Who We Are

The Greater Peoria EDC is a regional economic development & planning organization that serves five counties in Central Illinois: Peoria, Tazewell, Woodford, Logan, and Mason. Our Business Assistance team leads Elevate GP and the regional business outreach and assistance efforts in collaboration with partner organizations and communities. We help businesses - from start-ups to Fortune 50 enterprises - navigate and access local, state, and federal resources and programs to thrive and grow. In short, we work hard to ensure Greater Peoria's businesses succeed!

As the Business Engagement Associate, you will assist in developing, implementing, and coordinating business expansion and retention activities to enhance the capacity and outcomes of the Elevate GP program while gathering info on key metrics to demonstrate the impact and outcomes for further investment potential. You will develop a high level of expertise in the strengths, assets, programs, and networks that make up the business ecosystem of Greater Peoria to consult with businesses to enhance their growth strategies.

What You’ll Do To Drive Success

• In coordination with the Business Assistance team, conducts business visits with local and state partners to develop strong relationships with key business stakeholders and assist local and interregional businesses with opportunities to expand existing markets, access new markets, identify needed sites or buildings, secure public and private incentives, and other relevant info to support retention, expansion, and attraction of businesses for Greater Peoria
• Network within Greater Peoria to develop an understanding of the strengths, assets, programs, and connections that the Greater Peoria region business ecosystem can provide to a company to enhance its growth strategy
• Gain an in-depth understanding of local, state, and federal resources and refer businesses to appropriate partners and programs
• Communicate and report project-related information to internal and external stakeholders and utilize a standardized approach to comprehensive reporting
• Support the Greater Peoria CEDS Strategic Plan by providing collaborative support to enhance the achievement of the CEDS 5-year strategic plan and business development goals
• Support the build-out of detailed, research-based data with comprehensive information on regional businesses
• Assist with marketing campaigns to inform the public of incentives, resources, financing, grants, enterprise zones, opportunity zones, foreign-trade zones, business successes, business growth, business attraction, innovation, etc.
• Track completion of company visits, including survey data and other pertinent information relevant to the mission of GPEDC within the CRM system; make detailed notes regarding follow-ups, referrals, networking opportunities, etc., and develop various reports to highlight trends, outcomes, and industry-specific insights
• Under the direction of the Vice President of Programs, complete work directly related to business assistance, grant writing, reporting, and other department-specific work
• Manage special project assignments and collaborate with other staff at GPEDC to support overlapping/aligned goals related to business solutions, including workforce, innovation partnerships, startup assistance, ecosystem mapping, and key business wins

What You Bring To The Table

• At a minimum, an Associate’s Degree in Business, Economics, Public Administration, Planning, or a related field - or extensive experience in a similar role at a chamber of commerce or economic development organization
• Experience in building relationships, whether in a business-to-business setting or public-sector work, or experience in community outreach, business development, or another role with a high focus on building deep, lasting relationships
• Experience in having conversations that generate data and insights on the health and trajectory of business or economic growth
• Familiarity with the Greater Peoria region: businesses, business associations, and networks, as well as regional, state, and federal partners with programs, funding, and initiatives to support business growth
• Passion for facilitating meaningful conversations to advance business and to identify opportunities for support and engagement
• Ability to start, build, and maintain lasting relationships that are meaningful, insightful, and advantageous for all parties
• Knowledge of data organization and visualization software is a plus
• Curiosity and a desire to be challenged to investigate challenges further and to generate solutions to complex problems
• Excellent organizational skills with the ability to multitask and manage a variety of responsibilities and projects, often with competing timelines
• Ability to compile information and tell a compelling story verbally and in writing through presentations, conversations, white papers, press releases, etc
• High aptitude for gathering information, establishing facts, compiling evidence, and drawing valid conclusions

You’ll Love This Work If You Are…

• Excited about Greater Peoria and enthusiastic about seeing our region grow and become economically resilient
• Understanding of how your work aligns with and advances the objective of GPEDC initiatives, overall CEDS, Regional Economic Development Strategies, collaborative public-private groups, and our region as a whole
• Eager, motivated, and self-driven, you will often work towards a general strategy or objective with a lot of ambiguity on the complete path to accomplish those goals
• Curious and love digging deeper into ideas and seeking new approaches to old problems and ideas in order to bring a fresh take or novel insights to impact approaches and change minds
• Highly analytical and organized while being able to pull ideas from multiple functions and perspectives and align to create impactful visualizations and insights
• Able to balance scope, speed, and quality to reach positive outcomes and create impactful success stories

What You’ll Get From Us

• Flexibility: Collaborate with the team in the office and meet required deadlines while enjoying the flexibility to maintain a healthy work-life balance
• Development & Growth: Work with mentors and get to know the public & non-profit sector deeply, with continued investment in opportunities to further your knowledge
• Welcoming & Inclusive Team Environment

One More Thing You Should Know…

Much research shows how marginalized groups may not apply for jobs unless they meet 100% (or more!) of the qualifications. Here at the GPEDC, we understand that someone passionate about improving the quality of life and supporting career development and our region's growth can manifest from many backgrounds and experiences that might not seem “standard” - and that’s totally fine! We greatly value the unique perspectives and added knowledge everyone on the team can bring.

You might not feel like you “check all the boxes” as you read this job post. We get it. And we think these things ourselves, too. But we hope you’ll apply anyway, and we’ll take great care in working with you and providing an inclusive, transparent hiring process. Confidence can sometimes hold us back from applying for a job. We’ll let you in on a little industry secret: there’s no such thing as a ‘perfect’ candidate. The GPEDC is a place where everyone can grow. So, whatever background you bring with you, please apply if this role would excite you to come to work every day.