Date Opened: Thursday, March 05, 2026 12:00 AM

Close Date: Thursday, March 19, 2026 12:00 AM

Department: Economic Development Department

Salary: $83,208.00 - $104,010.00 Commensurate with Experience

Welcome to the City of Charlotte

Charlotte is America’s Queen City, opening her arms to a diverse and inclusive community of residents, businesses and visitors alike. Here you will find a safe, family-oriented city where people work together to help everyone thrive. The mission of the City of Charlotte is to deliver quality public services and promote the safety, health, and quality of life for all residents.

Our guiding principles include:

• Attracting and retaining a skilled and diverse workforce

• Valuing teamwork, openness, accountability, productivity, and employee development

• Providing all customers with courteous, responsive, accessible, and seamless quality services

• Taking initiative to identify, analyze, and solve problems

• Collaborating with stakeholders to make informed decisions

SUMMARY

The City of Charlotte’s Economic Development Department takes great pride in our success with bringing together public and private resources to create places that attract a diversity of talent, job opportunities, and businesses. We are driven to make Charlotte competitive in the global market and facilitate an environment through which all residents and businesses have opportunities for economic success. Areas of focus include development/redevelopment, entrepreneurship and small business support, business recruitment and retention and talent development. Through active and strategic collaborations with other City departments and community partners, the team fulfills its purpose of helping businesses and residents thrive.

The Economic Development Department is seeking a Program Manager whose primary responsibility is leading the City’s Skilled to Build Small Business Readiness programs, with additional responsibilities supporting implementation of the Small Business Strategic Framework and Implementation Plan. This role will manage the coordination and ongoing delivery of small business initiatives that prepare businesses to access opportunities associated with major transportation, transit, and capital infrastructure projects. The position works closely with internal City departments, small business ecosystem partners, training providers, and private-sector partners to operationalize, market, measure, and continuously improve these efforts.

Responsibilities

• Lead the implementation, coordination, and ongoing management of the Skilled to Build Small Business Readiness programs/projects

• Coordinate with internal and external stakeholders to support effective program/project implementation

• Develop and manage a comprehensive KPI and performance measurement framework

• Coordinate with internal and external partners to support outreach and communication efforts that raise awareness of small business readiness pathways, procurement opportunities, and other related small business programs/tools/resources

• Regularly assess program performance, identify capacity gaps, and recommend systems improvements and partner alignment strategies

• Support implementation of the Small Business Ecosystem Strategic Framework with a focus on coordination, alignment, and collaboration across the small business ecosystem

• Assist with outreach, engagement, and referral strategies that connect businesses to technical assistance, capital readiness, and workforce resources

• Develop and lead special assignments/projects as needed

 

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• Strong understanding of small business ecosystems, capacity-building strategies, and entrepreneurship development

• Knowledge of procurement and government contracting ecosystems

• Ability to translate complex program, policy, and infrastructure information into clear, actionable guidance for small businesses

• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple project/programs workstreams simultaneously

• Excellent stakeholder coordination, facilitation, and relationship management skills

• Strong strategic planning and project management skills

• Ability to use data for storytelling, performance measurement, and reporting

• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment

• Strong written and verbal communication skills

 

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree and five (5) years of related experience

• or

• Master's Level Degree and three (3) year of related work experience

• or an equivalent combination of education and relevant experience that provides the necessary knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the essential job duties.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in program management, economic development, small business support, workforce development, or related field required

• Experience managing multi-stakeholder partnerships and/or major project rollouts

CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT

The City’s Background Check Policy requires background checks to be conducted on final internal or external candidate(s) applying for any position with the City of Charlotte. The type of information that will be collected as part of a background check includes, but is not limited to: reference checks, social security verification, education verification, criminal conviction record check, and, if applicable, a credit history check, sex offender registry and motor vehicle records check.

Background checks must be in compliance with all federal and state statutes, such as the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA). The checks must be consistent with the guidelines set forth by these laws requiring organizations to obtain a candidate’s written authorization before obtaining a criminal background report, motor vehicle records check or credit report; and to properly store and dispose of information derived from such reports.

Final candidates must pass a pre-employment drug-screening test and physical examination. During the selection process, candidates may be asked to take a skills test, and/or participate in other assessments.

The City of Charlotte is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not unlawfully discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, sex, national origin, marital status, age, disability, sexual orientation, political affiliation or on the basis of actual or perceived gender as expressed through dress, appearance, or behavior.

Our culture is to serve the community honorably.

HOW TO APPLY

Apply online.

Federal law requires employers to provide reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities. Please tell us if you require a reasonable accommodation to apply for a job.

You are welcome to visit the City of Charlotte Human Resources Department lobby, where self-service application kiosks are available. They are located in our office at 700 East 4th Street, Suite 200, Charlotte, NC 28202. We are open Monday through Friday, from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. (EST), excluding official City holidays.

For questions about your application or the hiring process, please email [email protected].

The City of Charlotte is committed to making our services and programs accessible to all. Upon request, auxiliary aids, written materials in alternate formats, language access, and other reasonable accommodations or modifications will be provided. To make a request, please fill out the Innovation & Technology ADA request form or call 704.336.4120.

BENEFITS

The City of Charlotte provides a comprehensive benefits package to eligible employees.

Click here to learn more about the City of Charlotte’s benefits.

The City of Charlotte is a drug and alcohol-free workplace.