Job Title: Business Recruitment Consultant
Location: Central U.S. Region (Remote within Territory)

Contract 

Agency: Kansas Department of Commerce
Eligible States: Alabama, Arkansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas

Position Overview

The Kansas Department of Commerce is seeking an experienced Business Recruitment Consultant to represent the State of Kansas across the Central United States region. The consultant will be responsible for identifying, engaging, and securing companies with expansion or relocation plans to Kansas. This role requires a strong background in economic development, business attraction, and site selection, along with proven experience working with C-suite executives, site selectors, and consultants.

The consultant will operate remotely from within the assigned territory and will serve as a key extension of the Kansas Department of Commerce business recruitment team.

Key Responsibilities

• Identify and cultivate new business leads for companies considering relocation or expansion to Kansas.

• Build and maintain strong relationships with C-suite executives, corporate decision-makers, site selectors, and consultants.

• Actively engage in business development, prospecting, and outreach using data, technology tools, and direct engagement strategies.

• Manage time-sensitive and complex recruitment projects from lead generation through project announcement.

• Partner closely with local economic development organizations, utilities, chambers, and private-sector partners.

• Organize and support Team Kansas business development missions and related recruitment activities.

• Attend and represent the State of Kansas at industry events, trade shows, and recruitment activities.

• Maintain accurate and timely documentation of all leads, projects, communications, and events in the Kansas Department of Commerce Salesforce CRM system.

• Provide strategic input on business attraction and recruitment strategies to drive economic growth in Kansas.

Monthly Deliverables & Reporting

Submit a Monthly Activity Report that includes:

• New Leads / Contracts Generated

  • Company name, location, number of jobs, capital investment, source of lead, and brief project description.

• Existing Project Status Updates

  • Company name, location, jobs, capital investment, and current project status.

• Location Activity

  • Company name, Kansas location, number of jobs, and capital investment.

• Additional Activities

  • Summary of activities including missions, events, site visits, stakeholder meetings, and cross-division support.

All activities must be accurately tracked in the Kansas Department of Commerce Salesforce database.

Capabilities & Requirements

Location Requirement

• Must be currently based in one of the following states:
  Alabama, Arkansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Tennessee, or Texas.

Experience

• Minimum 5+ years of experience in economic development, business recruitment, site selection, or business attraction (public or private sector).

• Proven track record managing complex, time-sensitive business recruitment projects.

• Demonstrated expertise in lead generation, prospecting, and pipeline management.

• Strong experience collaborating with:

  • Local and state economic development agencies

  • Site selectors and consultants

  • Private-sector companies and utility partners

• Proven experience engaging directly with C-suite and executive leadership.

• Strong relationship-building, negotiation, and communication skills.

• Demonstrated ability to implement actionable business attraction strategies.

• Established network of economic development professionals and site selection consultants.

• Proficiency in CRM systems (Salesforce preferred) and detailed reporting.

Education

• Bachelor’s degree required in:

  • Business Administration

  • Public Administration

  • Economic Development

  • Marketing

  • Or a closely related field

Preferred Qualifications (Nice to Have)

• Experience working with state or regional economic development agencies

• Experience recruiting projects involving:

  • Manufacturing

  • Logistics & Distribution

  • Advanced Manufacturing

  • Technology & Data Centers

• Strong understanding of:

  • Site selection processes

  • Workforce availability

  • Infrastructure & utilities

  • Incentives negotiation

Skills & Competencies

• Strategic business development

• Executive-level communication

• Pipeline & CRM management

• Project management

• Data-driven prospecting

• Stakeholder engagement

• Market intelligence

• Presentation & negotiation

Travel Requirement

• Ability to travel throughout the Central U.S. region and to Kansas as required for site visits, meetings, and industry events.

Contract Deliverables

• Monthly performance tracking

• Pipeline growth performance

• Successful recruitment of new business projects

• Accurate Salesforce reporting and compliance with state documentation standards

All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.