New DC Area Amazon Job Listing Creates HQ2 Buzz

WASHINGTON, DC — A new Amazon job listing in the DC metropolitan area has stirred up talk about what it means for frontrunners of the second headquarters in the region.

The newly-listed economic development manager position involves working on economic incentives with state and local government, as well as chambers of commerce and "other key public/private stakeholder groups." It also involves "supporting the site selection process." The position does not mention working with the federal government. Candidates must have eight or more years of economic incentive or business development experience.

But while the DC area sites have emerged as HQ2 frontrunners, Amazon isn't indicating the job has any ties to the HQ2 site. An Amazon spokesman told the Puget Sound Business Journal the position isn't related to HQ2 and could be based in either DC or Seattle. Amazon has not posted the job in any other location, according to the Journal.

Northern Virginia, Washington, DC and Montgomery County, Maryland, are all finalists for the company's second headquarters. DC proposed the Anacostia Riverfront, NoMa-Union Station, Capitol Hill East and Shaw-Howard University. Northern Virginia sites could include Arlington-Alexandria and Fairfax-Loudoun Counties.

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Potential sites have offered incentives to lure the e-commerce company to their areas. While Maryland approved $5 billion in tax incentives for Amazon, Virginia and DC have not publicly released their pitches for Amazon, WAMU reports. Greg LeRoy of Good Jobs First, a watchdog looking at economic incentives, told WAMU the DC area doesn't need to offer incentives because of its large skilled workforce, transportation and nearby airports. However, the competitive nature of the selection process means officials can be pressured to offer incentives.

The second Amazon headquarters will bring a potential 50,000 jobs to the selected location and invest over $5 billion. The finalists include: Los Angeles, New York, Newark, N.J., Boston, Miami, Dallas, Austin, Atlanta, Nashville, Chicago, Indianapolis, Montgomery County, Md.; Northern Virginia, Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Columbus, Ohio, Raleigh, N.C. and Toronto.

SEATTLE, WA - JUNE 16: A portion of the sign advertising Amazon Go is seen outside the grocery store's location on June 16, 2017 in Seattle, Washington. Amazon announced that it will buy Whole Foods Market, Inc. for over $13 billion dollars. (Photo by David Ryder/Getty Images)