Project Officer - Strategic Sector Development
Location
Trenton, NJ | United States
Job description
Job Summary
The Strategic Sector Development (SSD) team within Economic Growth mission is to accelerate the growth of New Jersey’s economy by conceiving and implementing initiatives that enhance the state’s long-term economic competitiveness and establish New Jersey as an innovation leader within key strategic sectors, including life sciences and technology, transportation and logistics, clean energy, offshore wind and advanced manufacturing . The Project Officer for SSD works directly with EDA’s Sector Leads on projects that accelerate New Jersey’s growth within these and other focus sectors.
$76,184 - $95,230
Note: The NJEDA currently offers a hybrid work schedule for up to 2 days of telecommute work from home. To participate, you will be required to have high speed home internet access and a managers approval. This program does not supersede the "New Jersey First Act", which requires newly hired NJEDA employees to establish and then maintain, principal residence in the State of New Jersey.
Core Duties and Responsibilities
- D evelop s , pilots, and scales initiatives and programs that strengthen the state’s innovation ecosystem and increase competitiveness in focus industries ; these efforts may include: contributing to the development of sector and issue-focused strategies and programs , identifying and engaging key companies and broader stakeholders, conducting quantitative and qualitative analyses, d efining program implementation plans, impact metrics, budget s , etc.
- Develops industry expertise for EDA through proj ect-based research and analysis; these efforts may include: tracking industry trends at the state, regional, and national level, identify ing which key industry issues state government could help to resolve, providing industry and policy updates to internal government stakeholders
- Works with Sector Leads to manage relationships with key industry stakeholders and acts as an industry-development advocate ; these efforts may include representing the Author i ty at industry events, conducting company resea r ch, and acting as a company liaison within EDA
Duties and Responsibilities
- Demonstrates a leadership and ownership mindset within the SSD , alongside Sector Leads and other Project Officers , including suggesting new ideas for how to improve the division
- Supports the development and achievement of SSD department goals; reviews and evaluates own performance against key metrics
- Helps to institutionalize best practices; define s and implement s needed systems and policies
- Supports on other SSD strategic initiatives as necessary
- Performs duties to the highest standard s of ethics and professionalism
- Promotes teamwork and communication to encourage an interactive, cooperative, collaborative, and customer- focused work environment among division, EDA staff, and external customers.
- Performs other duties and special projects, as assigned.
Required Skills and Abilities
Problem solving and communication
- Demonstrated profi ci ency in creative and analytical p roblem solving, including structuring issues, framing solutions , and executing complex analyses wit h limited errors and oversight
- Strong ability to synthesize findings and propose actionable solutions
- Strong written (presentation, memos, and emails) and oral presentation skills
- Ability to work on sma ll project teams tackling complex and challenging work
Ability to build industry expertise
- A bility to engage credibly and thoughtfully in conversations with industry and government leaders
- Comfort able engaging i n the technical detail of an industry and related supply chain development
- K nowledge and understanding of economic development, sector development approaches, innovation-focused development , and public policy and governance
- Ability to quickly master an understanding of EDA’s existing programs and services
Entrepreneurial leadership
- Demonstrated ability to self-motivate and self-lead own work planning and execution with a strong results orientation
- Ability to prioritize workload, must be highly organized, detail-oriented, handle various tasks simultaneously and work independently within limited time constraints with little supervision
- Exceptional history of strong performance and consistent high-quality delivery on commitments
- Ability to adapt to change s in work environment and manage competing demands
Customer orientation
- Ability to build strong relationships and contacts within the industry
- Track record of c ons istently meeting private sector customer service-level expectations
- Ability to maintain client and government confidentiality
Management mindset
- History of sound decision making and ability to understand implications of decisions
- Demonstrated interpersonal skills, including ability to influence and engage team leaders and peers
- Ability to work in a respectful manner that promotes teamwork, communication , and a customer -focused ethos
- History of respectful behavior and promoting team work and communication
- S trong ethical orientation , including exercising sound financial stewardship
- C ommitment to and passion for EDA’s mission and i nspires a sense of shared purpose
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite and the ability to learn new software packages
Required Qualifications
Education and Experience Requirements
- Bachelor’s Degree , preferably in a relevant field such as business, finance, policy, planning, energy, engineering, or environmental studies
- A strong track record of professional success
- S even years of industry-facing exp erience in a government agency or related field (or) three to five years of experience in a fast-paced , project-based professional services environment that emphasize s team work, problem solving , and communication (e.g., management consulting, investment banking, legal field, large-scale project management, etc.)
- Experience in program development, public policy development and basic financial principles
Master’s degree preferred and may be substituted for 1 year of experience
Location
- Position can be based in either Trenton or Newark
Physical Demands
- Minimal
- Ability to work outside normal business hours, as needed
Travel
- As necessary to events, meetings, businesses, etc.
Certificates and Licenses Required
- License: Staff are required to possess a valid driver's license valid in New Jersey only if the operation of a vehicle, rather than employee mobility, is necessary to perform the essentials duties of the position.
Note
The examples of work for this title are for illustrative purposes only. A particular position using this title may not perform all duties listed in this job description. Conversely, all duties performed on the job may not be listed. This job description is intended to convey information essential to understanding the scope, general nature and level of work performed by job holders within this job. This job description is not intended to be an exhaustive list of qualifications, skills, efforts, duties, responsibilities or working conditions associated with the position.
Your employment at NJEDA is voluntary and subject to termination by you or NJEDA at will, with or without cause, or with or without notice, at any time. Nothing in this job description shall be interpreted to conflict, eliminate or modify the employment-at-will status of NJEDA employees.
This position is considered exempt and is excluded from minimum wage, overtime regulations, and other rights and protections afforded nonexempt workers under the FLSA.
NJEDA reserves the right to amend/revise this job description as necessary to meet current and changing business needs.
Equal Opportunity Employer
NJ SAME
Position Requirements
- Foreign degrees/transcripts must be evaluated by a reputable evaluation service at your own expense and must be submitted prior to a start date. If this cannot be provided within 21 days of an offer the offer will be rescinded.
- Must comply with the “New Jersey First Act” which requires employees hired after September 1, 2011 to reside in New Jersey. Non-New Jersey resident employees must relocate to New Jersey within one year of their date of hire and provide proof of residency to Human Resources.
- Must complete an Outside Activity Questionnaire (disclosure of outside office or employment) on an annual basis.
- Must review the required NJEDA Ethics Guidelines.
- The guidelines can be found here:
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