Project Manager III - Small Business

Job Expires: Open until Filled

Salary Range: $62,988.03 - $104,980.05 

The Office of Housing and Community Development (OHCD) is a policy and implementation team in the Department of City Planning that is tasked with interpreting and executing the goals of The Atlanta City Design as they relate to the equitable growth and development of Atlanta’s neighborhoods and residents. OHCD’s two explicit goals are supporting a healthy housing ecosystem and supporting neighborhood-scale economies through cutting-edge policy development and the implementation of impactful programs and initiatives. 

City data indicates that small businesses (defined as organizations with less than 50 employees) constitute 90% of the total number of businesses in Atlanta and 83% of all legacy businesses (defined as businesses in continuous existence for at least 15 years or more). OHCD believes that these organizations represent the heartbeat of our cultural identity in Atlanta. However, these businesses, and the neighborhood economies they constitute, face unique challenges specific to their size – from navigating permitting, zoning, and licensing requirements, to finding affordable brick and mortar locations, to developing voices to advocate for their interests in local decision making. This position is designed to serve as a catalyst to develop and implement an approach to supporting small businesses, business districts, community improvement districts (CID), and business improvement districts (BID) throughout the city of Atlanta.

General Description and Classification Standards 

The Project Manager will be responsible for developing a strategy and framework of supports for small businesses, business districts and community/business improvement districts citywide for the purpose of ensuring all small businesses, including all Disadvantaged, Female, and Minority owned businesses throughout Atlanta, receive the support and connections they need to thrive. The City of Atlanta actively promotes full and equal business opportunities for all persons seeking to do business with the City of Atlanta.

This position will provide dynamic, inclusive leadership to remove barriers for small business owners and associations, help reshape systems and platforms for engaging with business owners, and help develop policies and programs that facilitate easier business creation and growth.

This position will work with the OHCD Director and the Assistant Director and collaborate with staff within the office who manage the following programs: Atlanta Main Street, Living Cities – Breaking Barriers to Business (B3), and Microenterprise. This position will also coordinate closely with colleagues at Invest Atlanta and the Atlanta BeltLine Inc. on implementing a citywide economic development strategy. Additional collaboration will be needed with various City departments, including but not limited to Revenue, Transportation, Watershed Management, and Parks & Recreation. 

The ideal candidate for this role will be creative, disciplined, strategic and innovative, understand the culture and legacy of business and enterprise in Atlanta, and possess a consistent sense of urgency and commitment to public service. A seasoned professional who is comfortable with and energized by community/business outreach and engagement will be a great fit for this role.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities 

The Project Manager will work collaboratively with internal/external stakeholders to achieve the following: 

• Develop relationships with business owners, business associations and neighborhood leaders to understand the needs and challenges in their neighborhoods.
• Operate as a connector with the above groups and City government, seeking out information on ways the City can be a stronger, consistent, reliable partner to small businesses and business districts and increase opportunity for entrepreneurs.
• Develop an approach and strategies to remove barriers and support the growth of businesses and business districts across the city.
• Collaborate with the relevant City departments and agencies on systems improvements and strategies.
• Identify and implement strategies to connect businesses with available tax and financial incentives from municipal, state, and federal sources.
• Support other programs throughout the department as needed by supplying a unique perspective and familiarity with the perspectives of business owners and other stakeholders and using it to evaluate other programs and policies.
• Direct all activities so that projects and relationships are organized and include timely follow up and feedback.
• Perform project performance tracking, monitoring, evaluation and reporting. 
• Evaluate, establish and update performance metrics and validate data accuracy. 
• Create presentations that update others on the goals and progress of this work, including various performance metrics and community impact.
• Monitor and evaluate operational activities and recommend actions to ensure optimal utilization of the City’s resources.

Decision Making 

• Analyzes complex challenges and applies sound judgment. Applies organizational policies. Selects from multiple procedures and methods to accomplish tasks. Establishes work methods, timetables, performance standards, etc.

Leadership Provided 

• Direction received is general and focuses on strategic objectives and is typically collaborative in nature.

Knowledge, Skills, And Abilities

This is a partial listing of necessary knowledge, skills, and abilities required to perform the job successfully.  It is not an exhaustive list.

• Knowledge of urban planning, building and permitting processes, neighborhood development, and economic development principles.
• Knowledge of innovative practices for neighborhood commercial development.
• Demonstrated capacity to build and maintain strong relationships with key stakeholders, including business owners and representatives of business districts.
• Demonstrated creative ability in programmatic design, including the ability to design and launch programs independently as well as adapt and improve existing programming.
• Desire to collaborate with internal departments and cross-functional teams to ensure alignment and support for initiatives.
• Ability to promote learning and best practices within the community of business owners and business districts.
• Familiarity with grant funding sources, both public and private.
• Ability to manage complex projects and work with a team to achieve results.
• Ability to monitor initiatives, track progress, provide reporting documents, and maintain oversight of budgets.
• Strong ability to communicate verbally, in writing, and through drawing. Strong presentation skills.
• Expert community engagement capabilities.