Career Opportunities: Strengthening Our Network

Organizational Background

Founded in 1927, Greater Lafayette Commerce (GLC) is a trusted leader in uniting business, government, education and community efforts to strengthen the region. GLC serves as both the chamber of commerce and the lead nonprofit economic development organization for Lafayette, West Lafayette and Tippecanoe County. With a staff of 13, GLC delivers a wide range of programming-from business advocacy and workforce development to investment attraction and regional marketing.

As the region experiences continued growth and investment, GLC is expanding its focus on business retention and expansion—ensuring current employers have a trusted, responsive partner as they navigate growth, workforce needs, infrastructure challenges, and public-sector processes.

Position Summary

The Business Retention & Expansion (BRE) Director is a highly visible, relationship-centered role responsible for supporting the growth and success of existing employers across the Greater Lafayette region.

This position is ideal for an early- to mid-career professional who enjoys working with people, managing details and following projects through to completion. The BRE Director builds trusted relationships with employers, coordinates expansion efforts and ensures tax incentives and abatements are administered accurately and smoothly. Reporting to the Vice President of Economic Development, the BRE Director works closely with the Workforce Development Director, local governments and state partners. This role offers exceptional exposure to major employers, community leaders and economic development strategy.

Why This Role Is a Great Fit

This role is well suited for someone who:

• Enjoys being the reliable point of contact others trust.
• Likes juggling multiple priorities while keeping details straight.
• Finds satisfaction in helping organizations succeed behind the scenes.
• Values teamwork, service and follow-through.
• Wants to be deeply connected to the business community.
• Is motivated by having ownership of high impact projects and making a meaningful difference.

If you’re the type of person who likes to say “I’ve got it handled”—and mean it—this role will feel energizing.

Key Responsibilities

Business Retention & Employer Engagement

• Serve as a primary point of contact for GLC’s business retention and expansion efforts.
• Build strong, ongoing relationships with existing employers across key industries as well as relationships with local, regional and state leadership, higher education, site selectors, commercial real estate brokers and other key stakeholders.
• Conduct regular business visits, check-ins and follow-ups to understand employer needs.
• Identify opportunities for local expansion, investment or additional support.
• Collaborate with marketing to deliver essential information to prospective and existing companies. 
• Ensure employers experience GLC as a trusted partner to their organization.
• Own and manage key stakeholder meetings as assigned, such as the monthly mayors and commissioners meeting.
• Oversee the community’s economic development portal, maintaining investment-ready site and building data that supports site selectors and companies evaluating the Greater Lafayette region.
• Execute all other duties as assigned.

Expansion Projects, Incentives & Abatements

• Support business expansion projects in coordination with the Vice President of Economic Development.
• Administer, track and coordinate local, state, federal tax incentives, grants and abatements, working closely with city and county partners.
• Ensure compliance, reporting and follow-through related to incentive agreements.
• Help compile local and state incentive information and expansion proposals.
• Maintain accurate documentation and timelines for all incentive-related activities.

Workforce & Partner Coordination

• Partner closely with the Workforce Development Director to connect employers with workforce programs, training opportunities and education partners.
• Coordinate with local governments, utilities and state agencies to address employer needs.
• Help ensure smooth communication across multiple stakeholders.

Data, Tracking & Continuous Improvement

• Track business visits, issues and outcomes using CRM and internal systems.
• Maintain organized records and summaries that support reporting and decision-making.
• Collect and track relevant economic and workforce data.
• Surface trends, risks or recurring challenges to the VP of Economic Development.
• Contribute insights that improve GLC’s retention and expansion efforts over time.

The Ideal Candidate

This role is designed for someone who is organized, personable, dependable, and trusted to handle confidential information with care. The ideal candidate will bring:

• A bachelor’s degree in business, public administration, economics, planning or related field.
• A minimum of 2 years’ experience in economic development, workforce development, government, account management, project coordination, or a similar role.
• Strong attention to detail, organization and comfort managing multiple tasks at once.
• Ability to meet deadlines, work under pressure at times in a fast-moving environment.
• Strong analytical and research skills.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality as well as be sensitive to professional ethics and culture diversities – treating all people equally and respectfully.
• A responsive, customer-service mindset and professional, friendly communication style.
• Comfortability meeting new people and building key relationships.
• A collaborative, team-oriented approach. 
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office and comfort learning CRM and data systems.
• Willingness to travel as needed; regionally, domestically and occasionally, internationally.
• Experience with incentives, abatements and/or public-sector processes is helpful but not required.

Work Culture

GLC offers a collaborative, mission-driven environment where team members support one another and work closely with community leaders and employers. This role involves meaningful responsibility, steady interaction with partners, and clear opportunities to grow professionally through experience and trust.

References and Background Check

Candidates will undergo a background and reference check. Once strong mutual interest is established, applicants will be asked to provide a list of references. If an offer is extended prior to the completion of these checks, it will be contingent upon their satisfactory completion.

All inquiries and applications will be handled confidentially.

How to Apply

Interested candidates should submit a resume and brief statement of interest describing their interest in economic development and working with local employers.

Mikel Berger
President & CEO, Greater Lafayette Commerce
mberger@greaterlafayettecommerce.com

Greater Lafayette Commerce is an equal opportunity employer.

Organizational Background

Founded in 1927, Greater Lafayette Commerce (GLC) is a trusted leader in uniting business, government, education and community efforts to strengthen the region. GLC serves as both the chamber of commerce and the lead nonprofit economic development organization for Lafayette, West Lafayette and Tippecanoe County. With a staff of 13, GLC delivers a wide range of programming—from business advocacy and workforce development to investment attraction and regional marketing.

The incoming VP of Economic Development will join the organization at a time of exceptional momentum and opportunity. Greater Lafayette is at a once-in-a-generation inflection point. Building on decades of successful economic growth and prosperity, several recent announcements underscore the transformative trajectory and opportunity that the area is experiencing.

At the same time, GLC is intentionally evolving how it approaches economic development, moving from reactive deal support to proactive, strategy-led company attraction and retention. This role offers a rare opportunity to:

• Help shape GLC’s economic development strategy, not just execute it.
• Build and own the business attraction pipeline from the ground up.
• Be the face of GLC and the Greater Lafayette region with site selectors, investors and state partners.
• Work directly with the president and CEO to define priorities, positioning and long-term impact.
• Leave a visible, durable mark on both the organization and the community.

Work Culture

As the leading local organization for community initiatives, growth, and economic development, GLC is a hub of high-profile activities in multiple areas. The staff works under the direction of a president and chief executive officer, a board of directors, and with numerous community volunteers. Team members work collaboratively for the good of all, often assisting in areas beyond traditional job responsibilities, with many opportunities for personal and professional growth. The work environment is dynamic, forward-thinking, fast-paced, and goal-oriented.

Position Summary

GLC is seeking a strategic, collaborative and results-driven Vice President of Economic Development. This senior leadership role is responsible for creating and executing GLC’s economic development strategy and advancing business attraction, expansion and retention efforts across Lafayette, West Lafayette and Tippecanoe County.

Reporting directly to the president and CEO, the Vice President of Economic Development serves as a respected deal leader for company attraction and expansion – representing Greater Lafayette in competitive site selection processes and leading high-stakes conversations and building credibility with site selectors, corporate decisionmakers, public-sector partners. This role is central to advancing GLC’s mission to promote economic prosperity and a superior quality of life through new investment, job creation, and the long-term business growth and success of existing employers.

This role will act as a connector and catalyst, aligning local assets with market opportunities and executing strategies that position Greater Lafayette as a competitive, credible and execution-ready location for growth. While informed by long-term vision and strategy, this role is intentionally focused on implementation and results, owning the attraction pipeline for GLC, driving business retention and expansion efforts, advancing site selection efforts, and overseeing local tax incentives and abatements (in collaboration with the cities).

The Role

• Lead and own business attraction, expansion and retention strategy for GLC.
• Serve as the primary point of contact and closer for active attraction projects for which GLC is participating.
• Build, manage and track a strong, robust pipeline of prospective companies and investments.
• Coordinate prospective business visits and tours to Greater Lafayette.
• Work with the Business Retention and Expansion Director to compile local and state incentive proposals.
• Oversee execution of RFIs, proposals and presentations with speed, accuracy, and strategic clarity.
• • Coordinate with local government, state and utility partners to assemble competitive, executable project solutions.
  • In partnership with the Workforce Development Director, collaborate with universities, workforce institutions and councils, and supply chain partners to strengthen deal competitiveness.

• Cultivate high-value relationships with local and state leadership, industry and university partners, site selectors, commercial real estate brokers, and prospective domestic and international companies to strengthen Greater Lafayette’s competitive position.
• Maintain deep working knowledge of:
• • Available site and building inventory in Greater Lafayette
  • Local infrastructure and utility capacity
  • Local industry clusters and major employers
  • Workforce and education assets
  • Local, state and utility incentive tools
  • Community quality of life assets and programming (both present and future developments)
  • READI projects
  • Knowledge of all related GLC functions and programming.
  • Economic and workforce development activities at the state level, including those led by the Indiana Economic Development Corporation, Purdue Research Foundation, Purdue University, Ivy Tech Community College and others.

• Track, analyze and report key data to help make the case for business investment locally.
• Represent GLC and the Greater Lafayette region at state, national and international economic development events.
• Provide senior leadership for GLC’s economic development function.
• Partner closely with the Workforce Development Director on workforce development and education initiatives.
• Partner closely with Business Retention and Expansion Director on helping our existing member companies grow and expand.
• Partner closely with the president and CEO on strategy, priorities and external engagement.
• Represent the CEO and GLC in select high-level meetings and negotiations as needed.
• Prepare periodic reports for the board of directors regarding progress and updates.
• Budgeting expense monitoring for economic development programs and operations
• Execute all other duties as assigned.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

This role is designed for someone who thrives in high-autonomy, high-expectation environments. The ideal candidate will bring:

• Bachelor’s degree required. Minimum of five (5) years’ experience in economic development, site selection, corporate real estate, business development, sales, community relations or related fields.
• Track record of winning or materially influencing attraction or expansion projects.
• Confident, credible and service-driven approach to complex, multi-stakeholder deals.
• Excellent communication, organizational, and administrative skills to manage multiple projects.
• Sales-oriented mindset: confident, credible, persistent, and service- and results-driven.
• Ability to maintain the confidentiality of any information encountered/obtained.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with a range of stakeholders.
• Ability to embrace and respond to change and daily situations that arise.
• Ability to manage details and multiple tasks while working with a collaborative team on projects and initiatives.
• Ability to work with and meet deadlines.
• Comfort operating in high-autonomy, high-expectation environments.
• Mature approach in handling business and professional interactions.
• Working knowledge of MS Office software, industry software and CRMs, databases, etc.
• Preferred: Demonstrated measurable growth in capital investment, job creation and wage impact.
• Preferred: Established relationships with site selectors, consultants, corporate leaders, and investors.
• Preferred: Experience navigating multi-jurisdictional environments involving local, state and utility partners.
• Preferred: Knowledge of manufacturing, advanced industry, supply chain ecosystems, and/or international business.
• Preferred: Experience working with the public and private sectors desired.
• Preferred: Professional certification in economic development.
• Ability to travel as needed

Compensation and Benefits

This is a senior leadership role with compensation structured to reflect both responsibilities and performance:

• Performance-based bonus opportunities, tied to economic development outcomes.
• Competitive benefits package.
• Professional development and travel support, consistent with the role’s external focus.

How to Apply

Interested candidates should submit a resume and brief statement of interest outlining their experience to:

Mikel Berger
President and CEO, Greater Lafayette Commerce
mberger@greaterlafayettecommerce.com

References and Background Check

Candidates will undergo a comprehensive background and reference check. Once strong mutual interest is established, applicants will be asked to provide a list of references. If an offer is extended prior to the completion of these checks, it will be contingent upon their satisfactory completion.

All inquiries and applications will be handled confidentially.

How to Learn More about Greater Lafayette Commerce

• Visit Greater Lafayette Commerce Website
• Visit our Talent and Business Attraction Website: Greater Lafayette IND
• View 2024 Annual Report