Associate, Economic Development + Real Estate

Karp Strategies • New York, NY

10h

About The Position

Karp Strategies is hiring an Associate / Project Manager to lead delivery of projects involving real estate and market analysis, workforce development, economic impact analysis, and community engagement across sectors, project sizes, and geographies. This is a managing-and-doing role: the Associate owns project schedules, budgets, and team workflows; serves as the day-to-day contact for the prime firm and client; and works with the team to turn analysis into strategy and recommendations. The role works closely with Project Directors and Principals, who set strategy and methodology, and guides and validates Analysts’ work before it reaches leadership.

The successful candidate is interested in the intersection of economic development, real estate, urban planning, and management consulting. The environment is fast-paced and entrepreneurial, and the role involves hands-on project delivery, client and stakeholder engagement, analysis and communication, team leadership, and business development. Some travel may be required from time to time based on project and firm needs.

Requirements

• 3–5 years of relevant experience in economic development, real estate, urban planning, or consulting.
• Demonstrated project management experience, including managing budgets and project finances and leading team members to meet timelines and complete deliverables.
• Client relationship experience and a track record of building trust across varied stakeholders, such as clients, partner firms, government agencies, and community members.
• Experience in community economic development, workforce development, placemaking, and stakeholder engagement.
• Familiarity with analytical methods in economic and workforce analysis and/or real estate feasibility; fluency in some methods and aptitude to learn and deepen skills in others.
• Working knowledge of foundational real estate concepts, such as pro formas and sources and uses of funding.
• Familiarity with socioeconomic and market data sources and platforms, such as Census data, IMPLAN, and CoStar.
• Strong writing ability, including the ability to turn complex technical information into clear, compelling communication for lay audiences.
• Experience overseeing graphic design and data visualization, with proficiency in tools such as Adobe Creative Suite, PowerPoint, and Google Workspace.
• Entrepreneurial orientation and interest in working in a maturing startup environment.
• Deep curiosity about planning issues and demonstrated commitment to applying an equity lens to the work.
• Openness and appetite to learn, including interest in other firm work such as community engagement, strategic planning, climate resiliency, and other sectors and verticals.

Nice To Haves

• Multilingual written and oral skills, given the firm’s work with diverse communities.
• Experience working with traditionally underserved populations.

Responsibilities

• Manage full project life cycles, including schedules, work plans, staffing, team workflows, and quality assurance across concurrent workstreams.
• Coordinate with clients on project schedules and delivery timelines; estimate time and resources required for tasks and ensure they are reserved.
• Coordinate project deliverables and oversee project administration, shared file systems, documentation, and regular reporting to Directors and Principals.
• Use the firm’s project management systems and tools, and contribute to improving systems and processes across the firm.
• Own project budgets and manage them toward project and firm financial goals; maintain financial tracking and invoicing, report financial status to leadership, and use financial data to inform project strategy and staffing decisions.
• Serve as the primary day-to-day contact for clients and partner firms, building trust through responsive communication.
• Facilitate client meetings, stakeholder interviews, steering committee meetings, workshops, and public community engagement.
• Plan and execute stakeholder engagement involving government agencies, community members, local businesses, and other partners; synthesize input to shape projects.
• Oversee quantitative and qualitative analysis across economic, workforce, market, policy, and real estate topics, including economic impact analyses, socioeconomic and market analyses, and financial feasibility work.
• Review and validate models, such as pro formas and economic impact analyses, and quality-check deliverables before they go to the Project Director.
• Synthesize data from multiple sources into strategic findings and integrate partner work as needed.
• Communicate findings and recommendations clearly in writing and in person, tailoring messages to audiences including agency leadership, developers, community members, and local business owners.
• Author client deliverables, including reports, executive summaries, memos, and strategic recommendations, with a clear progression from evidence to action.
• Oversee infographics, data visualizations, maps, and presentations that translate technical findings for non-technical audiences.
• Present findings to clients and external stakeholders with clarity and sound judgment.
• Coach and manage team members through project delivery, remain responsive to their needs, and uphold a culture of collaboration, continuous learning, and feedback.
• Step into a people-management role with support and training from the firm.
• Lead responses to RFPs and RFQs, including scoping project approaches and preparing fee proposals; identify additional opportunities with existing clients.

Benefits

• Professional development through membership organizations, conferences, skills and management training, and regular internal training.
• Medical, vision, and dental benefits, with costs shared by Karp Strategies.
• One Medical membership.
• 20 days of PTO and 7 days of sick/safe leave.
• 401(k) match.
• Access to HSA, FSA, and commuter benefits.
• Work-life balance is prioritized as a core value.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Education Level: No Education Listed