Community Design Manager

East Bay Asian Local Development Corporation • Oakland, CA

45d • Onsite

About The Position

At EBALDC, we believe affordable housing is more than housing — it is the foundation for healthy, vibrant, and connected communities. We are seeking a mission-driven, collaborative, and creative Community Design Manager to help bring that vision to life through community-centered design, arts and culture initiatives, placemaking, and resident engagement across the Bay Area. 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. We are looking for someone who believes deeply in equity, cultural humility, and the power of creative practice to build belonging and community resilience.

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.

Projects may include:
Community art installations
Public space activations
Resident engagement and outreach efforts
Community visioning and planning processes
Creative placemaking initiatives connected to real estate development projects
Storytelling, cultural programming, and neighborhood activation efforts

This role is ideal for someone who is equally comfortable coordinating logistics, facilitating community conversations, managing consultants, and thinking creatively about how spaces can foster connection and belonging.

Requirements

• 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

Nice To Haves

• 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

Responsibilities

• 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
• 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
• 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
• 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

Benefits

• At EBALDC, you will join a mission-driven organization committed to building healthy, vibrant, and safe neighborhoods in the East Bay. You’ll work alongside passionate colleagues who care deeply about community impact, resident leadership, equity, and creativity.

What This Job Offers

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