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Economic Development Manager - Small Business

Economic Development

Pay Range: $51.74/hr. - $58.48/hr. | $107,619.20 – $121,638.40  Annually  

Job Posting Closing on: Wednesday, October 8, 2025 📅

Workdays & Hours: Monday – Friday 8am – 5pm; Some evening/weekend work required.

Benefits for this position include: 11 Paid Holidays, Medical, Dental, Vision, Paid Time Off, Pension Plan, Professional Development Opportunities. Find out More!

The City of Fort Worth is one of the fastest growing large cities in the U.S. Our employees serve the needs of over 1,000,000 residents, promoting our values of exceptional customer experience, mutual respect, embracing our diversity, continuous improvement, ethical behavior, and accountability. 🌆

An Economic Development Manager position is available with the City of Fort Worth Economic Development Department.  The department is dedicated to pursuing high-wage job growth and fostering a sustainable tax base that drives less on residential property valuation and more on commercial and industrial investment, with a strong commitment to "quality of place" throughout the community.

This position will oversee the Small Business Development Program division of the Economic Development Department to include oversight of initiatives that strengthen, grow, and sustain small businesses within the City of Fort Worth.  Responsibilities include program planning, policy implementation, compliance monitoring, and resource coordination to ensure small business owners and contractors have access to the tools, funding, and technical support necessary for success.  The Economic Development Manager will collaborate across city departments, state and federal agencies, and community partners to advance equitable economic development and ensure compliance with applicable laws, regulations, and funding requirements.

Minimum Qualifications:

  • Bachelor’s degree in Public Administration, Business Administration, Economic Development, Urban Planning, or a related field
  • Five (5) years of progressively responsible experience in economic development, government programs, small business support, or public administration including two years management/ administrative experience

Preferred Qualifications:

  • Strong knowledge of government regulations, procurement policies, and compliance standards
  • Familiarity with Small Business Administration (SBA) programs, Small Business Enterprise (SBE) certification programs, and other public funding sources
  • Ability to interpret and apply federal, state, and local laws to program administration
  • Strong leadership, analytical, and communication skills
  • Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite; experience with program tracking databases preferred
  • Master’s degree in Public Administration, Business Administration, Economic Development, Urban Planning, or a related field
  • Seven (7) years of progressively responsible experience in economic development, government programs, small business support, or public administration
  • Experience with Salesforce, PeopleSoft, B2G software preferred

The Economic Development Manager job responsibilities include:

  • Manage staff and oversee the development, implementation, and evaluation of small business programs that align with the City’s economic development strategies and goals.
  • Ensure compliance with federal, state, and local regulations, including procurement rules and reporting requirements tied to small business programs.
  • Oversee the Small Business Development Program, ensuring accurate documentation, performance tracking, and reporting.
  • Provide direct guidance to small business owners on navigating permitting, licensing, procurement, and regulatory processes.
  • Connect businesses with local, state, and federal resources such as SBA programs, workforce initiatives, and capital financing opportunities.
  • Conduct research and recommend policies to support small business growth, retention, and resiliency.
  • Build and maintain strong partnerships with chambers of commerce, trade associations, financial institutions, certifying agencies, and community organizations.
  • Lead outreach initiatives to engage the small business community and promote awareness of available programs and services.
  • Collect and analyze program performance data to measure impact, recommend improvements, and prepare reports, briefings, and presentations for City leadership.

Working Conditions and Physical

Depending on assignment, positions in this class typically require touching, talking, hearing, seeing, grasping, standing, walking and repetitive motions.

Sedentary Work – Depending on assignment, positions in this class typically exert up to 10 pounds of force occasionally, a negligible amount of force frequently, and/or or constantly having to lift, carry, push, pull or otherwise move objects. Sedentary work involves sitting most of the time. Jobs are sedentary if walking and standing are required only occasionally and all other sedentary criteria are met.

Apply Now! Come be part of something special in Fort Worth. 🌟

Conditions of Employment

The City of Fort Worth is proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity employer.  It is the policy and practice of the City to recruit, hire, train and promote a diverse workforce without regard to race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy and gender identity), national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, parental status, military service, or another non-merit factor.

The City of Fort Worth is committed to full compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to participate in the job application or interview process and to perform essential job functions.

Candidates who do not meet the Education requirement, may be considered if they have more relevant work experience than the position requires. Those selected for employment will be required to pass Pre-Employment checks depending on the position requirements. Those could include, but are not limited to: criminal background check, drug screen, education verification, etc. criminal convictions will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Employees are paid by direct deposit only.

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