Director of Planning & Public Space Management

About the Flatiron NoMad Partnership

The Flatiron NoMad Partnership has been the Business Improvement District (BID) serving the Flatiron neighborhood in Manhattan since 2006 and in 2022, expanded its service area to include the exciting and evolving NoMad area. The Partnership provides supplemental services including sanitation, public safety, homeless outreach, streetscape/beautification, placemaking/public programming, and marketing for the neighborhood’s visitors, workers, and residents. We manage the neighborhood’s unique public spaces, including the Flatiron Public Plazas and NoMad Piazza, and host events and placemaking programs throughout the year that celebrate and promote Flatiron and NoMad’s dynamic businesses and experiences.

Position Overview

The Director of Planning & Public Space Management plays a key role in managing the district’s public spaces and helps coordinate across Planning, Placemaking & Field Operations departments. The Director works on a diverse set of programs and strategic initiatives to expand the Partnership’s streetscape, public space management, and placemaking portfolio.

The successful candidate will be:

• Someone with a passion for people-first urban design, public space operations, and urban place management
• Someone capable of implementing strategies in direct collaboration and communication with Partnership staff, vendors, and public-private partners to enhance and enliven public space and engage the Flatiron NoMad community
• Someone capable of creating relationships with a diverse stakeholder population while professionally representing the Partnership on all public realm matters

Acting under the direction of the Vice President of Planning, Streetscape & Capital Projects, this position is responsible for:

Public Space Management

• Leading the permitting and execution of events on the Flatiron Public Plazas including vendor and agency coordination, site visits, invoicing, and post-event data sharing;
• Managing stakeholder engagement along the Broadway corridor to support and further develop the Broadway Vision program, including NoMad Piazza;
• Overseeing the Partnership’s public space data collection and collaborating with other departments on analysis, integration, and storytelling;
• Conducting regular field surveys and developing an inventory tracking system for all Partnership-owned public space amenities;
• Assisting the Vice President in management of Flatiron Plaza concessions and NYC DOT quarterly reporting.

Planning & Streetscape

• Preparing maps, site plans, graphics, and presentations for stakeholders and the Partnership’s Board of Directors to help advance project implementation;
• Supporting the Vice President with coordinating and executing Streetscape & Planning Committee meetings including agendas, presentations, and meeting minutes; assisting in creating and tracking annual program budgets;
• Assisting with procurement – drafting RFPs, compiling, and maintaining lists of vendors, reviewing proposal submissions, and documenting the selection process;
• Assessing and improving NYC’s capital construction plans for Flatiron NoMad public plazas and streets and preparing for community mitigation needs during future construction and post-construction programming and maintenance considerations;
• Overseeing streetscape installations including field supervision of contractors;
• Executing the printing and installation of the Partnership’s biannual streetlamp banner program and other field collateral (Park Ave South mall signage, temporary wayfinding, etc.);
• Attending and presenting at select Community Board meetings;
• Leading the hiring, management, and supervision of departmental interns.

Placemaking, Public Art & Special Projects

• Collaborating with the Partnership’s Director of Placemaking and Director of Field Operations on site plans and public safety to create and operationalize seasonal placemaking installations and events;
• Obtaining necessary permits and approvals to implement public art installations and deinstallations;
• Serving as a team leader during public art installation display periods for daily operations and troubleshooting;
• Performing research and analysis of existing conditions and related City public realm projects & policies; analyzing opportunities for new projects (both tactical and capital) that advance the Partnership’s streetscape and placemaking goals.

Qualifications & Skills

• At least five years of relevant experience in urban planning, district operations, community development, placemaking, or government service delivery. Experience shall include managing contractors, vendors, and/or consultants;
• Knowledge of BIDs, NYC government, and city operations;
• Strong working knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) and a desire to learn and use new software technologies. Knowledge of additional software such as ArcGIS, Survey 123, Ginkgo, and Adobe (Illustrator) preferred;
• Early morning site work and meetings along with occasional evening and weekend event attendance required;
• Ability to spend considerable time outdoors reviewing programs, occasionally in inclement weather;
• Must be highly organized and possess excellent oral, written, and presentation communication skills;
• Must be capable of collaborating as a productive and thoughtful member of a team while also being able to implement certain responsibilities in an independent manner;
• Must possess strong interpersonal and communication skills, stakeholder management, and the ability to work in a dynamic, fast-paced environment.

The Director of Planning & Public Space Management position salary range is $80,000 - $100,000 commensurate with applicable skills and demonstrated experience. Competitive benefits package includes medical, dental, and vision insurance, 403(b) as well as paid time off.

To Apply

Interested candidates should send a cover letter and resume, as one PDF attachment, to the attention of Kurt Cavanaugh, Vice President of Planning, Streetscape & Capital Projects, at careers@flatironnomad.nyc with “Director of Planning & Public Space Management” in the subject line.

For more information on the Flatiron NoMad Partnership, visit FlatironNoMad.nyc or @flatironny on Facebook, X (Twitter), and Instagram.