Program Coordinator

Background:

The Mayors' Institute on City Design (MICD) is a leadership initiative of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with the United States Conference of Mayors. Its mission is to transform communities through design by preparing mayors to be the chief urban designers of their cities.

Since 1986, the Mayors' Institute has endeavored to make design a priority for our cities’ chief elected officials, training and encouraging mayors to use design as a fundamental tool to influence the social well-being and economic vitality of their cities. Each year, MICD plans and manages four to five “Institute Sessions” held throughout the country. More than 1,200 mayors and hundreds of design experts (in fields such as architecture, landscape architecture, urban planning, transportation planning, real estate development, and arts and culture) have participated in MICD.  Each session brings together a small group of mayors, along with their most critical city design challenge, with a small group of city design and development experts in a single location for two and one half days of concentrated discussion focused on finding design solutions to these real-life projects. In addition, MICD provides ongoing educational opportunities for mayors, including virtual seminars, alumni advising, and the MICD Just City Mayoral Fellowship, a partnership with the Harvard Graduate School of Design. Detailed information about MICD programming is available at www.micd.org.

The Program Coordinator position is an essential part of a small, dedicated team of MICD staff. Daily tasks of the Program Coordinator primarily support ongoing MICD programming, including through event planning, communications, organization, and execution. Past MICD staff have gone on to build highly impactful, cross-disciplinary careers, using the knowledge gained through interaction with mayors and world-renowned design and development experts, and exposure to core challenges facing cities and solutions through the built environment.

The Program Coordinator is an employee of the United States Conference of Mayors reporting directly to the MICD Executive Director. The MICD office is located in the United States Conference of Mayors headquarters at 1620 Eye Street NW in Washington, DC. MICD staff is currently working remotely. This position will initially be offered for remote work, with the opportunity to switch to hybrid in the future. The position includes a generous benefits package. The position is not eligible for relocation assistance.

Responsibilities:

• (35%) Plan and implement logistical arrangements for in-person and virtual MICD events, including scheduling, meeting venues, lodging, meals, travel, local transportation, equipment, supplies, and webinar platform management.
• (25%) Update MICD web content (www.micd.org) and social media efforts, including creating and sharing content on Facebook, X, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
• (25%) Provide administrative assistance for MICD program (e.g. scheduling, maintaining contact databases, fulfilling reporting requirements, processing payments per USCM guidelines).
• (15%) Coordinate internal and external communications (e.g. writing newsletters, creating briefing materials for MICD events, updating marketing collateral).
• Assist in on-going efforts to support mayors in other ways as needed.
• Ability to travel for MICD events is required (approximately 15-20% of total time on average, in general about one trip per month).

Education and Experience:

• REQUIRED: At least two years of work experience. An undergraduate degree in an allied design field (architecture, landscape architecture, urban planning, graphic design, or similar) is desired.
• REQUIRED: Experience in event planning.
• Extremely organized and detail-oriented. Ability to communicate effectively, manage multiple tasks, meet deadlines, and work independently.
• Excellent writing and editing skills. Ability to synthesize complex information into written pieces with confidence, speed, and agility.
• Ideal candidate will be proactive, resourceful, self-motivated, and discerning.
• Graphic design skills and experience using Adobe InDesign and Photoshop are desired.
• Skills and experience to collaborate with program partners to organize national events with attention to detail, scheduling, follow-through, and diplomacy in dealing with allied organizations, consultants, design professionals, university partners, elected officials, and city staff.
• Personal approach to work that exudes professionalism, passion, grace, confidence, openness, self-awareness, and a sense of humor.

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the position is filled. Interested candidates should submit a one-page cover letter and a one-page resume in a single PDF by email to: [email protected] with the subject line: “MICD Program Coordinator Search: Your Name”. Please do not use the application function through this website.

MICD Program Coordinator is full-time, salaried position without overtime compensation. Salary commensurate with experience, in the range of $62,000-65,000. The United States Conference of Mayors is an equal opportunity employer.