BEAM Economic Development Fellow

About BEAM Circular

BEAM Circular is unlocking the power of communities to transform waste into opportunity by building a vibrant regional ecosystem for the circular bioeconomy in California’s agricultural heartland.

Anchored in the North San Joaquin Valley (NSJV), we facilitate collaboration through the BioEconomy, Agriculture, & Manufacturing (BEAM) Initiative to scale the most promising innovations in bioindustrial manufacturing. Our work spans innovation, access to capital, infrastructure readiness, talent development, and cross-sector partnerships that generate economic and environmental value for local communities.

We are a mission-driven, collaborative, and solutions-oriented team that values curiosity, partnership, transparency, and a bias toward action. BEAM Circular is committed to building a diverse and inclusive team and welcomes applicants from all backgrounds.

Position Summary
The Economic Development Fellow plays a key role in advancing the North San Joaquin Valley’s position as a competitive hub for bio-manufacturing and circular bioeconomy investment.

This Fellow will support efforts to identify, assess, and advance regional development opportunities—focusing on industrial site readiness, infrastructure strategy, market intelligence, and stakeholder engagement. The role is ideal for someone passionate about land use, infrastructure systems, and regional economic development who can translate insights into actionable strategies.

The Fellow will support the VP of Business and Economic Development and work closely with city and county partners, utilities, industry stakeholders, developers, real estate professionals, and state/federal agencies to build regional economic development capacity, accelerate project pipelines, and strengthen the region’s competitiveness in the global bioeconomy.

Essential Functions, Duties, and Deliverables

1. Site Identification & Evaluation

Objective: To build a data-driven foundation of the region's physical assets and land-use capabilities.

• Key Duties:
• Zoning Deep Dive: Conduct a comprehensive regional "deep dive" into existing zoning designations across the NSJV to identify where bio-industrial uses are currently permitted vs. where amendments are needed.
• Inventory Management: Develop and maintain a comprehensive regional inventory of industrial and manufacturing sites aligned with bio-manufacturing requirements.
• Readiness Assessments: Conduct site readiness assessments including zoning, land-use constraints, environmental review status, ownership, and entitlement pathways
• Infrastructure Assessments: Assess infrastructure capacity—including power, water, wastewater, natural gas, broadband, road networks, and rail access—to identify priority investment areas.
• Target Deliverables:
• Regional Site & Zoning Inventory: A centralized database or GIS-mapped inventory of priority industrial sites.
• Site Readiness Scorecards: Standardized assessment reports for the top 10 "tier-one" regional sites.

2. Regional Readiness & Project Advancement

Objective: To reduce friction in the development process and accelerate the "speed-to-market" for bio-manufacturing firms.

• Key Duties:
• Barrier Mitigation: Recommend strategies to address barriers to industrial development, including entitlement delays and infrastructure constraints.
• Funding Identification: Track and identify suitable state and federal funding opportunities (EDA, DOE, USDA, GO-Biz, etc.) to support site-readiness.
• Technical Coordination: Coordinate feasibility studies and technical evaluations to strengthen the marketability of priority sites.
• Target Deliverables:
• Year-End Pre-Permitting Strategy: A formal, comprehensive proposal for a regional pre-permitting framework to streamline bio-industrial projects.
• Grant Pipeline & Tracking Matrix: A 12-month roadmap of applicable funding cycles and requirements.

3. Market Intelligence & Strategy

Objective: To align regional land-use policy with the specific technical needs of the global bioeconomy.

• Key Duties:
• Company Profiling: Profile bio-economy companies by type and activities (e.g., fermentation, feedstock processing) to define their specific zoning and utility needs.
• Competitive Benchmarking: Track industry trends and investment flows to identify how the NSJV compares to peer regions.
• Briefing & Advocacy: Prepare briefing materials and pitch decks for investors, developers, and government partners.
• Target Deliverables:
• Regional Pitch Decks: Specialized presentation materials for site selectors that highlight the region's specific readiness.

4. Stakeholder Engagement & Convening

Objective: To build consensus across public and private sectors to drive regional economic growth.

• Key Duties:
• Task Force Facilitation: Support the VP of Business & Economic Development in facilitating a regional bio-manufacturing task force uniting cities, counties, and utilities.
• Target Deliverables:
• Task Force Action Logs: Monthly briefing packets and progress reports for the regional economic development task force.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• Strong analytical skills and comfort navigating land use, zoning, infrastructure, and site selection processes.
• Excellent facilitation, communication, and relationship-management abilities.
• Ability to synthesize complex information into clear, actionable insights.
• Strong writing and presentation skills with the ability to engage diverse audiences.
• Entrepreneurial, solutions-oriented, and capable of operating in dynamic environments.
• Deep commitment to inclusive economic growth and community engagement.

Environmental Conditions

• Primarily office-based, with some regional travel to partner sites and meetings.
• Fast-paced environment with shifting priorities and frequent engagement with stakeholders.
• Extended periods of computer use.

Compensation

• Salary - $130,000 -160,000 annual compensation - depending on experience
• 12 month contract - Temporary full-time employee, not eligible for benefits.
• Position based in Modesto, CA, with hybrid work options available.