Research Manager at Intersect Illinois – Chicago, Illinois

Opportunity

The Research Manager at Intersect Illinois is a part of a team of economic development professionals using informed data analytics to attract investment and jobs into the state of Illinois. This positions primary responsibility is to conduct research for projects, marketing materials, and partner communities (among other internal and external partners). The manager works to expand the teams understanding of Illinois economy, the regions competitive assets and other topics. This position reports to the Research Director and works closely with the business development, corporate relations, executive and marketing teams. Preference will be given to candidates with previous economic development (or closely related) and market research experience. The position is eligible to receive a performance-based year-end bonus.

Responsibilities

Conduct research including labor analytics, business information/market research, public data collection and synthesis, and customized reports, cataloguing findings as necessary

Collaborate closely with Intersect Illinois business development, and marketing teams

Initiate and conduct market research to optimize lead identification and resulting conversion to projects (business looking to expand in Illinois)

Administration of Intersects Real Estate Database (GISPlanning). Includes maintaining high-quality data, creating new users, training partners on system, and analyzing system usage

Day-to-day project management responsibilities, ensuring timely delivery of research deliverables and championing continuous improvement processes

Administration responsibilities for Microsoft Dynamics365 (CRM) include building system improvements, creating and consolidating attribute fields, among other related tasks

Interact with network of research partners including the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity and other collaborators throughout the state

Perform other special projects and duties as assigned

Knowledge/Experience

Functional knowledge and passion for: labor analytics, business information/market research, quantitative analytics, project management, research methods, economic analysis, and public data collection

Preferred experience with any of the following: energy markets/policy analysis, comparative tax analysis, rural economic development, technology based economic development

Proficiency in desktop research, project management framework(s), utilizing public data sources (i.e. BLS, BEA, Census, FAA, BTS), database management, data visualization, Microsoft Office Suite (particularly Excel)

Experience with any of the following is beneficial: spatial analysis (namely ArcMap/ArcPro), Python for data analysis

Attributes: intellectual curiosity/desire to learn new things; strong business acumen; ability to find solutions to problems as they arise and taking ownership of assigned work; able to manage multiple projects concurrently and meet time-sensitive deadlines; proven ability to learn quickly and work with limited supervision; team-based approach towards work

Skills: exceptional critical thinking skills; project management and organization; appetite for synthesizing large amounts of data into compelling facts and figures; superb communication and interpersonal skills; excellent professional judgement

Degree: Bachelors degree in a relevant discipline

Preference to candidates with 2+ years of economic development research, business attraction, or similar relevant experience

Research Team

The research team at Intersect Illinois is responsible for collecting, analyzing and communicating information and data for internal and external partners in support of the organizations mission to drive economic growth throughout Illinois. The research team collaborates closely with and supports the business development, corporate relations, executive and marketing teams.

About Intersect Illinois

Intersect Illinois is the only statewide economic development organization focused on bringing new businesses, jobs, and investment to Illinois. Since its creation in 2016, Intersect has helped generate nearly 17,000 jobs and more than $6.2 billion in investment in Illinois. Intersect collaborates with industry, academic and government partners to showcase to international and domestic companies why Illinois is the best location for expansion and relocation.

Intersect Illinois markets the states position as a leading global business destination, including its diverse economy, abundant talent, unparalleled infrastructure, superior quality of life, and strong public and private and partnerships.

A not-for-profit, public-private partnership, Intersect Illinois is funded by the State of Illinois and private donations, and guided by a board of directors comprised of private sector leaders. Its business development, marketing and research teams provide data, location assistance, and connections to companies considering growth in Illinois, helping navigate and simplify the site selection process.