Overview

Pratt Institute is recruiting for the position of Executive Director for the Pratt Center for Community Development. For more than sixty years the Pratt Center has been a pioneer in serving communities throughout New York City by leveraging the expert assistance of Pratt faculty and students to help build a more just, sustainable and inclusive city.  Since Pratt Center’s launch at the birth of the community development movement, the Center has worked with, and has been an advocate for low-income disadvantaged communities and communities of color to provide affordable housing, create well-paying jobs and foster healthy, sustainable neighborhoods.
The Executive Director of the Pratt Center reports to the Chief Strategy Officer in the Provost’s Office for Research and Strategic Partnerships which provides a bridge between the academic side of the Institute and the Center’s community and external partners. The Executive Director has broad oversight of programming and fundraising to ensure that Pratt Center is implementing research and programs which serve client needs while pioneering new practices and are supported by adequate funding to advance the Center’s mission. The Executive Director and Pratt Center staff will work with Pratt Institute faculty, students and administration to ensure that the Center identifies emerging trends, challenges and opportunities in which the Center can play an impactful role in enabling the success of disadvantaged communities and to removing structural barriers to equitable and inclusive planning and growth. This includes the ongoing development of a portfolio of mission aligned projects and a sustainable model of grant and contact support to sustain the work.

The Executive Director plays a multifaceted role. The Center’s impact is enhanced by its ability to be both a provider of direct services and as an advocate for policies that are informed by the Center’s direct service experience, research and networks. The Executive Director is responsible for ensuring that the integration of services and policy, for developing and maintaining relations with elected officials, community leaders, funders and thought leaders

On a typical day you will be responsible for:

  • Program Oversight: Oversee current program work; oversee contractors and future staff to fulfill current program deliverables and commitments.
  • Operations Oversight: Oversee and coordinate: finance, fundraising reports, grants, donor management, fundraising plan,
  • Primary point of contact with Pratt Institute: develop and maintain relationships with faculty and senior staff, identify and implement opportunities for partnering with faculty and advise Institute on community and citywide issues as needed.
  • Earned Income: Work to identify potential new projects and secure new project work.
  • Fund Development and Communications: Manage relationships with funders and facilitate meetings and reports related to fund development. Oversee foundation proposal development, reporting, and communications with current foundation officers.
  • Staff Management: Direct supervision of all consultants and senior staff.

The Salary Range for this position is $160K – 185K + Generous Benefits:

  • 403B Retirement Program
  • Supplemental Retirement Account
  • Tuition Benefits for Employees and Dependents
  • Tuition Exchange Program
  • Summer hours
  • Flexible Spending Accounts – commuter, medical, dependent care
  • Childcare Benefit
  • Basic life and AD&D insurance provided by Pratt
  • Medical, Dental, and Vision Care Coverage
  • Paid time off – vacation days, sick leave, and major holidays off
  • Additional Perks – free entry to select museums and cultural institutions, free use of campus recreation facilities, affordable

As a top-ranked college with opportunities in art, design, architecture, liberal arts and sciences, and information studies, Pratt offers nearly 50 undergraduate and graduate degree programs. The Institute’s impact expands beyond its 25-acre residential campus in Brooklyn and is committed to a pedagogy of learning through doing and practice, creating both a culture of engagement in which Pratt Center can develop relationships within and beyond the community. Since its founding in 1887, Pratt has prioritized diversity and inclusion, welcoming students from all walks of life while developing and sustaining pathways to more equitable workplaces and careers.

Qualifications

Education: Undergraduate degree and graduate work in a field of practice that aligns with Pratt Institute’s schools of study.

Experience: 10 years of nonprofit management experience, including 3 years supervising staff with a minimum of 1-year senior management responsibility.

Knowledge and Skills:

  • Strength in institutional fundraising; foundation cultivation and proposal writing.
  • Excellent analytical, written, and oral communication skills.
  • Commitment to racial equity and experience working on the frontlines of social justice campaigns/grassroots movements.
  • Must be able to thrive in a highly dynamic, flexible work environment and switch rapidly from strategy to execution, from oversight of programs and services to research and policy, and from working with Pratt Institute faculty and administration to partnering with community organizations and liaising with elected officials.
  • Ability to work across organizational lines and understand the mechanics of public policy impact on  local, state and federal levels. Experience working with city, state and federal agencies including navigating the contracting processes.
  • Ability to oversee research, integrate research into policy development and develop communications and advocacy strategy such as working with media and elected officials

This position is funded by multiple grants for up to 24 months and is subject to available funding.

For campus access requirements related to COVID, click here

Application Instructions

Please submit your cover letter and resume. If you are selected for an interview, please be prepared to provide at least 5 References via our on-line reference tool system. At least 2 of your References must be, or have been, your direct managers.

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About Pratt Center

Pratt Center for Community Development works for a more just, equitable and sustainable New York City in partnership with community-based groups, small businesses, and policymakers.