Economic and Community Development Director

The salary range reflected above is the normal hiring range for 2025. The full salary range, including longevity pay, is $114,629 - $157,061 per year.

The Director works under the general direction of County Administration to plan, direct, and control the functions and services administered by the St. Louis County Economic and Community Development Department. The Director develops and administers a comprehensive program of county economic planning to ensure the implementation of county policy, organizational effectiveness, and fiscal accountability. The Director is responsible for identifying and implementing economic and community development initiatives intended to maximize the county’s tax base and support long‑term sustainable growth for the communities within the county.

The Director serves as an economic and community development liaison between the county and other municipalities, government agencies, and private businesses, and coordinates the development of enterprise GIS, geospatial data, and land information portals. The Director also plans and oversees strategic and enterprise initiatives that streamline business operations, including web services and innovative projects that strengthen internal and external partnerships.

In addition, the Director serves in the capacity of acting Executive Director for the County Housing and Redevelopment Authority (HRA) as delegated by the County Board and County Administrator.

Responsible for supervising Planning and Community Development Department and HRA staff involved in land records management, county economic development initiatives, community development, and housing. The Director directly supervises division managers and professional staff within the functional planning areas and serves in an advisory capacity to the Land and Minerals Department Director on tax‑forfeited urban and commercial properties.

The Director is responsible for determining the Department and HRA staffing requirements while working within the approved budget.

Responsible for managing a total annual operating department budget for the Economic and Community Development Department totaling approximately $2 million and an HRA operating budget of approximately $0.4 million, along with annual state and federal grants of approximately $3 million and other programs and contracts as approved by the County Board.

The Department budget is developed annually, and ongoing expenditures and fees for services are monitored to track budget performance. The Director exercises judgment and discretion in managing the Department and HRA budgets under the direction of the County Administrator following approval by the County Board and HRA Board.

Graduation from an accredited college or university with a Bachelor’s degree in public administration, business administration, urban planning, or a closely related field, and seven (7) years of full‑time paid progressively responsible planning and research experience, three (3) of which were supervising or assisting in the administration of a planning and/or researching government or government‑related services program.

OR
Graduation from an accredited college or university with a Master’s degree in public administration, business administration, urban planning, or a closely related field, and five (5) years of full‑time paid progressively responsible planning and research experience, three (3) of which were supervising or assisting in the administration of a government or government‑related services program.

• January – Applicant Screening will begin
• Early February 2026 – Finalist Interviews
• March 2026 – Begin Employment

For more information about the position and organization, please contact Jim Gottschald, Deputy County Administrator – Human Resources, Administration and Governance, at 218‑725‑5066 or gottschaldj.

For questions regarding the application process, please contact recruitment at 218‑726‑2422 or recruitment.

The essential functions for this position are listed under the “Illustrative…