August 2, 2021
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
JOB DESCRIPTION AND APPLICATION PACKET

Application Deadline: Monday September 6, 2021 at 5PM

JOB TITLE: EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Organization: Trenton Downtown Association, a 501 c (3) organization

Applications close: Monday September 6, 2021, at 5PM but review of credentials will begin immediately

Responsible to: Board of Directors, day to day supervisor is the Board Chair

Status: Exempt

Full Time: 40 hours per week, work hours are flexible, work from office in Trenton daily

Hours: Regular full‐time, with occasional evenings and weekends

Benefits: 100% paid health insurance for employee, 401K Plan, 12 paid holidays, 20 vacation days, 7 sick days, and 3 personal days per calendar year.

Salary Range: $70,000 to $90,000 based on relevant factors and experience

About The Trenton Downtown Association
The mission of the Trenton Downtown Association is to strengthen downtown business in New Jersey’s state capital. The TDA manages the downtown Special Improvement District (SID), which encompasses most of the city’s central business district, bounded on the east by the Trenton Transit Center and on the west by Route 29. The SID district includes the State House and South Warren Street historic districts, and parts of the Mill Hill and Hanover‐Academy historic districts. The district includes a wide variety of retail business, restaurants, government facilities, service businesses, and residential properties, along with several notable historic sites and tourism destinations.

Established in 1986, TDA now has a $1.1 million dollar budget and supports a wide range of activities designed to establish downtown Trenton as a competitive location for business owners, an engaging center for workers and visitors, and a great place to live. Our activities include hosting quality events and activities for residents and visitors; marketing our downtown businesses and organization; retaining and recruiting local businesses; and assuring that our downtown district is clean, safe, and attractive.

Over the years, TDA has hosted many events, such as the Capital City Farmersʹ Market, the Levitt AMP Trenton Music Series, and Patriots Week. All of these events were cancelled during the last two years due to the COVID‐19 pandemic. The board is reviewing these events now to determine how to proceed. We are planning for 20,000 state workers to begin returning to their offices this fall and know they will use the downtown again for convenience shopping, lunchtime dining, and after work entertainment. Over the next two years, downtown will gain six hundred new market rate apartments. Two new state office buildings in our district opened during the pandemic.

In order to reopen strong, the TDA must restart its strategic planning efforts, which stalled due to the COVID‐19 pandemic. We also must also have up to date retail market information to better position us to attract new, quality independent retailers and restaurants. Finally, Trenton played a highly important role in the nation’s fight for independence. With the coming of the 250th anniversary of the Revolutionary War in 2026, we need to position Trenton to best support our nearby tourism partners and our local businesses and fully realize downtown’s tourism potential. The TDA is seeking an executive leader who can see the potential and opportunities ahead for our downtown and who will actively create and manage new projects. We are fortunate to have four full time staff members who are diverse, longstanding, and highly capable, in addition to our long‐time vendor who provides cleaning services. We seek a talented staff leader who can continue to motivate our employees, contractors, and board members as we work toward a bright future for ourdowntown district.

Professional Qualifications
The ideal candidate possesses:

• Bachelor’s degree in business or public administration, finance, marketing, public relations,
  communications, or nonprofit management. If your equivalent education, internships, academic
  papers, or experience is relevant, please discuss it in your cover letter.
• Minimum 5‐7 years of experience in a leadership role. Equivalent experience must include broad fiscal
  and management responsibility for an over $500,000 organizational budget.
• Exposure to and a passion for community development, public safety, urban design, city planning, and
  economic development programs.
• Strong working knowledge of finance, budget management, contract negotiation, and fiduciary
  responsibilities.
• Strong supervisory skills, working with five or more employees and several contractors, with an
  emphasis on effective team building.
• Ability to listen and work with an active Board, the business (SID) membership, and community and
  government leaders and advocates.
• Experience working in economically and racially diverse communities.
• Experience identifying and recruiting new businesses and assisting with business expansion efforts.
• Familiar with tools and techniques of placemaking, urban design, and/or tactical urbanism.
• A technology savvy, high energy, multi‐tasker, with experience with Quick Books and the Microsoft
  Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access).

The following professional qualifications are not required but are preferred.

• Master’s degree in any of the above‐mentioned fields.
• Experience leading a nonprofit organization.
• Background working for a NJ Special Improvement District, business improvement district, or Main
  Street organization.
• Work experience in New Jersey, Mercer County, and/or Trenton, NJ.
• Bilingual fluency in Spanish.
• A valid local driver’s license.
• Minority and female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.

Range of Duties
Primary responsibilities include the following. Other duties may be assigned.

Business Recruitment and Retention

• Direct the economic development efforts of the organization including business retention, expansion,
  and attraction.
• Proactively reach out to potential merchants and property owners that may be seeking to open a
  business or purchase a building downtown.
• Provide information, expertise, and appropriate referrals to existing or potential businesses and
  developers.
• Ensure TDA has up to date retail market information about downtown shoppers.
• Administer and maintain the TDA grants and incentives program.
• Work in partnership with City of Trenton Economic Development staff on projects and developments
  within the SID boundary.
• Collaborate with other organizations such as Greater Trenton, Princeton Regional Chamber of
  Commerce, and Mercer County Office of Economic Opportunity on their business recruitment efforts.
• Contribute statistics monthly on key performance indicators for board review.

Placemaking/Urban Design/Tactical Urbanism

• Assure that downtown Trenton’s public realm is clean, safe, and attractive by offering compelling
  streets, sidewalks, and public spaces that appeal to a variety of users.
• Work with TDA fundraising staff to identify funders for new placemaking activities for projects such as
  installing banners, tree lighting, more parklets, outdoor furnishings, enhanced landscaping, seasonal
  displays, and additional storefront improvements.
• Create and promote events that activate the downtown streets through performances, music, art
  making, and other activities.
• Contribute statistics monthly of key performance indicators for board review.

Clean and Safe Ambassador Program

• Direct and manage the day‐to‐day operations of vendor personnel performing Clean and Safe activities
  in the downtown.
• Direct and manage TDA landscaping staff in their efforts to beautify Mill Hill Park and downtown
  streetscape including planters, trees, and flowers.
• Oversee contractors and staff that contribute monthly statistics of key performance indicators for board
  review.

Destination Marketing Program

• Direct and manage TDA staff and contractors working on comprehensive destination marketing,
  including overall messaging for TDA. Staff manages the website, social media accounts, weekly
  newsletter, event calendar, and various databases.
• With TDA staff, develop and maintain a comprehensive marketing plan that is actionable and
  measurable and contribute monthly statistics of key performance indicators for board review.

Development Program

• Organize and lead organizational fundraising efforts to diversify, sustain, and grow TDA revenue, and
  oversee the fundraising database and tracking system.
• Direct and manage TDA staff that writes grants, manages grant funded projects, and reports results to
  funders.
• Assure that staff secures financial support from individuals, foundations, and corporations
  (sponsorships) for projects that support business recruitment and placemaking activities, manages
  projects, and reports results to funders.
• Oversee TDA staff that creates and maintains a comprehensive development plan that is actionable and measurable and contribute monthly statistics to key performance indicators monthly for board review.

Festivals and Events Promotions

• Direct and manage TDA staff and contractors who develop and host events and festivals to attract
  visitors and shoppers to downtown Trenton.
• Support and promote other downtown events hosted and promoted by other organizations.
• Direct and manage TDA staff that hosts and manages the annual grant funded Levitt Amp Music
  Series held in the summer.
• Direct and manage TDA staff that hosts and manages the seasonal Center City Farmers Market in Mill
  Hill Park.
• Direct and manage TDA staff that works closely with tourism partners to host annual Patriot’s Week,
  manages the Patriot’s Week website, write grants to promote the event, and hosts the associated pub
  crawl.
• With TDA staff, oversee the development of new retail events designed to “ring cash registers” and
  increase foot traffic in the district.
• Oversee TDA staff that contributes monthly statistics to key performance indicators monthly for board
  review.

Public Relations and Advocacy

• Advocate and lobby on behalf of TDA interests.
• Function as a liaison to SID members, local government, and community organizations on downtown
  issues as directed by the Board of Directors.
• Present quarterly at City Council and other community partner meetings as needed.
• Function as TDA spokesperson to the membership, stakeholders, media, and the general public.

Responsibility to the Board of Directors

• Report directly to the Board Chair and Executive Committee.
• Recommend policies to the board and assist board in the formation of policies for effective TDA
  operations.
• Serve as a nonvoting member of the Executive Committee of the Board of Directors; attend all meetings
  and function as primary liaison between staff and board.
• Organize and attend all scheduled meetings of the board, standing committees, and Ad Hoc Task
  Forces.
• Prepare meeting notices and agendas with the Board Chair and maintain the official record of board
  and committee activities.
• Oversee day‐to‐day operations, management, and fiscal solvency of TDA.
• Implement policies adopted by the board.
• With the board, establish and execute a new five‐year strategic plan, setting clear priorities and
  deliverables.
• Provide the board with monthly key performance indicators which will assist the board in making
  informed decisions.

Fiscal Responsibilities

• Direct all financial activities of the organization.
• Ensure that all financial records and practices are available to board members, SID members, and the
  public as required.
• Prepare annual budget for board approval and authorize expenditures.

Application Process
Qualified applicants should submit the following materials as one PDF document:

• Cover Letter with phone and email address and compensation requirements
• Personal Resume or CV
• Three (3) Work References including name, email address, and phone number
• Two (2) brief (1 to 4 pages) samples of your writing (a grant application, an article, short report, press
  release, etc.).

Please include compensation requirements in your cover letter with the other materials requested. Send one PDF document with all of your materials electronically to Donna Ann Harris, Heritage Consulting Inc., who is coordinating our search process. Send all materials to Donna at heritageconsultinginc@gmail.com. Please write Executive Director Candidate in the subject line. No telephone inquiries please. We will contact candidates we wish to interview. First interviews will be held via Zoom.

Application Deadline: Monday September 6, 2021, at 5PM. The Transition Committee will begin to review candidate packages as they are received.

Non‐Discrimination
The TDA is an Equal Opportunity Employer. The TDA does not discriminate in hiring or employment practices on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, age, sexual orientation, marital or familial status, national origin, non‐job‐related disability, or status as a veteran. Women and minorities are strongly encouraged to apply.