Chief Economist - Greater Houston Partnership

Who We Are – Organization Overview

The Greater Houston Partnership is a place for community-minded business leaders who want to be involved in Houston’s growth and influence its direction. Through the dedicated efforts of our members, the Partnership addresses Houston’s unique challenges and champions the growth and success of our region.

Since 1840, the Greater Houston Partnership has strived to make the region the best place to live, work and build a business. We serve over 900 member companies in the 12-county Houston region, including Austin, Brazoria, Chambers, Fort Bend, Galveston, Harris, Liberty, Montgomery, San Jacinto, Walker, Waller, and Wharton counties.

We promote, advocate, convene and engage. Join us as we work together to make Houston more extraordinary.

Our Values, Our People

• We Respect Our People:  Our people make the Partnership. We value our team and ensure everyone is treated with dignity, respect, and professionalism.
• We Are One Team:  We are committed to the success of one another, the Partnership, our members, and the greater Houston community.
• We Take Ownership:  We take pride in our work and are encouraged to do what is in the best interest of our colleagues and members.
• We Act Responsibly:  We approach every decision with an open mind and are committed to considering the varying perspectives of our staff and our members. We hold ourselves to the highest professional standard.
• We Take Initiative:  We empower one another to take charge and demonstrate leadership at every opportunity.

Summary
Provide insight and analysis into global, national, and regional business, economic and demographic trends impacting Houston’s economy. Prepare and deliver reports on the economy. Lead the economist dialogue around the region.

Primary Duties and Responsibilities
The Chief Economist will conduct rigorous analysis and interpret data to provide insights into market conditions and economic trends; develop and run economic models to forecast market trends, the potential impact of corporate relocations, and government policy decisions on the region’s economy; work with members of the research team to analyze data, interpret results, and produce reports to inform the local business community; represent the organization in public forums, including conferences, media interviews, and panel discussions; share research insights and promote the organization’s economic perspectives; develop and maintain relationships with external economic research institutions, think tanks, and academic entities to enhance research quality and relevance; collaborate with other divisions to integrate economic analysis into broader organizational planning and decision-making processes.

What You Will Do

CHIEF ECONOMIST’S PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES
The following responsibilities are essential to job performance:

• Demonstrate expert-level knowledge in areas of population, demographics, wages, labor availability, real estate, taxes, business incentives, utilities, geography, local industries, education, transportation, international trade and quality of life amenities in the Houston region.
• Work closely with the Manager, Economic Research in monitoring national, state and regional trends in economic development, area rankings, demographics, economics and ensure information is relayed to the Partnership’s staff whose work is impacted by those trends.
• Maintain data sets tracking local apartment, aviation, construction, employment, energy, foreign trade, industrial, home sales, hotel, inflation, office, port, purchasing manager’s index, sales tax collections, unemployment, utility connections, vehicle sales and venture capital activity
• Provide a series of monthly updates, referred to as Key Economic Indicators (KEIs), on apartments, aviation, construction, employment, energy, foreign trade, housing, inflation, industrial real estate, office real estate, retail real estate, sales taxes, unemployment, and vehicle sales in Houston.
• Prepare regular reports (i.e. Key Economic Indicators) as data is released throughout the month.
• Research, write and format six- to -eight-page monthly reports (i.e. Houston: The Economy at a Glance) that focus on broad trends in the local economy.
• Research and write annual Partnership publications, including Houston Facts, Global Houston,Houston Economic Highlights and the Partnership’s annual job forecast.
• Coordinate with others to proof, post and distribute economic reports to members and subscribers
• Develop metrics to track activity in emerging sectors of Houston’s economy, e.g. energy transition, life sciences, logistics, technology/innovation, etc.
• Participate in various surveys conducted by the Research Division, e.g. cost of living, member satisfaction, board review, etc.
• Analyze data and prepare reports on Houston’s trading partners
• Research and prepare corporate profiles on relocation and membership prospects
• Provide insights to various media through written responses to questions, phone interviews, radio interviews, in-studio interviews and on-camera interviews
• Deliver presentations on local and national economic and demographic trends to Partnership member, economic development allies, and professional and business associations
• Prepare and record short-form videos highlighting recent economic and demographic reports, the videos to be posted on various social media platforms
•  Represent the Partnership in the community and with members, investors, business partners, regional allies, trade delegations and foreign visitors to the region
•  Provide economic briefings to members, relocation prospects, elected officials, etc.
• Collaborate with various departments to bring economic insights to develop organizational strategies and member communications.
•  Develop strong relationships with peer-level economists, trade analysts and business researchers at the national, state and local levels.
• Conduct detailed economic and fiscal impact studies for economic development projects, special events or public policy initiatives.
• Continuously analyze the economic and demographic data needs of the organization and recommend new sources 
• Develop new methods, processes, and publications for disseminating economic findings
•  Other duties as assigned by the Senior Vice President, Research.

Education Requirements
Master’s degree in economics, math, finance, data science, computer science, or a business-related discipline with demonstrated economics coursework required

Experience Requirements
Minimum of 10 years experience analyzing and reporting on economic, demographic, and business trends.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
The following knowledge, skills and abilities are desirable for job success:

• Extensive experience in economic analysis, forecasting, and policy development.
• Understanding of the Houston region, regional information and issues.
• Familiarity with international business issues
• Familiarity with local, state and national policy issues
• Excellent communication and presentation skills.
• Ability to translate complex economic concepts into easily understandable reports and presentations
• Proficiency in economic modeling, data visualization and statistical analysis.
• Deep understanding of both micro and macroeconomic theory.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities.
• Ability to work under pressure and manage multiple projects simultaneously.
• Experience in market analysis, proposal writing, database management and information development required.
• Demonstrated ability and maturity to work with people at all levels, both internally and externally.
• Flexibility to travel periodically.

How To Apply
Interested candidates should apply through the Greater Houston Partnership careers page.    Cover letter and resume required. Please submit documents to peopleandculture@houston.org.  The compensation package is commensurate with experience and includes a competitive base salary as well as benefits and vacation.  The position is in Houston, Texas.

We will contact those candidates who most closely match the requirements.  Thank you in advance for your interest.

The Greater Houston Partnership is an equal-opportunity employer that welcomes and encourages diversity in the workplace. We do not discriminate based on race, color, religion, marital status,
age, national origin, ancestry, physical or mental disability, medical condition, pregnancy, genetic information, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, veteran status, or any other status protected under federal, state, or local law.