Project Coordinator

The Position in 30 Seconds

The Project Coordinator is an entry-level professional job that can be done mostly on your own schedule, averaging 20 hours per week. It pays between $20.00 - $22.50/hour, and you’ll customize PowerPoint slide decks, complete RFI’s in Excel or Word, do online research to find answers to questions you never imagined, upload information into online portals, and use email, phone calls, and Zoom to communicate professionally with business contacts. As you do, you’ll help grow our economy & create job opportunities throughout our region!

About Us

Greater Columbus Economic Development Corporation (EDC) is one of the state’s longest-running independent, non-profit economic development organizations serving Columbus, Edinburgh, and all Bartholomew County, Indiana. The organization’s strategic goal is to grow & attract well-paying, high value-added, community-minded businesses by influencing and leveraging the area’s distinct capabilities and strengths. Our approach is three-fold: (1) We work with existing primary employers to help them grow in Columbus, Edinburgh, and Bartholomew County, (2) We attract new companies to locate here, and (3) We work with community partners to build on & improve the area’s desirability to businesses and residents.

Current industry diversification targets include Food & Beverage Manufacturing, Pharmaceutical Manufacturing, Engineering Services, and Next Generation Mobility (e.g., EVs, battery technology, autonomous tech & more), but we happily work with any prospective or existing company who bring value to our local and regional economy.

Since the EDC’s founding in 1976, more than 80 recruited companies today employ more than 7,500 area residents. Approximately 400 local expansions by 110 unique companies have also been recorded, and combined, new projects and expansions have called for $3.9 billion in local investments. For more information on the Greater Columbus Economic Development Corporation and how we promote our area, please visit www.ColumbusIN.org.

Position Description

With supervision and guidance of our Director of Projects & Marketing, the part-time Project Coordinator position will manage the EDC’s initial response to active project leads from global and domestic companies in search of a new U.S. location. On average, our office may have the opportunity to pursue 90 or more active “business attraction” project inquiries during the course of the year, and among those, 40 or more may require a detailed project response. Some weeks we may receive one inquiry, and other weeks we may receive three or more. As an instrumental part of our organization’s work to attract new investment and jobs to our area, the Project Coordinator will prepare our initial pitch to relevant projects by completing detailed Requests for Information (RFI) using Microsoft Word and/or Excel and by customizing our marketing slide deck using PowerPoint to promote the advantages of doing business in our communities. The job will also require interacting by phone or email with area brokers, developers, and other property representatives to maintain an accurate inventory of available sites and buildings as well as engaging with other important stakeholders, such as utility company representatives, education providers, and city/town/county officials in pursuit of answers to the RFI.

Paid training will be conducted at our office in downtown Columbus, and once fully trained, the employee may be given the opportunity to conduct work remotely or exclusively in the office with fun and professional co-workers. Hours may vary, but on average, job duties are expected to require no less than 15 hours and no more than 25 hours per week. If steady or fixed hours are desired by the job candidate, additional duties can be made available, including, but not limited to, Social Media marketing and or other duties as assigned.

Key Duties

PROJECT MANAGEMENT (Average 20 hours/week)

• Respond in a timely and professional manner to requests for information from prospective companies, state and local officials, site consultants (aka “site selectors”), and others. Never miss a deadline!
• Maintain current and accurate inventory of available sites & buildings of interest to EDC and provide regular updates to the State of Indiana’s and ColumbusIN.org’s “available properties” database.
• Prepare presentations for visiting companies and others as may be required.
• Maintain records of all projects and activities, using Microsoft Excel & HubSpot CRM.

OTHER (Average 1-2 hours/week)

• TBD: Attend monthly EDC Board of Directors Meeting and occasional EDC committee meetings; provide staff support as may be requested.
• TBD: Social Media marketing on Facebook, LinkedIn, & X_ (Twitter_); or other duties as may be assigned.

Required Skills & Attributes

• #1 –Must love our community! Be prepared to be a “brand ambassador” to help promote the message that Columbus, Edinburgh, and Bartholomew County are great places to live, work, and conduct business. Local residency within Columbus, Edinburgh, or Bartholomew County is strongly preferred but not necessarily required if all other job requirements are met.
• Must be very skilled at using the Microsoft Office suite of products, including PowerPoint, Word, Excel, and Outlook (email & calendar). Typical tasks require knowledge of how to: (1) Format pages, text, paragraphs, etc. (2) Cut/Copy/Paste text and images. (3) Insert, edit, and save images (including use of “screenshot captures”, etc.). (4) Within Excel, mistake-free sorting, use of basic formulas (sum, avg, median), etc.
• Keen attention to detail & above-average reading comprehension – Notice details, be able to find inconsistencies/differences between items, proofreads for mistakes, etc.
• Basic math and measurement skills include calculating percentages, determining median and mean averages, converting miles to kilometers (using an online calculator), etc.
• Must have good written and verbal communication skills (with a focus on written communication) – including professional email correspondence, proofreading for typos, speaking on the phone, and must be comfortable using and participating with Zoom or other virtual meeting formats.
• Skilled at conducting online research to find answers to unique questions.
• Experience with HubSpot CRM a real plus!

30-Day, 90-Day, and Annual Performance Evaluation Categories

• Job/Technical Knowledge
• Problem Solving & Decision Making
• Planning & Organization / Dependability
• Communication (Verbal & Written)
• Teamwork & Interpersonal Skills
• Change-management Skills
• Adherence to Policies & Confidentiality
• Other/Good of the Organization

Compensation & Benefits

• Hourly range: $20.00 up to $22.50/hour, paid every other week via direct deposit
• 10% contribution to 401(k) retirement (after 6 months)
• Flexible hours and take-home laptop available

Ready to Apply?

In addition to applying via Indeed, please also email your résumé and a cover letter saved together into one PDF, addressed to the president of our organization. Please cc: our Director of Projects & Marketing. (Research Task #1 – Who are these two persons, and what does “CEcD” stand for anyways?!)

Job Type: Part-time

Pay: $20.00 - $22.50 per hour

Expected hours: 15 – 25 per week

Benefits:

• 401(k) 10% Match
• Cell phone reimbursement
• Retirement plan

Compensation package:

• Performance bonus

Experience level:

• No experience needed

Schedule:

• Choose your own hours

Ability to Relocate:

• Columbus, IN 47201: Relocate before starting work (Required)

Work Location: Hybrid remote in Columbus, IN 47201