Interim Director, Cultural and Economic Development

City of Boulder; Boulder (CO); On-site; USD 135,000 - 202,000; Full time

Job summary

The City of Boulder is seeking a dynamic leader to serve as the primary operational and strategic head of the Office of Cultural and Economic Development (OCED) on a fixed-term basis of 18 to 24 months. This role ensures continuity during a period of rapid growth and leads cross-department collaboration to advance economic vitality and arts initiatives.

You will manage four areas—economic development, urban development, and arts and cultural programming—develop a unified work plan, and build

Qualifications

• Ability to build and maintain trust-based relationships with diverse stakeholders across the public, private, and nonprofit sectors.
• Ability to demonstrate excellent verbal and written communication skills, including the ability to present complex information clearly and persuasively to elected officials, executive leadership, business leaders, and the public.
• Ability to demonstrate working knowledge of economic development principles, urban planning, or public administration.
• Ability to provide senior-level operational leadership across a complex, multi-program organization, including direct supervision of managers and professional staff.
• Ability to set priorities, build systems, and manage organizational performance in a dynamic, evolving environment.
• Skill in analytics and strategic thinking, with the ability to synthesize economic, programmatic, and policy information into actionable strategies.
• Skill in managing multiple concurrent high-priority initiatives and making sound decisions under time pressure and ambiguity.
• Must successfully pass a background check before first day of work and maintain acceptable screening.

Responsibilities

• Provides day-to-day operational leadership for all OCED functions, serving as the primary internal point of accountability for office performance, staff management, and cross-divisional coordination.
• Plans and positions the OCED work for future growth and advancement within the organization.
• Supervises the team leads overseeing economic development strategy and finance, business development and arts and culture; provides coaching, performance management, and professional development to all direct reports.
• Develops and maintains an integrated, office-wide work plan aligned with the city's Economic Vitality Strategy, Arts Blueprint, and Citywide Strategic Plan, ensuring coherent prioritization across both portfolios.
• Establishes and enforces standard operating procedures, meeting cadences, and internal communication systems that enable the office to function at a high level as it scales.
• Fosters a unified, mission-driven team culture across economic development and arts and culture work - treating the integration of these portfolios as an organizational strength.
• Provides executive oversight for the office's highest-priority and most complex initiatives, including Downtown Development Authority formation, Urban Renewal Authority activities, major redevelopment opportunities, and the development of new economic governance structures such as Metro Districts.
• Directs implementation of the Arts Blueprint, including new program initiatives emerging from the Blueprint adoption, and ensures alignment between cultural programming and broader economic development strategy.
• Oversees development of new economic development tools, financial incentive programs, and public-private partnership structures, ensuring financial feasibility, community engagement, and policy alignment.
• Sets project goals, allocates resources across the office, and ensures cross-departmental collaboration on major strategic priorities involving Planning and Development, Finance, the City Attorney's Office, and other strategic partners.
• Provides expert analysis and recommendations to the City Manager, Board and Commission, including City Council, as needed, on economic trends, redevelopment opportunities, and policy choices, drawing on data from the office's economic research and reporting functions.
• Works closely with the Assistant City Manager to assess and build the organizational infrastructure necessary for OCED to grow and advance in the organization, including staffing models, budget structures, governance frameworks, and performance measurement systems.
• Documents institutional knowledge, policies, and processes to support organizational sustainability through leadership transitions and the eventual permanent recruitment process.
• Serves as a primary representative of OCED to key external partners, including the Boulder Chamber of Commerce, Downtown Boulder Partnership, Visit Boulder, Boulder County, University of Colorado - Boulder, Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT), and regional economic development organizations.
• Manages high-impact partnerships and agreements in coordination with managers, ensuring alignment with the city's economic and cultural goals.
• Prepares and presents comprehensive reports, briefings, and recommendations to City Council, the public, and boards and commissions - including the Boulder Urban Renewal Authority (BURA), the general improvement district advisory boards, and the Arts Commission - on the progress of economic and cultural initiatives.
• Coordinates with other City Manager's Office divisions and city departments to advance cross-cutting priorities, resolve coordination challenges, and represent OCED interests in citywide planning processes.
• Provides high-level oversight of OCED's combined budget across both the economic development and arts and culture portfolios, ensuring the effective, equitable, and transparent use of public funds.
• Oversees administration of office’s grant programs, financial incentive programs, Tax Increment Financing (TIF), and special district finances, ensuring compliance with applicable state and local regulations.
• Analyzes economic, demographic, and cultural data to help inform policy development, land use planning, and strategic investment decisions.
• Directs the development of financial models, Return on Investment (ROI) analyses, and cost-benefit frameworks to support major investment and incentive decisions.
• Provides input on city budget processes impacts, including multi-year capital planning, program funding continuity, and new appropriations.

Job description

The City of Boulder is seeking a dynamic leader to serve as the primary operational and strategic head of the Office of Cultural and Economic Development (OCED) on a fixed-term basis of 18 to 24 months. This role ensures continuity during a period of rapid growth and leads cross-department collaboration to advance economic vitality and arts initiatives.

You will manage four areas—economic development, urban development, and arts and cultural programming—develop a unified work plan, and build