Summary

The EDC is seeking an Executive Director to ideate and lead impactful new and existing initiatives to promote the development of a thriving, resilient, year-round economy in Chaffee County.

Description

Job Summary:

The EDC is seeking an Executive Director to ideate and lead impactful new and existing initiatives to promote the development of a thriving, resilient, year-round economy in Chaffee County.  In support of the organization’s objectives to ensure economic recovery, resilience to future disruptions, and the creation of greater wage diversity and economic diversification; the Executive Director will work in the following three strategic focus areas:

  • Public Policy Advocacy & Education – We educate and encourage community support for a modern, competitive workforce and economy by advocating for business-friendly public policy and process improvement with our public sector partners. We measure our policy wins.
  • Startup Support – We support entrepreneurship as a primary tool in diversifying our economy. We serve as a navigator and convener connecting entrepreneurs to funding, expert mentorship, business design curriculum, etc. We measure job creation and investment.
  • Talent Pipeline – We create better alignment between local education systems (School districts, Colorado Mountain College – Salida) and employers by encouraging participation in Work Based Learning (WBL) programs, among other key efforts. We define misalignment and build collaborative systems to address it. We measure participating employees, companies, and students.

Position Roles & Responsibilities:

Public Policy

  • EDC Public Policy Committee (Lead) – Attend monthly Policy Committee meetings with committee members, taking notes on key discussion points, drafting position statements, and communicating positions to our public sector members and other stakeholders.
  • Issue Intake (Lead) – On a regular basis, reach out to staff at 4 public sector jurisdictions to identify upcoming agenda items that align with our Policy Pillars. Attend County Commissioners and Town/City Council meetings, monitor the public-notification process for agenda topics of interest. Prepare information packets before each meeting and communicate to Committee members.
  • Position Communication (Lead) – Summarize committee positions and written justifications and communicate to the elected officials at corresponding jurisdictions.
  • Data Collection (Lead) – On a weekly basis, monitor meeting minutes from each jurisdiction to identify votes related to previously communicated EDC positions, and log them into a shared spreadsheet for internal EDC tracking.
  • Public Events (Lead) – On a quarterly basis, design and promote a speaker series event based on public policy topics of interest, called EDC Insights Series. Present and moderate important public discussions.                                                                                                                                                

You’ll measure your success in relation to organizational goals for policy engagement including positions taken and communicated (xx positions by Dec. 31, 2025,) data tracked and collected (xx votes tracked by Dec. 31, 2025.) Specifics to be agreed upon as this nascent activity evolves.

Startup Support

  • Ascent Accelerator Program (Support) – Execute and refine, with the support of the EDC Board of Directors, staff and contractors, and Ark_Angels investor group, a startup accelerator program. Recruit cohorts of 10 companies per year to receive intensive training around business growth strategies.
  • Accelerator Education & Training (Support) – With partners, develop curriculum to support the development of local startup and scale-up companies.
  • Access to Capital (Support) – Solicit and engage new and more capital sources, including a network of local angel investors and exploration of a community revolving loan fund.
  • Mentorship Network (Support) – Identify and connect local and statewide experts willing and able to support growing firms, and facilitate introductions.
  • Meetups & Events (Co-Lead) – Ideate and develop events and programs to build a culture of collaboration and innovation, creating a “center of gravity” for a geographically dispersed startup community.

You’ll measure your success in relation to organizational goals for job creation (30 net new jobs by Dec. 31, 2025) and capital investment ($2MM invested by Dec. 31, 2025)

Talent Pipeline

  • “Future Of Work” Bootcamp Series (Lead) – Design, promote, execute, and consistently refine, with the support of the EDC Executive Director, quarterly employer-education programs to prepare local employers to participate in Work Based Learning (WBL) programs in conjunction with local school districts and Colorado Mountain College – Salida.
  • WBL Program Inventory (Lead) – Engage and inventory existing WBL programs currently offered to area employers from both local school districts and colleges, as well as statewide programs and resources.
  • Industry Needs Inventory (Lead) – Engage and inventory the workforce needs of Chaffee County employers, creating a database of skill shortages for the local economy.
  • Matchmaking (Lead) – Facilitate advanced "matchmaking" efforts between programs and participant companies and students. This will be done in one-off settings and by way of the quarterly Future of Work Bootcamp series programs.
  • Remote Worker Meetups & Mentor Network (Lead) – Develop and execute monthly meetups of remote workers and recruit from attendees participants in the Chaffee//Remote mentoring program.

You’ll measure your success in relation to organizational goals for WBL participation from companies (30 companies completed bootcamp program by Dec. 31, 2025,) students (30 students engaged with a local employer by Dec. 31, 2025,) total student hours engaged (300 total student hours participating in WBL in the County by Dec. 31, 2025,) and Chaffee//Remote participants (10 mentors spending 5 hours each with local students by Dec. 31, 2025.)

General Administration & Other Responsibilities

  • General Economic Development Activities – Engage in business community member needs generally, including event attendance, letters of support, introductions and connections
  • Board/Committee Management – Develop and maintain collaborative relationships with the Board of Directors, Policy Committee, and other stakeholders
  • Grant Writing – Develop compelling grant narratives to support key programs
  • Member Relations – Be responsive to private, public, and nonprofit members and partners
  • Fundraising – Develop and execute against a persistent fundraising strategy
  • Administration – Oversee the internal work of the organization, including bookkeeping and accounting, marketing and communications, etc.

Required Education & Experience:

Bachelor’s Degree in a related field is preferred. Comparable years of relevant experience (or demonstrated related skills) with entrepreneurship support, public policy advocacy, or workforce development accepted.

Skills & Abilities:

  • Detail oriented, timely, and professional.

  • Entrepreneurial by nature (experiences with starting organizations or businesses is helpful).

  • Flexibility, curiosity, and willingness to experiment, fail, revise and try again.

  • Excellent written, verbal, and group facilitation & communication skills.

  • Ability to manage multiple tasks independently and prioritize accordingly.

  • Familiarity with online collaboration tools, video conferencing, social media, presentation, and messaging platforms.

  • Ideal candidate will be able to lead without requiring the spotlight, and exert influence without formal authority.

  • Ability to interact comfortably with diverse groups, including executive-level leadership from small and large businesses, government and non-profit institutions, and educators.

  • Reliable vehicle and able to travel to meetings and events within Chaffee County.

  • Some evening meeting attendance is required.

Compensation:

$85,000-125,000 Annual Total Compensation, Depending on Experience & Ability

Title:

Ranging from Deputy Director to Executive Director, depending on Experience

Hours per week – 40 assumed, with flex scheduling available

Location – Hybrid in person and remote, within Chaffee County. Must reside in or near Chaffee County

Equipment – Laptop & accessories

Benefits – None, but open to structuring total compensation to the candidate’s preference. (ie, health care stipend, pre-tax contributions, etc.)

CONTACT & APPLY

Applications are now being accepted and the role will be posted until filled. Interested parties should submit a cover letter and resume to info@chaffeecountyedc.com

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