About Us

Pratt Center for Community Development is looking for a solutions oriented and driven individual who believes in uplifting communities through economic development to serve as our Made in NYC Program Director.

Founded in 1963, the Pratt Center for Community Development works for a more just, equitable, and sustainable city for all New Yorkers. As part of Pratt Institute, Pratt Center leverages professional skills—including participatory planning, community organizing and education, research and policy advocacy—to advance innovative solutions to social, economic and environmental inequalities in partnership with small businesses, community-based organizations, and policymakers.

Made in NYC is Pratt Center’s signature local branding initiative that supports New York City’s vibrant manufacturing and maker community. Made in NYC helps manufacturers and makers to grow through marketing and promotional platforms, skills-building programs, and access to a supportive community of peers. Made in NYC is a membership based initiative with 1,500+ member businesses making everything from hot sauce to handbags to neon signs in all five boroughs.

The Program Director will provide management-level guidance in shaping overall program strategy and catalyzing new initiatives that enhance the goals of Made in NYC, and have at least 5 years of related experience, with at least 2 years in program management. We are excited to meet candidates who are looking to join an energetic and values-driven team, and who exhibit true dedication to diversity, equity, and inclusion in their own work and workplace culture.

Responsibilities:

Operations and Personnel Management

• Oversee Made in NYC’s daily operations, including supervision and management of staff and graduate fellows
• Manage a range of off-site events and partner meetings
• Work in collaboration with the Center’s fiscal, operations, development and communications staff to support and advance the work of the program.

Budget, Grant, and Data Management

• Lead fundraising and grant management activities, including identifying new funding opportunities
• Draft/organize proposals and progress report
• Develop and maintain mechanisms to ensure that contractual goals and deadlines are met.

Stakeholder Coordination & Community Engagement

• Develop and maintain strong relationships with community leaders, community-based organizations, elected officials, local businesses and community stakeholders
• Coordinate Made in NYC events and related initiatives (e.g., annual Made in NYC Week) and lead the launch of the new Made in NYC brand identity and website

Qualifications:

Education: Bachelor’s degree or higher in marketing, communications, public policy, metropolitan studies, urban planning or another related field

Experience: 5+ years experience working at a firm/organization related to community engagement and/or business development in a leadership role. Entrepreneurial experience is a plus.

Knowledge and Skills:

• Demonstrated proficiency with systems thinking translated into decisive action and execution – the ability to assess a process, improve it, and implement it.
• Expertise in economic development, with a focus on supply chain innovation and inclusion, as well as understanding of manufacturing policy and small business development 
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills and awareness of how to adapt communications towards a variety of situations.
• Demonstrated ability to plan and prioritize tasks in a self-directed work environment and maintain high levels of productivity without direct supervision.
• Facility with using cloud-based platforms (Asana, Airtable, Salesforce, etc) to create systems to track and monitor a variety of inputs such as those related to contracts and awards, project management, staff performance etc. 
• Committed to equitable systems that are racially just and more connected communities.
• Experience establishing and maintaining effective and collaborative working relationships, particularly with stakeholders or entities who come from different perspectives or approaches (e.g. corporate buyers, funders, organizers, business owners).

The Pratt Center for Community Development is seeking a Communications Design Fellow to support the growth of its visual communications strategy and work on a variety of written and visual communication projects. 

Pratt Center for Community Development brings 60 years of experience working with New York City’s low-income communities of color in pursuit of a more just, equitable, and sustainable city. As a department within Pratt Institute, we leverage professional skills including participatory planning, community organizing and education, research and policy advocacy to advance innovative solutions to social, economic and environmental inequalities in partnership with small businesses, community-based organizations, and policymakers. 

Responsibilities 

The fellow will be responsible for assisting Pratt Center’s communications team with communications design-based projects which may include:

• Report and Proposal layout design
• Presentation design and formatting 
• Editorial illustration / design
• Social media copy and design assets
• Email campaigns
• Data visualization
• Promotional materials
• Photography and video editing

Skills and Interests 

This position is suitable to a graduate student studying Communications Design, Information Experience Design, Graphic Design, Digital Arts, Design Management, or a relevant design discipline. Required skills include strong written and visual communication, advanced proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite, advanced knowledge of current design standards and trends, strong project management skills, and exceptional interpersonal and collaboration skills. Skills in one or more of the following areas are preferred: illustration, typography, photography or video editing. Knowledge of urban planning practices is a plus.

About the Graduate Fellowship

Each year, Pratt Center for Community Development selects a number of graduate students to work alongside staff members on urban planning and policy projects as well as its Made in NYC initiative. Pratt Center interviews applicants and selects those who best fit the organization and its work. Each fellow is assigned to a staff member who supervises their work and may provide training and career mentorship. The fellowship requires two days a week (14 hours) of hybrid work during the 2022-2023 school year. Fellows are paid a stipend toward their tuition of $3,000 per semester.

The fellowship provides a unique opportunity for graduate students to apply what they learn in school to the “real world” practice of community-based planning and economic development, as well as networking opportunities that can facilitate job placement after graduation. Pratt Center fellows often have the opportunity to meet and work with community-based organizations, city agencies, citywide think tanks, and elected officials with whom Pratt Center engages throughout New York City.

To Apply

Interested students who have completed at least one semester of graduate study should send a resume and cover letter as a single PDF to hiring@prattcenter.net. Please include your name in the PDF’s title, and use the subject line: “Pratt Center fellowship application.” Indicate the fellowship position for which you are applying in the body of the email. You may ask to be considered for more than one position.