Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin has appointed an administrator at the University of Alabama at Birmingham to the city's top economic development post.

Josh Carpenter, who currently serves as director of external affairs in the Office of the President at UAB, will begin his role as economic development director on March 5, the mayor's office announced on Wednesday.

His salary will be $150,000 a year.

Carpenter also served on Woodfin's transition team as a co-chair of the mayor's economic development and entrepreneurship committee.

"Josh brings dynamic experiences, a strong analytical mind and a spirit of collaboration to our economic development efforts in Birmingham,'' Woodfin said. "Under his leadership, the vision and the goals of our workforce development approach will be clear and consistent, and we will become more strategic in building economic prosperity throughout the city."

Carpenter replaces Lisa Cooper who lost her job after Woodfin took office in November. Griffin Lassiter served as director in the interim.

At UAB, Carpenter, a Rhodes Scholar, worked on strategic projects in a portfolio of issues focusing on community engagement and economic development.

In 2016, Carpenter spearheaded a partnership between 15 community partners and 30 employers to secure a $6 million grant from the U.S. Department of Labor, according to the mayor's office. With that funding, he led a team to train underemployed and unemployed youth for high-demand, high-wage IT jobs in Birmingham.

Woodfin said Carpenter will help advance his vision for inclusive economic growth by working with start-ups, small businesses and corporate partners to attract quality jobs to Birmingham.

"Josh is particularly focused on helping small businesses by reducing barriers that make starting and growing a business difficult and supporting them with innovative opportunities that enable them to thrive," Woodfin said. "He also believes in strengthening partnerships with the corporate community, building on trust and transparency."

An Alabama native and UAB graduate, Carpenter has a master's degree in policy and a doctorate in political economy from the University of Oxford.

The Social Science Research Council and German Research Foundation named Carpenter a Democracy Fellow. He is currently a member of the Aspen Institute's Inclusive Innovation in American Cities Collaborative, and he once interned at the White House during President Obama's administration.