Urban Activation Specialist

Organization: The U District Partnership

Job Title: Urban Activation Specialist

Reports to: Urban Vitality Manager

Position Type: Temporary, non-exempt, hourly

Location: In-person: at UDP’s office in the U District or on-site in the neighborhood at events

Timing: Typically 12-20 hours per week – event weeks have potential for more hours

Duration: July 2026 - Oct 2026

Compensation: $24.00 – $28.00 per hour

About The U District Partnership

The U District Partnership (UDP) is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization with a mission to serve all who work in, live in, and visit Seattle’s University District by improving and promoting the neighborhood’s vibrancy through advocacy, public safety, cleaning, economic development, placemaking, events, marketing, and social services. UDP is an independent nonprofit organization that is also partially funded by the U District Business Improvement Area (UDBIA).

The U District Partnership (UDP) is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees and participants. UDP encourages all interested persons to apply regardless of age, race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, veteran, or disability status.

About the Urban Activation Specialist Position

How do you turn a public space into a place where people want to gather, connect, and spend time?

The U District is one of Seattle's most dynamic neighborhoods—a place where students, longtime residents, workers, and visitors come together every day. The U District Partnership is seeking a part-time Urban Activation Specialist to help create the experiences and programs that bring those connections to life. This position will play a key role in activating public gathering spaces throughout the U District and supporting some of the neighborhood's most visible summer events.

Working alongside local businesses, community organizations, performers, and residents, the Urban Activation Specialist will help transform public spaces into places where people want to gather, connect, and spend time. From weekly park activations to hosting major neighborhood events such as Seattle Boba Fest, National Night Out, and U District Chow Down, this role offers hands-on experience in placemaking, event production, community engagement, and neighborhood economic development.

This position is ideal for someone interested in urban planning, community development, nonprofit management, marketing, event production, public policy, or related fields. Successful candidates will enjoy working with people, solving problems, and helping turn ideas into experiences that strengthen community connections.

Duties & Responsibilities

The Urban Activation Specialist will support the implementation of public space activation strategies designed to make the U District more welcoming, vibrant, and engaging. Responsibilities include:

• Staff weekly activations in neighborhood public spaces, including event set-up, participant engagement, and tear-down
• Support planning and production of activations, including logistics coordination, equipment management, scheduling, and community partner communication
• Assist with attendance tracking, participant feedback collection, photography, and other evaluation activities
• Support outreach and promotion through poster distribution, social media content gathering, email communications, and other marketing efforts
• Serve as a welcoming and professional public-facing representative of UDP during activations and events

Core Competencies

• Ability to build positive relationships and communicate effectively with diverse community members, businesses, partners, volunteers, and stakeholders
• Sound judgment, initiative, and problem-solving skills, particularly in dynamic public-facing environments
• Strong attention to detail and ability to follow through on responsibilities
• Flexible and adaptable, with the ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced setting
• Comfortable engaging with members of the public in a welcoming, professional, and approachable manner
• Self-motivated and dependable, with the ability to work both independently and collaboratively
• Positive attitude, kindness, and a willingness to contribute wherever needed
• Interest in community-building, neighborhood vitality, and creating meaningful public experiences
• Creative and resourceful, with an interest in helping develop engaging public experiences and promotional content.

Desired Education and Qualifications

• One year of experience in community engagement, marketing, communications, event planning, or a related field; volunteer and student leadership experience will be considered
• Experience working with the public, volunteers, community organizations, or local businesses is a plus

Schedule

While the schedule for this role may vary from week to week, candidates should expect to work a significant number of evenings, as many activations and events take place outside of normal business hours.

Successful candidates must be available to support all activation and event dates listed below and demonstrate flexibility in accommodating evening and occasional nontraditional work hours as required by the event schedule.

• Friday Evenings - Weekly activations
• August 1 – Seattle Boba Fest
• August 4 – National Night Out
• October 3 – U District Chow Down & Street Party
• Additional weekend and evening hours as required.

Compensation & Benefits

• Hourly wage range: $24.00 – $28.00 per hour
• Paid accumulated sick time, per Seattle Sick & Safe Leave
• This role is not eligible for Benefits

How to Apply

Interested candidates should send a resume and email to UDP Urban Vitality Manager Janet Lee janet@udistrictpartnership.org about why this role appeals to you and how your experience is relevant. Please include “UDP Urban Activation Specialist - Your Name” in the subject line and ensure that all attachments are sent as PDFs, each labeled with your name.

Applications will be reviewed upon submission, with priority given to those received by June 30.