Position Type: Full-time, Salary Salary Range: $45,000 to $50,000 commensurate with experience

Reports to: Director of Events, Programming & Brand Activation

Position Purpose

The Community Placemaking & Production Manager helps bring Downtown Springdale's vision to life through thoughtful event production, community-centered placemaking, and collaborative partnership development.

This position exists to steward and expand the community-building efforts already underway by helping transform ideas into welcoming, meaningful public experiences that strengthen Downtown Springdale. This role helps advance a programming philosophy rooted in accessibility, cultural inclusion, relationship-building, and thoughtful activation of public spaces.

Success is measured not only through well-executed events, but through stronger partnerships, increased community participation, meaningful support of downtown businesses, and public spaces where people from every background feel welcomed, represented, and connected.

What Makes This Position Different

This is not a traditional event management role. While event production is an essential responsibility, this position exists to help carry forward Downtown Springdale Alliance's broader philosophy that public programming should strengthen people as much as it activates places.

Working closely with the Director of Events, Programming & Brand Activation, this role helps implement and expand initiatives already in motion while continually identifying thoughtful opportunities to deepen community connection, improve accessibility, strengthen partnerships, and support Downtown Springdale's long-term vision. The ideal candidate understands that successful events are not the destination - they are one of the tools used to build stronger communities.

Primary Responsibilities

Community Placemaking & Activation

• Support the implementation of Downtown Springdale Alliance's placemaking philosophy through community centered programming and public space activation.

• Work alongside the Director to expand opportunities that create welcoming, accessible, and culturally inclusive public experiences.

• Help identify opportunities to strengthen existing activations through thoughtful programming, creative partnerships, and community engagement.

• Assist in transforming parks, streets, sidewalks, and gathering spaces into places where people naturally connect with one another and with Downtown Springdale.

• Ensure programming continues reflecting the diversity, culture, and character of the Springdale community.

Event Production & Operations

• Lead operational execution for Downtown Springdale events and activations.

• Coordinate vendors, entertainers, volunteers, rentals, permits, logistics, and production schedules.

• Assist in developing detailed event timelines, production documents, and operational plans.

• Assist with onsite event leadership and post-event evaluation.

• Help maintain production standards that reinforce Downtown Springdale's growing reputation for high-quality public experiences.

Community Partnerships

• Build and maintain meaningful relationships with downtown businesses, restaurants, artists, nonprofits, schools, cultural organizations, volunteers, city staff, and community partners.

• Support ongoing outreach that strengthens participation in Downtown Springdale initiatives.

• Assist the Director in cultivating collaborative ownership of Downtown Springdale programming.

• Represent DSA professionally in meetings, committees, and community gatherings.

Arts, Culture & Creative Activation

• Support implementation of Downtown Springdale's Arts District vision.

• Assist with artist engagement, cultural programming, and creative public space initiatives.

• Help integrate arts, culture, food, music, and storytelling into Downtown Springdale experiences.

• Seek opportunities that broaden participation while reinforcing the unique identity of Downtown Springdale.

Downtown Business Support

• Work directly with downtown businesses to strengthen participation in DSA programming.

• Help ensure events continue creating value for local businesses through thoughtful collaboration.

• Support efforts that prioritize downtown businesses whenever possible through programming, partnerships, and activation opportunities.

• Assist in identifying creative ways events can generate long-term economic benefit for the district.

Operational Excellence

• Maintain planning systems, operational documentation, and project management workflows.

• Assist in developing repeatable production systems that strengthen organizational capacity.

• Support continual improvement through evaluation, documentation, and refinement of programming processes.

The Ideal Candidate

We're looking for someone who naturally believes community comes before production: someone who sees events not as isolated moments, but as opportunities to strengthen neighborhoods, businesses, and relationships.

The ideal candidate:

• Believes public spaces should help people feel like they belong.

• Naturally notices who is included - and who may still be missing.

• Enjoys building relationships before asking for participation.

• Understands that trust is built one conversation at a time.

• Thrives in collaborative environments and enjoys helping bring someone else's vision to life while contributing thoughtful ideas of their own.

• Can balance creativity with exceptional organization.

• Values humility, service, and community impact over personal recognition.

• Is energized by both planning meetings and being present in the community.

Required Qualifications

• Experience producing public events, festivals, community programming, or comparable projects.

• Demonstrated experience building partnerships across diverse groups.

• Strong organizational and project management skills.

• Excellent interpersonal and communication abilities.

• Comfortable working evenings and weekends during event seasons.

• Valid driver's license.

Preferred Qualifications

Experience in one or more of the following:

• Community engagement

• Placemaking

• Arts administration

• Cultural programming

• Downtown development

• Main Street organizations

• Nonprofit leadership

• Hospitality

• Destination marketing

• Public space activation

Application Requirements

Applicants must submit:

1. Resume w/ relevant work experience

2. Cover Letter describing why you feel you are the right person for this position

3. Portfolio demonstrating previous work that reflects community-building, placemaking, cultural programming, event production, public engagement, or projects that created meaningful public experiences. Examples may include photographs, event summaries, presentations, creative work, community initiatives, videos, articles, or other materials that demonstrate the applicant's ability to create spaces where people feel connected, welcomed, and engaged.

Send all documents as PDF attachments to info@downtownspringdale.org with the subject line "Community Placemaking & Production Manager Application"