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Job Description
Pay Range: $59,984 to $77,979 annual compensation
Job Posting Closing on: Thursday, March 27, 2025
Workdays & Hours: Monday - Friday 8am - 5pm; Some evening/weekend work required. Hybrid Work Schedule
Benefits for this position include: 11 Paid Holidays, Medical, Dental, Vision, Paid Time Off, Pension Plan, Professional Development Opportunities, and much more.
The City of Fort Worth is one of the fastest growing large cities in the U.S. Our employees serve the needs of nearly 1,000,000 residents, promoting our values of exceptional customer experience, mutual respect, embracing our diversity, continuous improvement, ethical behavior, and accountability.
An Economic Development Research Specialist job is available with the City of Fort Worth in the Economic Development Department. The Economic Development Department pursues high-wage job growth and a more sustainable tax base, driven less by residential property valuation and more by commercial and industrial investment; and has a commitment to “quality of place” throughout the community. We want to be recognized as a leader in economic and business development, as well as urban revitalization, by our peers and customers. The vision of the department is “To compete successfully on the national and international stage for creative, high-growth businesses and the talented individuals who fuel them.”
Minimum Qualifications:
- Bachelor’s degree in Economics, Business, Planning, GIS (Graphic Information Systems), Urban and Regional Studies, Economic Development, Data Science or Statistics, Geography (with a focus on Economic or Urban Geography), Data Analytics, or related field.
- Two (2) years of research and/or GIS experience.
- Two (2) years of experience using financial/statistical/comparative analysis techniques and formulae.
Preferred Qualifications:
- Experience with GIS and data/research software programs (Placer.ai, Google Earth, Esri, CoStar, Lightcast, etc.)
- Possess exceptional verbal and written communication skills to interact effectively with all levels within the organization and with customers.
- Experience with PID (Public Improvement District) and TIF (Tax Increment Financing District) Analyses
- Experience with data visualization and storytelling
The Economic Development Research Specialist job responsibilities include:
- Develop and maintain knowledge/data on Fort Worth’s economy through primary and secondary research, including knowledge of Fort Worth-based companies’ products, markets, and supply chains;
- Manage research program to provide colleagues and department leadership with information to support growth in target industries and investment in our Revitalization Target Areas and support those efforts with customized reports supporting growth opportunities in Fort Worth (i.e. market research, competitive intelligence, workforce information, business costs, and other customized research) working with our Marketing Coordinator to prepare targeted collateral;
- Conduct database research to supply colleagues and leadership with regular timely, relevant, and actionable information for clients and projects, including quarterly and annual reports;
- Utilize GIS, ArcGIS Community Analyst, Esri, EMSI, CoStar, Placer.ai, Federal and State data sources and other data-driven information to support Fort Worth’s investment decisions and strategies, as well as the department’s development, revitalization, entrepreneurship, and small business efforts;
- Provide research and leadership to the Department’s KPI’s, Strategic Plan, and other benchmarking sources/reports;
- Prepare PID and TIF analyses and market research.
- Maintain up to date knowledge of the latest data and research tools to help the department be competitive and as accurate as possible in its reporting.
- Update and prepare data visualization items such as maps, charts, graphs, etc. for report and marketing collateral.
Working Conditions and Physical Demand
Depending on assignment, positions in this class typically require touching, talking, hearing, seeing, grasping, standing, stooping, kneeling, crouching, reaching, walking and repetitive motions.
Light Work - Depending on assignment, positions in this class typically exert up to 20 pounds of force occasionally, up to 10 pounds of force frequently, and/or a negligible amount of force constantly having to move objects. If the use of arm and/or leg controls requires exertion of forces greater than that for the Sedentary Work category and the worker sits most of the time, the job is rated Light Work.
Apply Now! Come be part of something special in Fort Worth.
Conditions of Employment
The City of Fort Worth is proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity employer. It is the policy and practice of the City to recruit, hire, train and promote a diverse workforce without regard to race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy and gender identity), national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, parental status, military service, or another non-merit factor.
The City of Fort Worth is committed to full compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to participate in the job application or interview process and to perform essential job functions.
Candidates who do not meet the Education requirement, may be considered if they have more relevant work experience than the position requires. Those selected for employment will be required to pass Pre-Employment checks depending on the position requirements. Those could include, but are not limited to: criminal background check, drug screen, education verification, etc. criminal convictions will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Employees are paid by direct deposit only. -
ABOUT THE COMPANY
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City of Fort Worth
Show moreThe Community
The City of Cowboys & Culture is known for its Texas hospitality. The stunning and sprawling City of
Fort Worth is one of the fastest-growing cities in the U.S. And it’s no wonder — With great neighborhoods, scenic terrain and a rich history of arts and culture, paired with world-class opportunities for business and education, it’s not only fun to visit Fort Worth, it’s even more rewarding to call it home.Fort Worth truly offers all the benefits and amenities of a bustling metropolitan city, while keeping the small- town charm that keeps it unpretentious and charismatic in all the right ways. Designated as one of America’s “Most Livable Communities” by the Partners for Livable Communities, the city truly offers a melting pot of culture, commerce, community and yes, cowboys.
There are over a dozen remarkable districts full of treasured history among modern luxuries and unique places to have fun, making it the No. 1 tourist destination in Texas and welcoming more than 9.4 million visitors annually.
Being one of the fastest-growing among large cities in the country, Fort Worth has received multiple accolades, including number one downtown (Livability), and the second-best City in the nation for job seekers (Forbes). Our employees serve the needs of over 900,000 residents representing culturally diverse communities.
Exciting Growth & Future Development
One of the most fascinating aspects of the City of Fort Worth is its almost unprecedented growth over the past several years. Both in terms of population and industry, and as the 12th largest city in the United States, Fort Worth is truly booming — which presents both challenges and opportunities to truly develop this city in the right way. Every 30 minutes a new person moves to Fort Worth, so we’re looking for candidates who can embrace an evergrowing and changing environment and improve on it with solutions that work for the entire community of Fort Worth.
Mission
We are working together to build a strong community that others can look to as a pillar of unity and excellence. Through grassroots efforts within the community, and large scale construction and transportation plans that continue to add the infra- structure a growing city like Fort Worth needs, we’ll provide the public services our community requires to continually cultivate the unique city we call home.
Vision
Fort Worth’s vision is to be the most livable and best managed city in the country. We’ll do this by taking care of our citizens, implementing the highest quality standards in our schools, continually improving the neighborhoods we thrive in and the facets of the city that make our town so unique.
Benefits That Are Well Worth It
The City of Fort Worth continues to be dedicated to its employees’ well-being by providing competitive health benefits, a well-rounded wellness program and a Zero Accident Philosophy® workplace. All regular full-time employees and those employees who work 30–39 hours per week are eligible for all City of Fort Worth Benefits. Part-time employees who work 20–29 hours per week are eligible for dental, basic life insurance, supplemental life insurance, flexible spending accounts, 457 Deferred Compensation plan and other voluntary benefits.
Medical Program
The City offers two plan options through Meritain Health, an Aetna company.
The Health Center Plan – Offers employees and their family’s
primary health care services that are 100% completely free and unlimited. Employees can visit any one of the three City of Fort Worth Employee Health Centers and receive guaranteed same or next day appointments for sick visits. Also, services are available at any one of the five satellite locations that serves employees across the city.
The Consumer Choice Plan – Is offered to employees at no cost or low monthly premiums to cover eligible dependents and provides the financial benefits of a Health Savings Account (HSA).
• Preventative services are covered at 100% on both plans.
• Prescription Drug coverage including mail order pharmacy are also included.Vacation
Eligible for 3 weeks of vacation: After successful completion of probationary period (usually
6 months), employees may take time off for rest, relaxation, vacation, illness, religious observances, and personal business.Holidays
Available on the first day of employment, the city provides employees with paid holidays, including two personal holidays.
Wellness Program
The city’s Healthy Challenge Wellness Program rewards all full-time, benefit-eligible employees on the city’s health insurance. The Healthy Challenge Program utilizes a points system. Participants may earn points throughout the year (Jan. 1-Dec. 15) for completing specific program activities and participants can redeem points at the end of the year for a cash reward. By participating, individuals can earn $150, $200 or $250 by accumulating program points.
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