ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT SPECIALIST

The City of Tucson is seeking a skilled professional to serve as an Economic Development Specialist in the specific area of International Trade. Positions in this classification are unclassified.  Employment is “at will.”  Employees are not eligible for civil service protections.  Employees are appointed and serve at the discretion of the department.

Tucson has been continuously inhabited for over 12,000 years and celebrates a unique diversity of cultures, architecture, and peoples.  One of the oldest towns in the United States, Tucson officially became part of the United States with the Gadsden Purchase of 1854 and served as the capital of the Arizona Territory from 1867 to 1877.  Now the 33rd largest city in the nation, Tucson maintains a strong connection to our cultural heritage as we look towards the future.

Surrounded by five mountain ranges, Tucson’s 220-plus square miles boast the natural beauty of the Sonoran Desert and an unsurpassed climate of more than 350 sunny days a year – yet is just a short drive from the cool sub-alpine meadows on Mount Lemmon.  Tucson is home to world-class outdoor recreation, a vibrant, growing city center, renowned museums, and the University of Arizona. 

The City of Tucson is dedicated to ensuring team members are from backgrounds as diverse as the community we serve, including race, ethnicity, gender identity, and sexual orientation. The city is committed to engaging in cultural awareness, fighting implicit bias, and ensuring equity. 

City-Wide Benefits

• Medical: Choice between a high deductible plan (HSA or HRA), or Network plan.
• Dental: Choice between a national dental PPO and a local dental HMO.
• Vision: Coverage for annual eye exam and glasses or contacts, plus LASIK.
• Life: City-paid coverage for you & dependents, plus option to buy more.
• Long-Term Disability: Income replacement of up to 60% of your base salary in the event of a qualifying disability.
• Employee Assistance Program: Enhance your wellbeing when life doesn’t go as planned.
• Flexible Spending: Pay for qualified health and dependent care expenses using pretax dollars.
• Colonial Voluntary Benefits: Financial help in the event of cancer, hospitalization, accident, more.

Your Security and Future

• Pension: Generous pension plans that help both civilian and public safety employees retire more comfortably.
• Deferred Compensation: Save more toward a comfortable retirement with a 457(b) plan.
• Training & Tuition Assistance: Pursue your dream through internal training or financial help toward a degree.
• Back-Up Care: Care for your loved ones when your regular care is unavailable.

Your Peace of Mind

• Paid Parental Leave: Six (6) weeks paid leave when you welcome a child, plus other generous leave policies for FML, Medical and USERRA.
• Paid Time Away: New hires enjoy 37 days of paid time off in the first year, with time increasing steadily thereafter (In year one: 13 accrued days of vacation, 13 accrued days of sick leave, and 11 paid holidays).
• Employee Discounts: Generous discounts, ranging from car rentals to computers, gifts to groceries, electronics to entertainment.
• Social Connectedness: Forge connections with the community we serve through paid volunteerism and payroll-deducted charitable giving.

Under general direction, is responsible for performing professional-level work planning, coordinating, implementing, and overseeing the City's Economic Initiatives, specifically those activities related to small business assistance and entrepreneurial support, international trade and international business development. Working conditions are primarily inside an office environment, some local and international travel is required.

Assist in attracting domestic and international businesses, and manage business retention and expansion efforts in conjunction with economic development partners.

Identify and develop connections between businesses in Tucson and Mexico to promote international trade and supply chain development.

Assist the Director with implementation and evaluation of marketing efforts, specifically including development and dissemination of Spanish language collateral materials.

Contribute to the implementation of the City’s business retention program involving meeting with local employers to assess and address problems and opportunities.

Staff the business assistance hotline and assist local business with connections to community resources and technical or financial assistance; offer bilingual support when necessary.

Develop relationships with partner organizations in economic and workforce development to better connect local business to these resources; create strategies for more effective assistance and platforms to assist business.

Provide support to small business, specifically focused on Spanish-speaking entrepreneurs, and coordinate connections to provide enhanced services to the Hispanic community and minority businesses.

Contribute to programs to address redevelopment and revitalization of commercial areas throughout the City, specifically focused on predominantly Spanish-speaking corridors and neighborhoods.

Analyze data and make specific recommendations regarding strategic planning and implementation.

Develop and make formal presentations and act as a representative of the City.

Prepare and maintain performance and statistical reports.

Perform related duties as assigned.

International Trade:

• Develop and coordinate a soft landings program to assist international businesses with establishing new locations.
• Develop relationships with local, regional and statewide organizations to further the City’s priorities related to international trade and business development.
• Inform and advise Director of Economic Initiatives on current and prospective legislation and policies impacting international trade. 
• Identify and develop relationships with local industry that have cross-border business activity to further support their growth and retention.

Minimum Education Level & Type: Bachelor's Degree from an accredited college or university with major coursework in Planning, Real Estate, Finance, Business and Public Administration, or related field. 

Minimum Experience Qualifications: At least 3 years of increasingly responsible professional experience in economic development initiatives. 

Applicants who successfully complete an employment application and meet minimum qualifications will be evaluated on the education and work experience in their employment profile and the responses to their supplemental questions. Following a resume review, the five (5) highest scoring applicants will be invited to participate in an oral board interview. 

• Virtual Oral Board Interviews are tentatively scheduled to be held the week of November 8, 2021

Applicants invited to the virtual oral board interview will be invited to participate via Microsoft Teams. Applicants will need to ensure they have a web camera, microphone, and a reliable internet connection to participate in the virtual oral board interview process. 

Upon completion of all examination processes, the highest scoring applicants will be placed on the Civil Service Employment List that will be used to fill vacancies occurring within the next (6) months. A candidate’s ranking on the Civil Service List will be based on their final score which will be calculated as:   

• 10% of your rating for education and work experience
• 10% of your rating for the resume review
• 80% of your oral board interview   

The highest scoring candidates placed on the Civil Service Employment List may be invited to participate in a selection interview. If candidates are invited to the selection interview, they will be asked to participate via Microsoft Teams.

• Selection interviews may be held the week of November 15, 2021  

Veterans, Native American, or Disability preference points will be added to the final score for those that are placed on the Civil Service Employment List.  If you qualify for preference points as outlined in the Employment Profile, you must upload your documentation as part of the application process or email it to randall.moehr@tucsonaz.gov. The DD 214 must be a copy that indicates characterization of service.  

If you are in need of ADA-related accommodation during the testing process, please email randall.moehr@tucsonaz.gov at least 48 hours prior to the evaluation.

To ensure accurate payroll information for tax purposes, the successful candidate will need to provide their original Social Security Card or original letter from the Social Security Administration with their social security number prior to beginning work with the City of Tucson.

The City of Tucson hires lawful workers only - US citizens or nationals and non-citizens with valid work authorization - without discrimination. Federal immigration laws require all employers to verify both the identity and employment eligibility of all persons hired to work in the United States. In its efforts to meet the law's requirements, the City of Tucson participates in the E-Verify program established by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Social Security Administration (SSA) to aid employers in verifying the eligibility of workers.

Retired City of Tucson employees receiving benefits from the Tucson Supplemental Retirement System who are considering reemployment with the City should be aware that pursuant to Section 22-37(g) of the Tucson City Code, retirement benefits shall be suspended during the period of reemployment with the City of Tucson unless you have been separated at least twelve consecutive months before returning to work AND you return to a non-permanent employment classification. Creditable service does not accrue during any reemployment period.

The following information pertains to driving requirements for this classification with the City of Tucson. Under "Driving Level" None, Secondary or Primary, refers to the driving responsibility as it relates to the essential functions of the classification. License Type, is just that, the type of Arizona Driving License required for the classification. If the position requires a Commercial Driver’s License (CDL), the endorsements will be listed under "Endorsements." Under Safety Sensitive a "Yes" means employees with this classification are subject to pre-employment and random drug testing. License Type A, B, C, D, or M may require the use of personal or City vehicles on City business. Individuals must be physically capable of operating the vehicles safely, possess a valid license and have an acceptable driving record. Use of a personal vehicle for City business will be prohibited if the employee is not authorized to drive a City vehicle or if the employee does not have personal insurance coverage. Exceptions to classification driving requirement's may exist based on position.

Driving Level: Secondary
License Type: Valid and Unrestricted D - Driver
CDL Endorsements: None
Safety Sensitive: No