Economic Recovery Corps Fellowship: San Juan County, Utah

Overview:

The Economic Recovery Corps Fellowship provides experienced, impact-driven professionals an opportunity to address critical challenges in under-resourced communities throughout the country to advance new ways of doing economic development that promotes transformative change and leads to a more just, equitable, and sustainable economy for all. This position offers a chance to step into a dynamic role as the fellowship enters an exciting new phase. The selected candidate will build on the progress of the past 14 months, contributing to ongoing projects while forging new opportunities to drive systemic change.

You might be a good fit if…

• You are looking to do something impactful, substantive, and transformative while growing as a professional.
• You get excited about the idea of joining and building a nation-wide network of innovators to change the system and create new ways of doing economic development where no one gets left behind.
• You seek opportunities that allow you to develop new knowledge and practices that can shape the next generation of economic development practitioners and community-builders.
• You seek to work with and engage stakeholders from diverse backgrounds to build effective coalitions.
• You’re known for being somewhat of a disruptor or change agent within your network — as well as a connector – bringing the right people together to get things done.

Project Context:

San Juan County completed a Housing Needs Assessment, joined the Governors Office of Economic Opportunity's Rural Economic Blueprint Program, and launched the Rural Leaders for Economic Mobility initiative through the National Association of Counties Research Foundation. The fellowship will be focused on implementation to move shovel-ready housing projects and initiatives by capturing funding, alignment of State, Federal, and Private Enterprise programs, permitting, technical assistance, and local capacity-building.

Project Location:

The fellow will travel within San Juan County, including Tribal areas and remote rural communities, and will need reliable transportation. They will be provided office space within the County’s Economic Development Department and must be physically present in the County at least 70% of the time. Work remains deeply place-based especially where internet availability is not present throughout our County.

Project Scope:

To collaborate with the chosen consulting firm to obtain critical data that will aid in securing future funding sources for inclusive housing initiatives. Provide technical assistance to all communities within San Juan County to create an inclusive strategic housing plan.

The has shifted from general housing strategy formation to implementing and delivering housing and infrastructure in real communities. The fellow will be a delivery partner, not just a planner. This includes managing timelines, collaborating with private owners, contractors, and preparing funding packets.

Key responsibilities include:

• Conduct zoning, permitting, and policy reviews across local, Tribal, and State levels to identify regulatory and legislative barriers to housing and infrastructure development.
• Advance 3–5 priority housing projects, including the Westwater Housing pilot, Monticello Main Street small homes, and infill housing developments on Tribal or rural parcels.
• Bundle housing and infrastructure needs (roads, water, sewer, broadband) into coordinated funding proposals submitted to programs such as Authority Infrastructure Bank (AIB), Governor’s Office of Economic Opportunity (GOEO), United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Rural Communities
• Assistance Corporation (RCAC), Utah Inland Port Authority (UIPA) and others.
• Research and catalog diverse funding sources across Federal, State, Tribal, nonprofit, and philanthropic sectors. These will be organized into a publicly accessible resource directory on the County Economic Development website for use by community members, developers, and partners.
• Identify and coordinate technical assistance (TA) opportunities for landowners, builders, and small-scale developers. This includes connecting them to RCAC, Habitat for Humanity, and others who can help with permitting, budgeting, planning, and site control.
• Organize and host at least 3 expert-led, hands-on workshops for builders, landowners, and project partners focused on real development skills such as writing a pro forma, preparing a permit package, or accessing gap financing.

Requirements

Project Qualifications:

The ideal fellow will have direct experience in economic development, preferably someone who has worked with Native Nations, rural governments, or community-based housing and infrastructure projects. The fellow must be teachable with a willingness to learn about other cultures and customs, and be open to guidance. The fellow will work collaboratively with County leadership, our Economic Development Manager, and receive regular direction, feedback and coordination support, while maintaining professional discretion in how deliverables are achieved. They must also be comfortable managing timelines, coordinating stakeholders, and advancing complex multi-partner housing initiatives.

They should be able to:

• Support housing development and infrastructure coordination
• Navigate permitting and funding processes
• Manage timelines and track project progress
• Communicate clearly with partners and follow through on tasks
• Strong skills in project management, communication, and grant writing are essential.
• The fellow must be prepared to work on active projects.
• They will be expected to help create tools, systems, and documentation that can be used by the County, municipalities, Chapters and its partners after the fellowship ends.

Fellowship Qualifications:

Ideal ERC fellows will have a bachelor’s or associate degree, a minimum of five years of professional experience in a manager-level role, an entrepreneurial mindset, be able to learn on the fly, think and communicate across multiple disciplines, and be natural ecosystem-builders / connectors. While these qualifications give us a good sense of an applicant’s preparation, we will also consider other types of work, volunteer, or education experiences that are equivalent to these minimum requirements.

You must have existing U.S. work authorization for the entirety of the program without any need for visa sponsorship.

The following characteristics and skillsets are easy descriptors of who you are:

• Collaborative, Service-oriented, Ethical, Curious, Persuasive, Creative problem-solver, Resilient, Tech-savvy, Strategic, Adaptable, Empathetic, Culturally competent, Compassionate, Facilitator, Networker / Relationship Builder, Disruptor / Change Agent

Underscoring all these characteristics is a genuine desire to contribute to the greater good.

Benefits

Fellowship Features

• High-Impact Field Experience
• 12-16 month project
• $7,500 per month + approved business expenses
• Upon Completion $10,000 post-fellowship readjustment stipend
• Mentorship opportunities with experienced community and economic development leaders
• Action research capstone project in partnership with your host organization

Leadership and Professional Development

• Access to professional development opportunities, including a stipend of up to $27,500 for travel expenses, annual in-person training retreats, and access to up to two conferences per year hosted by IEDC or one of the ERC partners
• An opportunity to pursue certification to become a Certified Economic Developer (CEcD) and/or Entrepreneurship Development Professional (EDP), for those who are interested in classes and sitting for the exam(s).

Expanded Network

• Monthly Community of Practice engagements with a sub-cohort of peers led by one of the six ERC partners.
• Quarterly virtual peer learning and network exchanges with the entire Fellow cohort.
• Access to ERC Partners’ nationwide network of industry leaders, more than 23,000 partner organizations, and ongoing support, collaboration, and professional opportunities through IEDC’s 4,500+ member network.
• ERC fellows are independent contractor professionals and will be required to sign an independent contractor agreement with the International Economic Development Council before beginning the fellowship. ERC fellows must meet all requirements for independent contractor status under federal and state laws applicable to their work location in order to be eligible for this fellowship.
• Disbursement of the annual and post-fellowship stipends are contingent upon fulfillment of contractual requirements and completion of the ERC program.

This description is not intended to be a comprehensive list of all of the requirements and features of this fellowship opportunity, which may change without notice.