President / Executive Director

Laredo Economic Development Corporation · Laredo, Texas

FULL TIME

Job Description

LAREDO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION

Title: President / Executive Director

Role: Executive Leadership, Economic Development, Government & Public Relations

Location

Laredo, Texas

Compensation range: $125,000 to $175,000 plus performance bonus

THE OPPORTUNITY

The Laredo Economic Development Corporation (LEDC) is seeking an experienced executive to help lead the organization through its next generation of growth. We are looking for a leader, organizer, relationship builder and business executive capable of managing a complex economic development organization while representing Laredo confidently in boardrooms, government offices, and public forums. Working directly with the Chairperson, Board, and staff, this role will have broad responsibility across organizational management, finance, administration, economic development, business recruitment, strategic initiatives, government relations and stakeholder engagement. The successful candidate should combine executive presence with operating discipline. This position offers significant opportunities for increasing executive responsibility and long-term organizational leadership.

EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP & OPERATIONS

Serve as a principal partner in the management, administration and performance of LEDC.
Translate strategy into priorities, assignments, accountability and measurable results; lead major initiatives and special projects.
Lead, organize, motivate and develop a high-performing professional team and coordinate work across recruitment, marketing, research, grants, administration and strategic initiatives.
Build a culture of excellence, execution, accountability, innovation and continuous improvement; represent LEDC with business, governmental and community leadership.

FINANCIAL & ADMINISTRATIVE MANAGEMENT

This is an executive operating position with complete P&L responsibility within authority delegated by the Chairperson, Executive Committee, and the Board. Responsibilities include annual budgeting and financial planning; review of financial statements, cash flow and budget-to-actual performance; expense management; revenue development; internal controls; contracts; administrative systems; and coordination with accounting, auditors and professional advisors. The objective is to ensure that every organizational dollar and every staff position contribute to greater economic development production.

C-LEVEL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT

The Executive Director must possess skills for Corporate-level sales and relationship development—the ability to understand what matters to business leaders, communicate Laredo's value proposition persuasively, build trust and move relationships toward action.

Develop relationships with CEOs, corporate executives, investors, developers, site-selection consultants and other decision-makers.
Lead high-level prospect meetings, presentations, negotiations and site visits; help shape target-industry and recruitment strategies.
Maintain disciplined follow-up and work across public and private sectors to resolve project obstacles and convert opportunities into jobs, capital investment and long-term growth.

GOVERNMENT, PUBLIC & STAKEHOLDER RELATIONS

LEDC operates at the intersection of business, government and community leadership. This role must be a confident and credible representative with local, state and federal officials; agencies; business organizations; educational institutions; community partners; and binational stakeholders.

Develop productive relationships with elected officials, governmental executives and agency leadership and support LEDC’s governmental affairs and infrastructure advocacy priorities.
Represent LEDC at meetings, conferences, hearings, business events and community functions and serve as a public spokesperson when requested.

COMMUNICATION, PROJECT & RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT

We are seeking an accomplished public speaker, persuasive communicator, effective writer and strong listener who is comfortable with CEOs, board members, public officials, media and community leaders. The successful candidate must manage multiple high-priority projects, organize complexity, establish timelines and performance measures, anticipate problems, coordinate teams and outside partners, and build institutional relationships that endure.

TECHNOLOGY & THE MODERN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ORGANIZATION

LEDC is building a more technology-enabled, data-informed and productive economic development organization. This role should view technology and AI as executive tools for making people and organizations more capable.

Strong command of Microsoft Office, including Excel and PowerPoint, and proficiency with Canva or comparable presentation platforms.
Comfort with CRM, project-management, collaboration, data-analysis and executive-reporting systems.
Demonstrated ability to use contemporary AI tools for research, analysis, communications, productivity and decision support.

QUALIFICATIONS
Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university required; master’s degree strongly preferred, particularly in business administration, public administration, economics, finance, economic development or a related field.
Significant progressive experience in economic development, business, corporate leadership, government, finance, organizational management or a closely related field.
Demonstrated experience managing people, budgets, P&L responsibility and complex projects.
Success building senior-level business, governmental and institutional relationships.
Strong public speaking, presentation, writing, interpersonal and organizational skills, with a record of turning strategy into execution.
High proficiency with Microsoft Office, Excel, PowerPoint, Canva and contemporary AI tools.
Sound judgment, discretion, integrity and the executive presence to represent LEDC professionally in highly visible settings.
Knowledge of international business, U.S.–Mexico trade and the Laredo/North American marketplace is highly desirable; professional Spanish-language capability is an advantage.
Economic development certification or other relevant professional credentials are desirable but not required.

If the candidate is not an accredited certified economic developer, he/she will enroll in the program and be required to successfully complete the necessary requirements to receive the designation withing eighteen (18) months.

THE PERSON WE ARE LOOKING FOR

Credentials matter, but this position ultimately requires the right combination of leadership ability, intelligence, judgment, energy and executive potential. We are looking for someone who can lead people without needing to dominate them; organize complexity without creating bureaucracy; sell without sounding like a salesperson; understand numbers; communicate a vision; accept accountability; and make the people around them more effective.

This individual should be ambitious enough to want greater responsibility, disciplined enough to earn it and confident enough to operate among accomplished business and public leaders. We are looking for someone who wants to build an organization—not simply occupy a position.

THE MISSION AHEAD

Laredo is evolving from one of North America's great trade gateways into a more diversified center of investment, production, technology, logistics and international commerce. LEDC intends to evolve with it. We are building the economic development organization of the future—more strategic, technologically capable, financially disciplined, relationship-driven, measurable and relentlessly focused on implementation.

Please submit your resume at

info@laredoedc.org

.

or mail to

Laredo Economic Development Corporation

Attn: Chairman

P.O. BOX 2682

Laredo, TX 78044

Laredo EDC is an Equal Opportunity Employer

Company	Laredo Economic Development Corporation
Location	Laredo, Texas
Type	FULL TIME
Niche	Managers

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President / Executive Director

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