State of Connecticut Executive Branch

In the Department of Economic and Community Development, Business Development Division this class is accountable for administering the operations of in-state, domestic and international business development to market, attract, retain and grow viable enterprises for economic prosperity.

• Administers staff and high-performance operations of the Business Development Division;
• Develops, implements and evaluates division policies, goals and objectives;
• Designs and develops division programs and activities;
• Determines appropriate staffing levels and directs management and coordination of staff;
• Designs and implements performance review standards for division staff; 
• Prepares division budget;
• Maintains contacts with individuals within and outside of agency who might impact on policy or program activities;
• Executes marketing strategies and techniques applicable to all industry sectors and targeted sectors;
• Analyzes business development related metrics and other economic indexes to develop potential recruitment and expansion strategies;
• Prepares in-state economic development marketing plan and executes marketing strategies and techniques within division, with chambers of commerce, business associations and municipal economic development officers;
• Cultivates relationships with owners, senior executives or leadership of businesses and organizations;
• Negotiates large and complex business development transactions;
• Develops strategies for conducting and closing business development initiatives;
• Serves as Permit Ombudsman to expedite state permits needed for project development;
• Charters process improvement initiatives within division and implements results-oriented procedures and procedural revisions with minimal cycle time;
• Maintains division performance metrics for process improvement initiatives;
• Administers internal review and approval process to execute transactions;
• Establishes business development territories, targets and goals for staff;
• Trains, mentors, motivates and leads professional business development staff;
• Represents Commissioner at public forums, events and meetings;
• Recommends and/or contributes to new or revised legislative proposals;
• Leads the recruitment and hiring of staff, including outreach, interview and selection;
• Performs related duties as required.

• Considerable knowledge of
  • and ability to apply management principles and practices;
  • relevant state and federal laws, statutes and regulations;
  • domestic and international marketing, sales, finance and capture management;
• Knowledge of
  • commercial lending;
  • exporting;
  • small business administration;
• Considerable
  • interpersonal skills;
  • oral and written communication skills;
  • negotiation skills;
• Considerable ability to
  • analyze and forecast business development trends;
  • cultivate positive business relationships;
• Ability to develop business development plans.

Ten (10) years of professional experience in business development to include business trend analysis, financial statement analysis, domestic and international sales force management, execution of marketing and sales philosophies and strategies.

Three (3) years of the General Experience must have been in a business development administrative capacity.

NOTE: Business development administrative capacity is defined as senior leadership of a business development unit directing major business development and sales initiatives which include planning, organizing, directing and controlling resources.

• College training in business administration may be substituted for the General Experience on the basis of fifteen (15) semester hours equaling one-half (1/2) year of experience to a maximum of four (4) years for a Bachelor's degree.
  
• A Master's degree in business administration, marketing or public administration or a closely related field may be substituted for one (1) additional year of the General Experience.