Community Design Manager
Location: Oakland, CA
Employment Type: Full-time
About the Employer
EBALDC is a mission-driven organization committed to building healthy, vibrant, and safe neighborhoods in the East Bay. The organization believes affordable housing is more than housing—it is the foundation for healthy, vibrant, and connected communities.
Role Summary
The Community Design Manager leads the planning, coordination, and implementation of creative community development projects that support EBALDC's place-based initiatives throughout the East Bay. This role partners closely with residents, artists, community organizations, development teams, and neighborhood stakeholders to co-create spaces, programs, and experiences that reflect and celebrate community identity.
This is an opportunity for someone who thrives at the intersection of community development, creativity, relationship-building, and project management. You will help lead projects that uplift local culture, amplify resident voice, and strengthen neighborhood identity in and around affordable housing communities.
What You'll Do
Project Management
- Lead and support multiple creative community development projects simultaneously across a variety of settings
- Coordinate project timelines, scopes, budgets, consultants, volunteers, and implementation logistics
- Support physical placemaking and design-related projects from concept through execution
- Collaborate across departments to align community design efforts with broader organizational goals
Community Engagement & Outreach
- Design and facilitate inclusive community engagement strategies rooted in arts, culture, and relationship-building
- Partner with residents and local groups to co-design placemaking elements connected to affordable housing and neighborhood initiatives
- Create opportunities for resident leadership, creativity, and participation
Partnership Development
- Build and sustain strong relationships with artists, community organizations, schools, small businesses, fabricators, faith communities, and neighborhood leaders
- Represent EBALDC at community meetings, events, and neighborhood gatherings
- Foster collaborative partnerships that strengthen local impact and cultural connection
Communications & Storytelling
- Help tell the story of projects and communities through creative and digital media
- Support communications efforts that engage residents, partners, and stakeholders
- Contribute to visual storytelling, presentations, and community-facing materials
Required Qualifications
- 4+ years of relevant professional experience, including community design, placemaking, project coordination, or community development work
- Strong project management and organizational skills with the ability to balance multiple priorities and timelines
- Experience managing projects end-to-end, including scopes, timelines, contracts, and coordination of diverse stakeholders
- Ability to work independently while exercising sound judgment and elevating issues appropriately
- Experience facilitating public engagement activities, meetings, or community-centered design processes
- Excellent interpersonal, collaboration, and communication skills
- Commitment to equity, cultural humility, and working alongside low-income and BIPOC communities
- Familiarity with design-related fields connected to the built environment such as architecture, landscape architecture, urban planning, urban design, civil engineering, or construction management
- Comfort communicating with a wide range of audiences, from grassroots community members to institutional and public-sector partners
- Flexibility to attend occasional evening and weekend meetings or events
- Reliable transportation throughout Oakland and the Bay Area
Preferred Qualifications
- Written or spoken Cantonese, Mandarin, Spanish, or Vietnamese language skills
- Deep familiarity with East Bay neighborhoods, especially Oakland Chinatown
- Passion for community-centered creative practice such as public art, graphic design, filmmaking, storytelling, activations, zine-making, data visualization, or digital media
- Experience supporting working artists, small businesses, or community entrepreneurs
- Experience collaborating with real estate development teams, artists, fabricators, or design consultants
- Demonstrated leadership in grassroots, school-based, or neighborhood organizations
Compensation
$70K–$85K, depending on experience
Additional Information
This position is based in Oakland, CA and requires in-person work to support operational and site needs. EBALDC participates in the federal E-Verify program to confirm work authorization for all new employees and is not able to sponsor employment visas at this time.
Equal Opportunity Statement
EBALDC is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to building a diverse and inclusive workplace. In accordance with the City of Oakland's Fair Chance Hiring Ordinance, qualified applicants with arrest or conviction records will be considered for employment.
