VEDP seeks a Vice President of Economic Competitiveness to provide primary staff leadership for developing and implementing strategies to improve the foundations of state, regional, and local economic growth. The Vice President will lead a team of eight to accomplish the following:
Competitiveness Research and Solution Development: Collaborate with VEDP’s senior leadership team to identify opportunities to improve Virginia’s business climate relative to competitor states (e.g., talent and workforce development, site development and infrastructure, tax and incentive policy, etc.), develop potential solutions to address identified gaps or enhance existing strengths, and engage stakeholders to ensure the long-term viability and sustainability of the solutions.
As part of the broader portfolio of competitiveness research and solution development, the division is responsible for collaborating with VEDP’s Marketing and Communications division to regularly and comprehensively evaluate state business climate rankings to proactively develop and implement recommendations to improve Virginia’s standing.
Strategic and Operational Planning: Lead the process for developing VEDP’s annual Operational Plan and five-year Strategic Plan (updated every two years), including project and stakeholder management, research and analysis, and supporting VEDP staff in developing initiatives.
Business Development Strategy Support: Support VEDP’s business development efforts including sector and industry strategies, generating insights from past activities to inform strategic priorities, and collaborating on initiatives to improve competitiveness for core sectors.
Special Projects and Initiatives: Lead and support discrete projects and workstreams for the organization and external partners as needed, including transformational economic development projects, General Assembly requests and Executive Directives, cross-divisional or cross-agency initiatives, and support for research or strategic questions posed by VEDP’s external stakeholders.