Reports to:  Vice President for Government Relations, Policy & Community Affairs

Status:  Full-time/exempt

About Central Park and the Central Park Conservancy:

Central Park is one of the most famous and beloved urban public spaces in the world. Designed by Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux in 1857, the 843-acre park was the first purpose-built public park in the country and is a National Historic Landmark. The Central Park Conservancy, a private not-for-profit organization, was founded in 1980 to revitalize the Park after a long period of decline. Since that time, the Conservancy has overseen the investment of approximately $1 billion in the restoration of the Park, and now hosts over 40 million visitors a year.

The Conservancy’s mission is to preserve and celebrate Central Park as a sanctuary from urban life, and to make it a welcoming refuge for New Yorkers of every stripe. The City of New York has formally entrusted the care of the Park to the Conservancy, which is responsible for all aspects of its care, including landscape maintenance, capital improvements, and the visitor experience. Committed to sharing the best practices in urban park management, the Conservancy also serves as a resource for other NYC parks and for public-private partnerships around the world. The Conservancy employs roughly 325 people and has an operating budget of more than $80 million.

Position Summary:

The Central Park Conservancy is seeking a Director of Civic Engagement who will work in concert with the Vice President for Government Relations, Policy and Community Affairs to help launch and manage civic-minded projects across the five boroughs that build on the Conservancy’s 43-year history of serving New York City, with a special focus on helping other parks. Key to that will be serving as a Conservancy “ambassador” in neighborhoods around the Park – at Community Board meetings and before other community-based organizations, coalitions, governmental and neighborhood-led gatherings. This role requires an ambitious candidate who wants to be a part of a new, high-functioning and strategic portfolio within the organization.

The Director of Civic Engagement will assist in overseeing government and community relations in the following ways:

• Identify the Conservancy’s current priorities with community and established Park user groups and develop and implement community engagement strategies that unify the Conservancy’s voice across all platforms, in collaboration with the Conservancy’s Visitor Experience and Park Use & Stewardship teams.
• Help to launch new, community-focused initiatives undertaken by the Conservancy, and troubleshoot new challenges as they arise in concert with community partners.
• Work to consolidate existing community affairs work across the organization by tracking upcoming events and making sure the Conservancy is properly represented at assorted forums and meetings.
• Create and maintain relationships with elected officials and educate them on the role of the Conservancy and its budgetary needs, in coordination with the VP for Government Relations, Policy and Community Affairs.
• Raise the Conservancy’s public profile as a leading social infrastructure organization, cultural institution, and trusted community partner.

Summary of Essential Job Functions:

• Oversee strategic planning and outreach implementation of the Conservancy’s civic engagements, cultivating a network of partners particularly at the City level but also identifying relevant State and Federal opportunities.
• Collaborate across the organization to develop opportunities for policy impact, including managing Conservancy-wide community board strategy and calendar.
• Monitor relevant legislation, regulations or other initiatives and coordinate development and communication of the Conservancy’s positions.
• Initiate and oversee relevant site visits, briefing sessions and other events for government and community partners.
• Prepare correspondence, maps, fact sheets, reports, publications, testimony and presentations.
• Add value to other initiatives as assigned.

Salary range: $125K to $140K (based on level of experience)

• Minimum [5] years of experience specifically related to New York City community affairs
• Bachelor’s degree
• Strong experience partnering with local community organizations
• Excellent interpersonal and written and verbal communication skills; ability to develop strong relationships with internal and external stakeholders
• Flexible and capable of managing multiple tasks
• Strong computer skills with proficiency in Microsoft Office suite
• Interest in urban park management and the mission of the Conservancy

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

The Central Park Conservancy’s work is guided by the belief that Central Park, and all public parks, must be managed and actively protected as an inclusive and democratic space for all.

Working closely with our New York City partners, we will always strive towards creating and sustaining a sense of belonging for all visitors and advocating for equitable and accessible public use of the Park.

In service of this belief, we are committed to fostering a workforce and organizational culture that is as diverse as Central Park itself and the dynamic city it serves.