RECRUITMENT NOTICE
Agency Title: Program Manager, Business Attraction Incentives
Job ID: 30146
Date Open: 8/5/2025
Date Close: 8/19/2025

DMPED Overview:
The Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development (DMPED) assists the Mayor in the coordination, planning, supervision, and execution of economic development efforts in the District of Columbia with the goal of creating and preserving affordable housing, creating jobs, and increasing tax revenue. 

DMPED is seeking a Program Manager, Business Attraction Incentives for its Business Development Unit. The Business Development Unit develops and implements strategies to grow the District’s target industry sectors, attract and retain companies, and create jobs, by offering incentives, providing grants to small businesses, coordinating public and private sector partners, and developing policies that make it easier to do business in the District.

Position Description:
The Program Manager will have primary responsibility for administering business attraction incentives like the Vitality Fund and the Growth Fund, developing recommendations for new incentives based on best practices and industry needs, tracking and communicating externally about all business incentives at DMPED and across District government, and conducting financial analysis on the return on investment of DMPED incentives. The Program Manager will also support implementation of the District’s sector strategy and business attraction strategy, working directly with companies, brokers, site selectors, property owners, government agencies, and economic development organizations to attract and retain companies in the District. The incumbent of this position will report to the Director of Business Attraction and Expansion.

Key responsibilities:

• Serve as the Project Manager and primary point of contact for companies applying for the Vitality Fund and Growth Fund.
• Engage with company prospects looking to relocate to or expand in DC and develop incentive proposals that include available District government programs.
• Provide one-on-one assistance to companies to navigate incentives offered by DMPED and that may be offered by other District government agencies.
• Receive and review applications for Vitality Fund and Growth Fund, conduct economic impact analyses, perform due diligence, and make recommendations for awards.
• Monitor reporting for Vitality Fund and Growth Fund recipients to ensure compliance with program requirements, and work with businesses to cure any deficiencies or modify awards as necessary. Engage with other units at DMPED, including the Office of the General Counsel, and the Contracts, Procurement, and Grants Team, to move applications through the incentive awarding process, including drafting Requests for Applications, grant agreements, and other administrative documents.
• Interface with other District government agencies as necessary, to ensure incentive recipients understand and are compliant with applicable laws and regulations.
• Evaluate incentive programs to determine the return on investment and recommend modifications to ensure programs serve the District’s economic development goals.
• Develop and update program materials and marketing collateral, including one-pagers, presentations, and website content.
• Collaborate with economic development organizations such as the Washington DC Economic Partnership (WDCEP), Chambers of Commerce, and Business Improvement Districts, to promote incentive programs.
• Track developments in businesses attraction incentives at the state, local, and international levels, and identify trends and opportunities to shape the District’s programs.
• Research financial and non-financial incentives that may be beneficial for businesses that are expanding or locating in the District, including grants, tax incentives, workforce development programs, permitting assistance, and other programs.
• Occasional attendance at meetings and events at night and on weekends.
• Other duties as assigned, which could include responding to general inquiries from companies interested in relocating to or expanding their presence in the District, preparing briefing memos, creating presentations, and drafting talking points.

Experience/Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree (required) or Master’s degree (preferred) with focus in business, finance, economics, public policy, real estate, or related field preferred.
• At least 3-5 years of similar work experience in corporate attraction, site selection, public or private finance, business incentive management, or real estate development.
• Familiarity with economic development incentives, including performance-based grants, tax credits, tax abatements, bond financing, and other forms of financial incentives.
• Knowledge of the factors that drive corporate site selection and the role of incentives.
• Strong project management skills, including the ability to lead multiple projects independently in a fast-paced environment with competing deadlines. 
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to communicate complex information to end users and decision makers, and to justify investment of public funds to support private activity.
• Strong attention to detail required.
• Familiarity with economic impact modeling preferred.
• Experience with grant administration preferred.
• Understanding of local government policymaking and budgeting preferred.
• Demonstrated advanced experience with Microsoft products is required. Experience with CRM databases (Microsoft Dynamics, Salesforce) preferred.
• Familiarity with the District of Columbia’s business environment is preferred.
• Ability to effectively collaborate within and across teams to advance projects from conception to completion.
• Desire to leverage skills to serve the public interest required; interest in local economic and community development preferred.

Salary:
This position is a grade 13 on the District government’s career service salary scale. The salary ranges from $93,069 to $119,916. Actual salary is determined by a variety of factors including: years of experience, applicant qualifications, internal equity comparisons and the agency organizational structure.

Application Process: This position is posted on the DC government’s Department of Human Resources website. Interested applicants are encouraged to follow the steps below to apply for the position:

• Click on the following LINK
• In the Search Jobs section, enter 30146
• Click on the job requisition titled Business Development Specialist

If you are having technical issues, please contact DCHR at (202) 442-9700.