Salary : $80,776.80 - $141,359.50 Annually
Location : RETIREMENT AGENCY, 12015 LEE JACKSON MEMORIAL HWY, SUITE 350, FAIRFAX (EH05), VA
Job Type: FT Salary W BN
Job Number: 26-01737
Department: Economic Initiatives
Opening Date: 11/07/2026
Closing Date: 11/20/2026 11:59 PM Eastern
Pay Grade: S27
Posting Type: Open to General Public
Job Announcement This position works within the Catalytic Projects Division as a creative, collaborative, analytically minded professional to design and implement community based economic development efforts. Also leads the department's efforts to support place-based economic development. Focus will include strengthening business districts and commercial corridors within Fairfax County, supporting innovative public-private partnership real estate projects, and providing leadership for policy development, research, and incentive management efforts under the general supervision of the Catalytic Projects Division Manager.
Specific duties include:
- Develops and implements initiatives to support community based economic development organizations, with a focus on supporting retail and/or small-business stakeholders in business districts. Includes engaging with community based economic development and/or business support organizations to carry out joint activities, such as promotion and marketing, business assistance, special activation events, investor awareness, and support organizational capacity building and place-based management approaches.
- Assists with development and implementation of economic development incentive programs, such as the Economic Opportunity Reserve, county economic development grant programs, and Commonwealth of Virginia incentive programs.
- Serves as a lead for developing research and analysis related to market studies, project pro forma review, economic impact assessments, cost-benefit analyses, and evaluation of project impacts to County revenues.
- Leads aspects of project management in a matrixed environment for public-private partnership real estate projects to facilitate economic development.
- Provides strategic direction to assigned projects and acts as a liaison between Department of Economic Initiatives, county government and other governmental entities, private sector, community partners, and resident groups.
- Clearly communicates program goals with Board of Supervisors, senior county executives, community members, and program stakeholders.
- Ensures the county Strategic Plan and One Fairfax Policy are considered in the project development and implementation.
Note: The assigned functional areas of this position are community-based economic development, program management, and data analysis.
Illustrative Duties (The illustrative duties listed in this specification are representative of the class but are not an all-inclusive list. A complete list of position duties and unique physical requirements can be found in the position description.)
- Independently designs, develops, and coordinates ongoing department programs and special projects;
- Performs a wide range of professional-level management work for more than one broad administrative function including complex analysis and diverse project management in a lead capacity;
- Coordinates and manages the work of administrative, para-professional, and/or professional-level staff in the day-to-day activities of selected projects. Plans, organizes, and coordinates changes to the policies, procedures, or processes related to multiple administrative functions (financial, procurement, budget, human resources, contract or grants administration, information technology systems, etc.);
- Plans and conducts or oversees studies or research activities to ensure program quality, determine unmet needs or ensure efficacy of existing programs;
- Provides guidance, recommendations, and advice to departmental managers;
- Serves on committees, task forces, and management teams to evaluate the effectiveness and efficiency of existing management/administrative systems;
- Writes, edits, and finalizes reports and presentations and presents findings and recommendations to department senior managers.
Required Knowledge Skills and Abilities (The knowledge, skills and abilities listed in this specification are representative of the class but are not an-all inclusive list).
- Considerable knowledge of mission, goals, and objectives of the organizational unit, program, or activities to which incumbent is assigned;
- Considerable knowledge of the principles, practices, and techniques relating to the functional area of business operation (e.g. personnel, budgeting and financial management, contract administration and management);
- Knowledge of the principles, practices and techniques governing management, organization, operations and programmatic services;
- Ability to identify possible solutions for solving business problems;
- Ability to evaluate proposals and solutions in terms of benefits, costs, and overall impact on the project, program, or organization;
- Ability to make oral presentations to department management, other departments, or the public;
- Ability to write detailed, accurate reports, grants, or solicitations for pertinent areas of administration;
- Ability to use word processing and presentation software to prepare documents, and to use spreadsheet and statistical analysis software packages to store, manipulate, analyze and present data;
- Ability to supervise and train staff;
- Ability to lead assigned employees, including delegating and reviewing work assignments, providing coaching and guidance, monitoring and evaluating performance, and supporting training and development planning.
Employment Standards EMPLOYMENT STANDARDS:(Click on the aforementioned link to learn how Fairfax County interprets equivalencies for "Any combination, experience, and training equivalent to")
Graduation from an accredited four-year college or university with a bachelor's degree in field related to the assigned functional area; plus, four years of professional work experience within the functional area.
NECESSARY SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS:The appointee to this position will be required to complete a criminal background check to the satisfaction of the employer.
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS: - Five years of demonstrated experience within the functional areas, such as, commercial real estate, community based economic development, and/or consulting environment with strong analytical skills;
- Excellent communication skills, verbal and written;
- Demonstrated ability to multi-task; to be a team player; and to be flexible and adaptable to change.
- Experience with community and stakeholder engagement.
- Experience conducting professional-level research and analytics including policy development and evaluation of public sector funding programs;
- Familiarity with land use process and stakeholders for real estate development in Virginia.
PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS: Ability to communicate verbally and in writing. Ability to operate keyboard-driven equipment. Work is generally sedentary. All duties performed with or without reasonable accommodations.
SELECTION PROCEDURE: Panel Interview and may include exercise.
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Merit PositionsFairfax County is proud to offer employees an attractive and comprehensive benefits program, including the following:
- Medical/Vision/Dental Insurance Coverage
- Group Term Life Insurance
- Long Term Disability
- LiveWell Program
- Flexible Spending Programs
- Paid Leave (annual, sick, parental, volunteer activity, and more!)
- Paid Holidays
- Deferred Compensation
- Employee Assistance Program
- Employees' Child Care Center
- Continuous Learning Opportunities
Please click for a summary of our benefits.
NOTE: Fairfax County Government is a qualifying employer under the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program. For more information about the PSLF program:
For additional details please visit the
Non-Merit Positions- Non-Merit Benefit Eligible: scheduled to work a minimum 1,040 hours and no more than a maximum of 1,560 hours in a calendar year.
- Medical/Vision/Dental Insurance Coverage
- Flexible Spending Program
- Deferred Compensation
- Temporary: scheduled to work a maximum of 900 hours in a calendar year.
01
What is the highest level of education that you have completed?
- Less than 12th grade
- High school diploma or GED
- Some college
- Associate's degree
- Bachelor's degree
- Master's degree
- Doctorate degree
02
If you answered "Some college" for the highest level of education completed, please indicate the number of quarter or semester hours you have completed towards a degree.
- Less than 45 quarter hours
- 45 to less than 90 quarter hours
- 90 to less than 135 quarter hours
- 135 to less than 180 quarter hours
- 180 or more quarter hours
- Less than 30 semester hours
- 30 to less than 60 semester hours
- 60 to less than 90 semester hours
- 90 to less than 120 semester hours
- 120 or more semester hours
- Not applicable
03
Please indicate the major(s) or minor(s) for your completed degree(s). Check all that apply.
- Economics
- Public administration
- Business administration
- Economic development
- Data analytics/statistics
- Other (related field)
- Other (non-related field)
- Not applicable
04
If you answered "Other (related field)" or "Other (non-related field)" for the previous question, please list all of your majors and minors. If this question does not pertain to you, or you do not have a degree, enter "Not applicable".
05
How many years of full-time equivalent professional work experience do you have within the functional areas of community-based economic development, program management, and/or data analysis?
- None
- Less than one year
- One to less than two years
- Two to less than three years
- Three to less than four years
- Four to less than five years
- Five to less than six years
- Six to less than seven years
- Seven to less than eight years
- Eight or more years
06
How many years of experience do you have working in innovation-based economic development, technology commercialization, and/or a consulting environment?
- None
- Less than one year
- One to less than two years
- Two to less than three years
- Three to less than four years
- Four to less than five years
- Five or more years
07
How many years of experience do you have conducting professional-level research and analytics including policy development and evaluation of public sector funding programs?
- None
- Less than one year
- One to less than two years
- Two to less than three years
- Three to less than four years
- Four to less than five years
- Five or more years
08
How many years of project management experience do you have?
- None
- Less than one year
- One to less than two years
- Two to less than three years
- Three to less than four years
- Four to less than five years
- Five or more years
09
Do you have experience working with state, local and regional economic development partners to include local non-profits, educational institutions, or state agencies?
Required Question