Hester Street is seeking a Project Associate with a background in urban planning, design and/or community development, to help implement community driven planning and development projects in New York City and nationwide. We are looking for an early career professional or a recent graduate school graduate with one to three years of work experience to join a growing, dynamic team that holds social justice as a core value. 

ABOUT HESTER STREET 

Hester Street is an urban planning, design and development nonprofit that works 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. 

Local knowledge, needs and priorities guide our work. We partner with community-based organizations and specialize in crafting project-specific, data-driven, interactive tools and processes to ensure that community participants have both the information and inspiration they need to engage in planning and development decisions. 

ABOUT THE POSITION 

We are looking for an early career urban planning, design or community development professional or recent graduate student with one to three years of work experience and a background in climate justice, resiliency, sustainability, community organizing, service design,  economic development or some combination of the above. This role requires the ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines in a team setting. The candidate should have a highly-developed attention to detail and an interest in providing administrative support to keep complex projects on track. Also important is an interest in participatory planning, design and equitable development. 

This is a great opportunity for a highly motivated planning, design, or community development professional who welcomes work in a collaborative environment to join a growing, high-energy team with a lot of room for professional growth. 

This position can be fulfilled while working remotely as we continue to assess our hybrid office model and monitor world health conditions. 

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Contribute to all aspects of community planning projects inside and outside NYC; 

• Deploy tactical support and equitable engagement strategies with government agencies and community-based organization partners to advance climate justice goals; 

• Provide project management and administrative support (such as note taking, task coordination, project tracking, follow up correspondence, managing up)

• Contribute to preparation of materials and facilitation for complex stakeholder meetings and design workshops;

• Work with Hester Street team of designers and planners to develop innovative community engagement tools;

• Work closely with designers, planners, evaluation experts and other consultants; 

• Effectively prioritize, execute and track tasks across multiple projects, adhering to rigorous timelines, and; 

• Research best practices and gather, analyze and visualize data.

QUALIFICATIONS

• One to three years of planning, design and/or community development experience; 

• Bachelor’s degree in Urban Planning, Urban Studies, Environmental Studies, Architecture or a related field;

• Proactive, deadline-oriented and experience with juggling multiple project and project deliverables; 

• Experience working in low-income communities, immigrant and other communities of color and/or with community-based organizations preferred; 

• Fluency in a language other than English a plus;

TOP CANDIDATES WILL HAVE 1 OR MORE OF THE FOLLOWING SKILLS & EXPERIENCE: 

Urban Planning/Community Development 

• Research, data gathering and analysis; 

• Stakeholder mapping;

• Resiliency, sustainability, climate justice experience is a huge plus.; 

• Service Design/Architectural Design

• Design charrettes and participatory design experience;

• Spatial and site-specific analysis; 

• Service design blueprints and journey mapping.

• Graphic Design 

• Infographics, report layout and other graphic design skills using InDesign and other Adobe Creative Suite programs

SALARY RANGE for this position is $52,000--$55,000/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.  

TO APPLY 

Please apply through the Hester Street website and send a cover letter, résumé and two work samples (one written sample and one relevant presentation preferred) with “Project Associate - Design” in the subject line. 

_Hester Street is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to a workforce that reflects the populations with whom we partner. We seek to build an inclusive organization grounded in respect for differences and encourage applications from all qualified individuals without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, national origin, marital status, disability or veteran status. _

Hester Street is a nonprofit organization incorporated as Hester Street Collaborative, Inc.