Economic Development Officer

Job Description:

Economic development officers get companies to set up businesses in an area to create new jobs, facilities and growth.

Job Category:

Government & Public Services

See Government & Public Services jobs

What you will do:

As an economic development officer, you could:

develop projects to support local business growth
build partnerships with communities, business networks and local government
bid for funding and manage budgets
set up training schemes for local businesses and unemployed people
advise local businesses and community groups
promote the local area to attract new employers and increase tourism
work on neighbourhood renewal projects
organise business fairs and give presentations

Skills:

You’ll need:

business management skills
maths skills
to be able to use a computer and the main software packages competently

As well as:

the ability to work well with others
organisational skills
analytical thinking skills
excellent verbal communication skills
persistence and determination
ambition and a desire to succeed
the ability to use your judgement and make decisions

Illustration of employee looking at workspace

Entry Requirements:

You can get into this job through:

a university course
an apprenticeship
working towards this role
applying directly

University
You could do a foundation degree, higher national diploma, degree or postgraduate qualification in one of the following subjects:

regeneration
planning and surveying
economics
marketing
business management
construction management
housing

Apprenticeship
You could do a professional economist degree apprenticeship.

Work
You could start as an assistant, researcher or administrator in an economic development unit.

You could then work your way up through training and promotion to become a development officer.

Direct Application
You could apply directly if you’ve got a background in bidding for funding, managing projects, controlling budgets or marketing.

You’ll usually need experience from working in a related area like:

town planning
community development
regeneration
business advice
construction management

Working Hours and Environment:

You could work in an office.

Career Path & Progression:

With experience, you could:

become a senior officer or economic policy manager
move into freelance consultancy
work abroad with international development agencies