Economic Development Specialist

Socket.dev; Phoenix (AZ); On-site; USD 60,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Downtown Phoenix Inc. in Phoenix, AZ seeks an Economic Development Specialist to drive placemaking and public realm activations in the Downtown core. The role supports collaboration across DPI's teams and with city partners to strengthen Downtown's identity and vibrancy.

You will assist with data maintenance, reporting, GIS mapping, and the creation of marketing materials that promote business recruitment, retention, and expansion. Strong communication and project coordination are essential.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or an equivalent combo in Economic Development, Urban Planning, Urban Studies, Commercial Real Estate, or related field preferred
• 2–5 years of professional experience in economic development, urban planning, or related area
• Experience activating public spaces or urban design as part of downtown development strategies
• Experience with project coordination, budgeting, or grant-funded initiatives is desirable
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Familiarity with Downtown Phoenix and its neighborhoods is strongly preferred

Responsibilities

• Support placemaking initiatives that enhance Downtown Phoenix's public realm and long-term urban development objectives
• Identify opportunities to activate streets, parks, alleys, plazas, and other spaces through creative programming and public art
• Collaborate with city departments, developers, property owners, neighborhood organizations, artists, and partners to advance projects
• Plan and execute public realm improvements including wayfinding, streetscape enhancements, and public art installations
• Manage the Downtown Street Pole Banner Program: scheduling, client communication, production coordination, execution

Skills

Written communication

Verbal communication

Relationship-building

Meeting facilitation

Creative problem-solving

Multi-project management

Cross-sector collaboration

Public engagement

Education

Bachelor's degree or equivalent in Economic Development/Urban Planning/Urban Studies

Tools

Salesforce

GIS mapping

Job description

Description

Position Summary

Formed in 2013, Downtown Phoenix Inc. (DPI) delivers enhanced municipal services to the Downtown business core, marketing and event production to Greater Downtown, and manages the work plans for Phoenix Community Alliance and Downtown Phoenix Community Development Corporation. DPI and its affiliate organizations are committed to making Phoenix a vibrant urban destination and one of the nation's great cities.

The mission of DPI is to facilitate collaboration, cultivate connections, and contribute to both the growth and vitality of our community. To generate progress on issues, work toward sustainable growth and build a stronger, more inclusive city core generates positive perceptions, memorable experiences and a sense of pride in Downtown.

The Economic Development Specialist performs a wide variety of activities to assist with business attraction and retention in the Downtown Phoenix business core, with an emphasis on developing and implementing projects that activate public spaces to strengthen Downtown's sense of place and identity and support long-term urban development goals.

The Economic Development Specialist will also assist the Economic Development Manager with more complex projects, perform data maintenance, statistical comparisons and trend analysis to be used in marketing and promotional materials, and other related duties as assigned.

The position works in collaboration with DPI's Community Engagement, Marketing, Events, and Street Level Operations teams, and serves as a connector between residents, commercial and retail businesses, property owners, artists, developers, nonprofit partners, and public agencies to ensure placemaking initiatives contribute to a thriving and welcoming urban core.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Support the planning and implementation of placemaking initiatives that enhance Downtown Phoenix's public realm, strengthen the connection between the people and the places they share, and contribute to long-term urban development objectives
• Identify opportunities for activating streets, parks, alleys, plazas, and other public spaces through creative programming, temporary installations, public art, tactical urbanism, and pedestrian-focused improvements
• Collaborate with city departments, developers, property owners/managers, neighborhood organizations, artists, and community partners to advance projects that improve quality of place
• Assist with the planning and execution of public realm improvements including wayfinding, streetscape enhancements, beautification efforts, and public art installations
• Manage the Downtown Street Pole Banner Program, including scheduling, client communication, production coordination, and execution.
• Collaborate cross-departmentally with Streets, Administration, and Marketing + Events to ensure timely installation and continued program growth.
• Support DPI-produced events and partner activations that increase vibrancy, economic activity, and community participation throughout Downtown
• Assist in developing presentations, reports, grant applications, and stakeholder communications related to placemaking and urban revitalization projects
• Provide targeted research support, including but not limited to data collection, preparation of information for marketing and PR efforts, Salesforce database management, GIS (Geographic Information System) mapping, and a variety of other duties related to writing, updating, and designing marketing and promotional materials for business recruitment, retention and expansion.

Requirements

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or an equivalent combination of training, certification, education or experience in Economic Development, Urban Planning, Urban Studies, Commercial Real Estate, Research/Analytics, Landscape Architecture, Public Administration, or a related field preferred
• 2 - 5 years of employment in a professional level capacity in economic development, urban planning or a related area
• Experience executing public space activation and/or urban design as part of downtown development strategies
• Experience with project coordination, budgeting, and grant-funded initiatives is desirable
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Familiarity with Downtown Phoenix and its neighborhoods is strongly preferred

Core Competencies

• Strong understanding of placemaking as economic development principles, urban revitalization, community engagement best practices
• Excellent relationship-building and meeting facilitation skills
• Creative problem-solver with the ability to manage multiple initiatives simultaneously
• Comfortable working collaboratively across public, private and non‑profit sectors and with diverse community stakeholders