Job ID: 51435
Location: Greenville, South Carolina
Employment Type: Direct Hire
Last Updated: 5 days ago
Founded in 1979, Greenville Local Development Corporation (GLDC), a 501(c)(4) non-profit, was established by the City of Greenville together with a group of committed community and business leaders to address obstacles faced by businesses and community-based organizations in obtaining conventional financing for projects that benefit the economic development of Greenville, S.C. Since inception, GLDC has been working to provide financial assistance, real estate development coordination/facilitation, and strategic guidance for economic development projects and business expansions through grants, loans, and direct equity investments (investees).
ABOUT THE OPPORTUNTIY
GLDC is establishing its first full-time, dedicated position to provide stewardship, continuity, and formalization of systems and processes that support the continued growth of GLDC. The Executive Director will report to the Board of Directors and will work closely with the Board and community partners to enhance and enable catalytic investments that advance Greenville’s economic ecosystem.
To view the full position profile, please visit: GLDC Position Profile
Position Summary
The Executive Director is a hybrid strategic and operating leader. The Executive Director serves as the Board’s trusted advisor and implementer—bridging vision and execution—while maintaining a quiet-impact external presence. This position will nurture, enhance, and grow GLDC’s investee portfolio and stakeholder network across public, private, and nonprofit partners.
Located: Greenville, SC
Reports to: Board Chair; accountable to the Board of Directors
Key Internal Partners: GLDC Board; The Innovate Fund (affiliate)
Key External Partners: City of Greenville; entrepreneurial ecosystem entities (e.g., NextGEN, SCRA); community finance partners (e.g., CDFIs); commercial banks; legal and accounting vendors
AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY
Investment Strategy & Pipeline Management
- Define the annual investment plan, in collaboration with the Board, that may include targeted allocations (e.g., job development grants, equity investments, revolving loan program) and cultivate the GLDC investment pipeline.
- Establish and maintain a structured investment review and deal-flow process: intake ? screening ? pre-read ? Board deliberation.
- Apply the “but for us” test and maintain a last-resort funder posture; prioritize catalytic, entrepreneurial projects and avoid duplication where other funding exists.
- Prepare and present written summaries, analyses, and recommendations for Board consideration.
- Serve as a liaison between GLDC and investees, establishing strong relationships, responding to inquiries as needed, and negotiating terms and legal documentation when needed.
- Coordinate closings with investees, banks, attorneys, and vendors.
- Track investee performance and compliance; develop pipeline analytics (funded vs. non-funded, decline rationales, trend patterns); collect and compile data to document effective use of GLDC funds.
Capital Formation & Partnerships
- Explore capital growth pathways (grants, foundations, partnerships with CDFIs and federal programs) that multiply GLDC’s impact without mission drift.
- Strengthen collaborations with The Innovate Fund to support federal allocation applications and complementary initiatives.
- Maintain current and evaluate potential nonprofit and for-profit community/economic development partner organizations based on GLDC priorities and serve as the “point of contact” at external project, policy, and community meetings (e.g., the city of Greenville, Greenville City Economic Development Corporation, NextGEN, South Carolina Research Authority, and others in the “start-up” community).
- Work closely with the City and its agencies to both support their work and seek out new opportunities for GLDC investments.
Financial Oversight & Reporting
- Establish professional financial reporting practices: quarterly balance sheet, income statement, and cash flow; annual budget with rolling 12-month projections.
- Create portfolio dashboards integrating financial and impact metrics; support scenario planning and capital growth strategies aligned to mission.
- Work with third party accounting vendor to deliver monthly/quarterly/annual reports; ensure timely tax returns, audits, and related filings.
Operations and Governance
- Serve as single point of accountability for operational integrity, compliance, and Board management (scheduling, drafting agendas, and preparing board materials).
- Maintain corporate documents (e.g. Board meeting minutes, GLDC bylaws).
- Design and implement standard operating procedures (SOPs) and processes related to investments covering intake, diligence, approval, monitoring, and close-out
- Build decision registers, investment archives, and other reporting to create a repository of historical records.
Community Representation & Visibility
- Represent GLDC credibly with partners while preserving an under-the-radar ethos; calibrate visibility to avoid ecosystem confusion.
- Develop a stakeholder engagement plan; produce “quiet wins” style communication versus broad press.
- Maintain close coordination with the City and other partners to align messaging while preserving GLDC independence.
IDEAL CANDIDATE PROFILE
The ideal candidate will bring a thoughtful blend of vision and execution—someone who can establish a vision for growth while ensuring the operational details are handled with care. This leader will have the confidence and political savvy to navigate Greenville’s unique ecosystem of public, private, and nonprofit partners, building trust and fostering collaboration without compromising GLDC’s independence. They will be financially fluent, able to interpret balance sheets and cash flow with ease, and translate complex analyses into clear, actionable insights for the Board and stakeholders.
In the first year, success will mean creating strong foundations: implementing reporting frameworks, standard operating procedures, and data-driven tools that enable GLDC’s work and impact. The Managing Director must bring an entrepreneurial and forward-thinking mindset—someone who can identify catalytic investments, forge strategic partnerships, and unlock opportunities that advance Greenville’s economic ecosystem.
The ideal candidate thrives in ambiguity and demonstrates resilience in a lean, high-autonomy environment. They are an adaptive communicator, skilled at tailoring messaging for diverse audiences including the Board, City officials, partners, and investees. This leader will inspire trust and have the executive presence to “own the room” in high-stakes conversations. They will be collaborative yet decisive, discreet yet approachable, and deeply committed to GLDC’s mission. In short, this leader will combine the precision of an operator with the imagination of a strategist, ensuring GLDC’s impact is both measurable and transformative.
QUALIFICATIONS FOR CONSIDERATION
Education, Experience, & Background
- Bachelor’s degree from an accredited higher education institution is required; a graduate degree in a related field is preferred but not required for consideration.
- Five (5) or more years of experience in economic development, portfolio/project management, public-private partnerships, commercial lending, CDFIs, impact investing, community finance, or adjacent fields.
- Experience collaborating with local or state government entities as well as public–private partnerships, nonprofits, or other private partners; comfort negotiating terms and legal documentation.
Core Competencies
- Strong analytic reasoning, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills.
- Political acumen to navigate relationships and ecosystem optics while preserving independence.
- Financial literacy and analytical rigor; ability to evaluate opportunities and communicate risk/return.
- Managerial execution and systems orientation (reporting, SOPs, analytics).
- Entrepreneurial and strategic mindset to identify catalytic investments and partnerships.
- Relationship-building presence with the ability to “own the room” and represent credibly across stakeholders.
Behavioral Attributes
- Self-starter comfortable with ambiguity; thrives in a lean environment with high autonomy.
- Adaptive communicator able to tailor messaging for Board, City, partners, and investees.
- Balanced personality: diligent operator and opportunity-sensing strategist; collaborative, discreet, mission-driven.
