All Things Urban

Hester Street is an urban planning, design and development nonprofit working to ensure that neighborhoods are shaped by the people who live in them. We offer technical and capacity-building assistance to community-based organizations, private firms and government agencies on land use processes, neighborhood planning and design, and public and private community development projects. We strive for more vibrant, equitable, sustainable and resilient neighborhoods.

Hester Street is seeking an experienced urban planner, designer and/or community development professional to plan, manage and implement community-driven planning, design and development projects in New York City and nationwide. The right candidate will take on a leadership role in a mission-driven social justice organization. We are looking for someone with 8-to-10 years of work experience who possesses strong technical skills, strategic thinking and a demonstrated commitment to equity and justice.

Senior Project Managers (SPMs) are creative problem solvers with excellent project management skills and experience running project teams. SPMs develop the vision, design and plan for our project work and work with their teams to implement. Overall, SPMs are responsible for the successful development, execution, monitoring and closure of multiple projects. They play a key role as organization leaders and members of the Senior Leadership Team (SLT). SPMs help Co-Executive Directors shape the organization’s priorities and ambitious goals and translate those into high-impact, innovative, collaborative project work to advance Hester Street’s mission.

Qualified candidates will have experience working on three or more mid-to-large-scale city, neighborhood or community planning, design and/or development projects, creating and executing complex work plans and building relationships with a wide range of stakeholders, including: community residents, neighborhood institutions, government agencies, and elected officials, among others. They will also have experience managing and collaborating with diverse project teams. This is a great opportunity for a highly motivated community development professional that welcomes the opportunity to work in a collaborative environment with a growing and high-energy, high-performance team.

Projects (70%)

• Supervise all aspects of community planning projects inside and outside NYC;
• Develop overall project approach that leverages opportunities for innovation and equity while also achieving project goals;
• Guide planning, design and development technical work (such as conducting planning studies, developing surveys, creating maps, gathering data and conducting site-specific and neighborhood-level analyses, developing innovative and actionable recommendations;
• Develop strong working relationships with community-based organizations and government agencies;
• Manage complex project teams made up of HST staff and outside consultants – regularly connect project work with HST’s larger mission and vision;
• Effectively prioritize, delegate, execute and track tasks across multiple projects, adhering to rigorous timelines;
• Center inclusive, accessible community engagement in every project and look for opportunities for innovation;
• Draw from research on innovative community development best practices to inform project work.

Leadership and Organizational Development (30%)

• Supervise 1-3 Project Managers and/or Project Associates;
• Raise and address opportunities at the intersection of vision and program/projects to drive innovation;
• Inform annual goal-setting with knowledge and insights of project/team-based vision/priorities
• Identify new research questions and research/technical skills gaps to meet project and organizational development goals;
• Research and identify national and international best practices of innovative community design and development;
• Identify and seek out new lines of work and pitch in on grant writing, project reporting, public speaking and other business development tasks;
• Communicate Hester Street’s approach and project experiences with a wide range of partners, contributing to the broader field/discourse.

We are seeking candidates who take a creative approach to their work, are pro-active, results-oriented and expert at juggling multiple projects. In addition to having highly developed technical, project management and relationship building skills, top candidates will have:

• Background in relevant field and demonstrated commitment to community-driven planning and equitable development;
• 8-to-10 years of full-time work experience with increasing levels of responsibility;
• Experience working with low-income communities and communities of color;
• Highly developed project management skills;
• Community engagement and/or facilitation experience;
• Experience managing and developing direct reports and project teams;
• Master’s degree in Urban Planning, Urban Studies or a related field;
• Proficiency with the programs we use – InDesign and other Adobe Creative Suite programs, and/or ArcGIS;
• Fluency in a language other than English is a plus.

Salary range for this position is $80,000-90,000/year. In addition, Hester Street offers a comprehensive benefits package including paid time off – holidays, sick days and vacation time, 100% employer-paid health insurance, commuter and retirement benefits, and professional development opportunities, among other benefits.

We’re not fully sure whether this role is open to international candidates. If you would need visa sponsorship or work authorisation, we recommend checking directly with the employer before applying.