Director of Storefront Business Engagement
Lower Manhattan is home to a diverse range of storefront businesses, including internationally recognized brands, small mom-and-pops, acclaimed restaurants and lively bars. This sector of Lower Manhattan’s economy continues to be challenged as the district recovers from the COVID-19 crisis.
The Director of Storefront Businesses Engagement (The Director) will be responsible for developing and managing relationships with the over 1,000 storefront businesses in Lower Manhattan. Working across all departments at the Downtown Alliance, the Director will serve as the primary point of contact for Lower Manhattan’s storefront businesses. The Director will engage regularly with business owners and will work with Downtown Alliance senior management to develop and implement programs to support them and help these entrepreneurs recover from the pandemic while ensuring timely and effective communication with businesses.
The Director will be responsible for all aspects of the Downtown Alliance’s work with storefront businesses, including:
- Relationship development and management.
- Program development and implementation (past programs have included digital innovation grants and technical assistance efforts).
- Manage communication with storefront businesses.
- Conduct outreach in the field to storefront businesses.
- Support efforts aimed at helping storefront businesses across departments.
Under the supervision of the Senior Vice President for Economic Development, the Director will:
- Actively engage with as many of Lower Manhattan’s 1,000 storefront businesses as possible and develop relationships with business owners.
- Develop and implement programs that support the health and vibrancy of storefront businesses in the district, including efforts to encourage returning office workers to patronize area businesses
- Serve as the Downtown Alliance’s primary point of contact for storefront business owners and work across departments to develop standardized procedures for handling requests from businesses.
- Support the Downtown Alliance’s retail attraction efforts.
- Maintain a deep understanding of market and public policy issues and trends impacting storefront businesses and develop data and metrics to monitor the state of the sector.
- Communicate regularly with these businesses and develop methods to do this on an ongoing and continual basis.
- Work across Downtown Alliance departments to effectively communicate information about Downtown Alliance services, programs and projects to storefront businesses.
- Develop and conduct regular surveys or other feedback mechanisms to enable Downtown Alliance management to better understand issues facing storefront business owners.
- Assist in the maintenance of the Downtown Alliance’s database of storefront businesses.
- Assist in the creation of the Alliance’s yearly Shop Dine Guide and other publications and events aimed at supporting storefront businesses.
- Coordinate with staff focused on tourism and hospitality in order to leverage Lower Manhattan’s growth as a tourist destination for the benefit of storefront businesses.
- Assist storefront businesses with addressing issues, including legislative and regulatory issues, that they are confronting and help businesses access appropriate Downtown Alliance and public resources.
- Organize events to support the storefront business community.
Qualifications:
- 1-3 years experience with community/political organizing.
- Comfort with independent work largely conducted in the field. This position will be on-site in Lower Manhattan and face to face interaction with businesses will be critical to success.
- Exceptional verbal and written communications skills.
- Problem solving mentality and ability to show poise and compassion in engaging with passionate business owners.
- Friendly and outgoing personality.
- Interest in NYC public policy.
- Familiarity with issues impacting small businesses.
- Proven project management skills.
- Comfort and experience with public speaking.
- Evening and weekend work may be required on occasion.
- Experience using Salesforce preferred
- Candidate must show proof of COVID-19 vaccination.
This position requires a regular in-person presence in Lower Manhattan. The selected candidate will initially be required to work in person at the Downtown Alliance’s Lower Manhattan office four days a week. After six months of successful performance up to two days of work from home may be permitted with approval of the SVP of Economic Development.
To apply, send your resume and a cover letter to [email protected].
The Alliance for Downtown New York, Inc. offers a very competitive benefits package including health, dental and vision insurance, 401k plan, commuter benefit, life insurance, long term disability insurance, tuition assistance, paid time off, and Citibike membership. Salary range is $50,000 to $60,000, commensurate with experience.