Community and Economic Development Director

Crafton Borough; Pittsburgh (Allegheny County); On-site; USD 85,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Crafton Borough seeks a hands-on Economic Development Manager to lead redevelopment efforts, cultivate developer relationships, manage capital projects with Gateway Engineers, and coordinate grant programs across departments. You will report to the Borough Manager and work with Council to advance the 2017 Comprehensive Plan.

Key focus areas include economic development, public communications, and planning commission support, with responsibilities ranging from newsletters to zoning-related

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience in public administration, urban planning, or related field.
• 5+ years of demonstrated experience in municipal or community development management.
• Experience managing grant-funded projects and coordinating capital construction.
• Strong written and verbal communication for public-facing documents.

Responsibilities

• Develop and manage the Borough's Business Development Plan and track progress.
• Maintain and update the borough's property inventory and redevelopment efforts.
• Outreach to developers, property owners, and business owners to support redevelopment priorities.
• Coordinate with Gateway Engineers on capital projects, schedules, budgets, and deliverables.
• Oversee grant administration from identification to close-out and reporting.
• Lead communications efforts including newsletters, social media, and press releases.
• Support Planning Commission and zoning-related initiatives and public engagement.

Skills

Relationship management

Communication

Grant administration

Project coordination

Education

Bachelor's degree in public administration, urban planning, economic development, business, communications, or related field

5+ years of demonstrated municipal/community development management experience

Tools

MS Office Suite

Job description

ABOUT CRAFTON BOROUGH

Crafton Borough is a community of approximately 6,000 residents in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, known for its walkable neighborhoods, civic engagement, and location close to downtown Pittsburgh. Crafton is in an active period of neighborhood reinvestment, infrastructure improvement, and organizational modernization

CORE RESPONSIBILITIES

Economic Development

Economic development is a primary function of this position. Crafton has an active redevelopment agenda anchored in its 2017 Comprehensive Plan, and this position is responsible for sustaining and expanding developer relationships, business engagement, and opportunity site preparation that advances that agenda.

• Manage the Borough's Business Development Plan, updating it regularly and reporting progress to the Borough Manager and Council.
• Maintain and update the Borough's opportunity property inventory.
• Conduct ongoing outreach to developers, property owners, and business owners in support of Borough redevelopment priorities,
• Support the Mixed-Use Zoning District revitalization initiative, including business relations, public investment planning, and grant funding coordination.
• Facilitate a downtown activation planning committee in partnership with local businesses and the Recreation Board.
• Represent the Borough professionally with county, regional, and state economic development partners including Allegheny County Economic Development, TriCOG Landbank, DCNR, DCED and others.

Capital Project Coordination

This position serves as the Borough's project manager for capital construction projects, coordinating the Borough's contracted engineering firm (Gateway Engineers) and ensuring that active projects stay on schedule, within budget, and properly documented.

• Serve as the primary Borough point of contact for Gateway Engineers on all active and future capital projects, tracking deliverables, schedules, contractor performance, and budget status.
• Coordinate with contractors, inspectors, and agency staff on project administration matters, keeping the Borough Manager informed of material developments.
• Attend project meetings, pre-construction conferences, and site visits as the Borough's representative; escalate technical or contractual issues to the Borough Manager and Gateway Engineers as appropriate.
• Support the Borough Manager in scoping new capital projects, developing preliminary cost estimates with Gateway Engineers, and presenting project options to Council.

Grant funding is a critical component of Crafton Borough's capital investment strategy. This position owns the grant administration function end to end — from identifying opportunities and preparing applications through managing active awards and completing close-out documentation.

• Serve as the Borough's primary grants administrator for all active and prospective grant programs across all departments.
• Proactively identify new grant opportunities aligned with Borough capital and programmatic priorities; brief the Borough Manager on funding prospects and application requirements.
• Manage grant applications, including narrative writing, budget development, match documentation, and required attachments.
• Manage the Borough's volunteer recruitment strategy, including online tools, skills and availability tracking, and stewardship of active volunteers.
• Maintain the Borough's relationships with grant program officers at DCED, DCNR, ALCOSAN, PennDOT, SPC, and other funding agencies.

Communications

Crafton's resident and business communications are a visible expression of the Borough's character and professionalism. This position is the primary producer of Borough-wide communications, ensuring that residents and businesses are informed, engaged, and well-served by the information the Borough puts into the world.

• Produce the Borough Newsletter three times per year, coordinating content from across departments and ensuring timely publication.
• Manage the Borough's social media presence and website content, keeping information current and consistent with the Borough's communications standards.
• Draft and distribute press releases, public notices, and community announcements.
• Maintain and update the Welcome to Crafton resident orientation packet

Board & Commission Facilitation

• Staff and facilitate monthly Planning Commission meetings, including agenda preparation, application coordination, minutes, and follow-up.
• Support Planning Commission review of subdivision and land development applications, zoning matters, and policy initiatives including the Vision Zero/traffic safety plan.
• Coordinate Planning Commission engagement on economic development projects requiring land use review, including Linden Avenue and MU District initiatives.

QUALIFICATIONS

Position Requirements

The position requires a candidate who can manage a diverse and demanding portfolio with discipline and initiative. Economic development relationship management, grant administration, and capital project coordination are the technical core of the role. Community programming and communications round out a scope that is genuinely broad for a municipality of Crafton's size — and genuinely interesting for the right person.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in public administration, urban planning, economic development, business, communications, or a related field — or five or more years of demonstrated experience in a comparable municipal or community development management role.
• Demonstrated experience in economic development, community development, or a field requiring sustained relationship management with developers, business owners, community stakeholders, or funding partners.
• Experience managing grant-funded projects, including application preparation, compliance reporting, and reimbursement documentation.
• Experience coordinating capital construction projects or serving in an owner's representative capacity, with responsibility for schedule, budget, and contractor coordination.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills; demonstrated ability to produce professional public-facing documents including newsletters, grant narratives, and public presentations.
• Valid Pennsylvania driver's license.
• Competency with MS Office Suite and ability to learn additional applications when needed.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in Pennsylvania municipal government or familiarity with Pennsylvania Borough Code, zoning, and land use processes.
• Familiarity with Pennsylvania grant programs including DCED, DCNR, ALCOSAN GROW, PennDOT, and SPC TIP processes.
• Experience staffing or supporting a Planning Commission, Zoning Hearing Board, or similar land use body.
• Background in real estate development, redevelopment finance, or community revitalization.
• Experience facilitating public engagement processes or working with volunteer advisory boards.
• Familiarity with economic development tools including tax increment financing, Keystone Opportunity Zones, and CDBG-funded programs.

Crafton Borough is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We welcome candidates from diverse professional backgrounds and are committed to building a team that reflects the community we serve.