: $65,000 - $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.