Attention: Please find the PDF job description here.

Agency Description 

Urbane is a community development venture and certified MBE. Founded in 2008, with offices in New York City and Philadelphia, Urbane builds the infrastructure that catalyzes community wealth. Our approach centers on strengthening community anchors through a multi-disciplinary approach - research and analytics, business and development advisory services, and place-based investing in mixed-use real estate, small businesses, and other non-traditional assets aimed at generating long term prosperity and community wealth creation. We envision neighborhoods that are defined by their strengths and experienced as places of opportunity and innovation, building bridges toward an equitable distribution of wealth and power by fostering community-led solutions and centering the wisdom and local innovation that already exists to facilitate a future of prosperity and shared wealth. 

Urbane’s client base includes municipalities, economic development agencies, foundations, financial institutions, real estate developers, community-based organizations, and small businesses throughout the US.  

One of Urbane’s premier development projects is the reimagined Flatbush Caton Market (FCM) in the heart of Flatbush, Brooklyn. FCM is a Caribbean-themed marketplace featuring 30+ vendors of food, fashion, home goods, crafts and more. The market was established in 2000 as a haven for local street vendors to operate their micro enterprises in a supportive space. Since its founding, FCM has served as a key commercial and cultural institution in Flatbush, connecting entrepreneurs to financial and technical resources needed to formalize and grow their businesses. In 2015, Urbane was selected to redevelop FCM, preserving the market’s cultural roots and ensuring the continuity of legacy businesses. The resulting project, Caton Flats, includes a rebuilt market space for legacy vendors; new food hall, bars and test kitchen; the Mangrove Business Incubator, a comprehensive business incubator/accelerator with a commercial kitchen, a body care production lab and design studio; and a public plaza – all co-located with 255 new affordable apartments. This combined infrastructure will serve as a small business development hub and a connector to the broader ecosystem of business supports and market opportunities across NYC. 

Job Title: Marketing and Communications Lead

Status: Full-Time preferred 

Location(s): New York, NY  

Urbane is seeking a Marketing & Communications Lead to develop standout marketing programs and campaigns, tell dynamic stories, and effectively communicate the Flatbush Central Caribbean Marketplace and Mangrove Business Incubator brands. The Lead will play a key role in building the community, retail customer and entrepreneur patronage of Urbane’s premier place-based development project. In coordination with the Market Director, Community Engagement Manager, and Incubator GM, the Lead will design and execute strategies to deepen the Market’s position as the Caribbean cultural hub in Brooklyn, and to promote the Mangrove as a comprehensive small business incubator and accelerator. The ideal candidate will demonstrate an affinity for the community-centered economic development vision of the project and will be able to highlight the facility’s commercial appeal and community impact with equal fluency.

Job Responsibilities may include but are not limited to:  

• Design and implement detailed campaigns to a) expand awareness of and excitement for Flatbush Central as a community anchor and its public programming; b) grow vendor retail sales; and c) promote Mangrove rental memberships and incubator adoption
• Develop marketing and communications KPIs and evaluate campaigns against set metrics
• Oversee market data collection and analysis; plan and conduct market research, including regular primary research with patrons, residents and community partners (in collaboration with Community Engagement Lead)
• Design and produce marketing and promotional collateral, including digital media assets, print promotions and stakeholder presentations
• Manage digital assets to enhance engagement and impact, including managing website updates, search engine optimization, managing social media accounts, and email communications
• Plan and produce on-site public and private events including arts and culture, entertainment, educational workshops, business showcases, etc., in collaboration with Market and Incubator teams
• Support the Market Director and Mangrove Business Incubator GM in initiating and securing corporate sponsorships
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams - from across the facility and Urbane at large - to inform effective communications and storytelling
• Manage additional marketing and/or communications staff or interns
• Create and maintain budgets
• Coordinate with and manage PR agency partners as/when appropriate

Knowledge, Skills, and Experience: 

• Marketing and communications background is a must, with at least three years of demonstrated experience
• Demonstrated experience in brand development, including a clear understanding of efficacy metrics and conversion strategies
• Exceptional graphic design and infographic skills, with proficiency in Adobe Suite design tools
• Experience developing successful social media campaigns and digital marketing materials
• Strong analytical and communication skills
• Experience managing budgets and making cost-saving decisions for execution
• Strong NYC based public relations network especially within the BIPOC food and beverage industry, culturally relevant media platforms and publications
• Deep understanding of Caribbean and other BIPOC communities in Brooklyn, and demonstrated experience executing culturally relevant campaigns

Candidate Qualities

• Team player who can work effectively to move projects forward independently when needed
• Passionate about community development and promoting holistic community wealth building
• Ability to work in a complex social environment with sensitive populations
• Professionalism and empathy, able to work with changing priorities and comfort with ambiguity
• Attention to detail and ability to adhere to deadlines

Compensation, Benefits & Employee Support 

The salary range for this role is between $68,000.00 and $75,000.00 and is commensurate with experience. Urbane believes great benefits make great work possible. Benefits include medical, dental and vision insurance, 401(k), and generous vacation/PTO offerings. Urbane invests up to $1500/employee/year in professional development and personal growth.

To Apply for this Position: 

- To apply, please email jobs@thisisurbane.com with “Marketing and Communications Lead” in the subject line along with your current resume, a brief cover letter/email, and individual example(s) of past work product that is deemed shareable and demonstrates professional and technical competencies. Please note any additional language abilities and level of proficiency/fluency if not readily apparent from your resume. 

- Please name all files sent to Urbane beginning with your first and last name (or preferred naming conventions) for easy identification.  

- The application is a multi-step process, inclusive of mutliple rounds of interviews with multiple Urbane team members.  

- Due to the volume of applications and a small (but mighty!) team, we are unable to respond to all inquiries.  

Employment is contingent upon successfully passing a background check which includes references from previous employers. Urbane Development Group LTD, is an equal opportunity employer which recruits, hires, trains, and promotes personnel for all job titles without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, genetic information, veteran status, or any other status protected under local, state, or federal laws.