Program Manager, District Experience

RESUME SUBMISSIONS 
Please submit a letter of interest and resume to resumes@cortexstl.org. We will interview until we fill the position but prefer a submission date of November 1, 2024.

POSITION SUMMARY 
The Cortex District Experience Team is responsible for ensuring that the Cortex Innovation District is both welcoming and inclusive to its partners, neighbors, tenants, and the public for the live/work/play experience offered within the District’s 200 acres.

The Program Manager, District Experience, is a full-time, salaried position with benefits that is responsible for creating an overall exceptional experience for people who work in the Cortex District. In this role, they will work closely with Cortex staff, District partners, and leaders in the entrepreneurship community to build a sense of community within the District, and implement and market District programs and amenities. Interested jobseekers should be able to demonstrate strong project management skills, outreach and engagement skills, interpersonal skills, independent initiative and strong attention to detail. Occasional evening and weekend work is required.

ABOUT CORTEX 
Cortex is a vibrant space serving as an inclusive economic engine for St. Louis. Cortex creates equitable economic impacts by leveraging high-quality facilities, developing programs that build knowledge and networks, and convening strategic partnerships that attract and support emerging and established companies. Founded in 2002 through a collaboration of Washington University in St. Louis, BJC HealthCare, the University of Missouri – St. Louis, Saint Louis University, and the Missouri Botanical Garden, the Cortex Innovation District (CortexSTL.org) is an internationally recognized hub of innovation and entrepreneurship that is focused on accelerating inclusive economic growth in St. Louis.  Cortex’s mission is to advance inclusive economic growth in the St. Louis region.  Cortex’s past can current impact as well as an overview of the 5-year strategic plan can be found here.

ORGANIZATIONAL RELATIONSHIPS 

• Reports to: Vice President, District Experience
• Supervises: Contractors, service providers, vendors, and volunteers
• Collaborates with: All staff, partner organizations, District members

POSITION RESPONSIBILITIES 
The Program Manager, District Experience, will serve as an active member of the District Experience Team and be responsible for focusing on building community with, and delivering value for, District members through appropriate District amenities, programs and marketing tools.
This position will advance our mission by:

• Building strong relationships within the District through implementation of the District Outreach Plan in partnership with other Cortex staff.
• Coordinating District feedback and event evaluations to provide information to support data-driven decision-making regarding programs and services.
• Creating and maintaining an annual calendar of activities and amenities to support District activation.
• Identifying partnerships within the District/St. Louis community to assist in the activation of Cortex Commons.
• Building a following and managing distribution of the District newsletter.
  Serving as primary contact between inquiries for space use with District partners and the public.
• Serving as on-the-ground Cortex representative for in-District events (including some nights and weekends).
• Communicating scope of work to vendors and negotiating contracts.
• Coordinating with Vice President, District Experience, on expenditures and budgeting.
• Managing other duties as may be assigned by the Vice President, District Experience.

REQUIRED SKILLS, ABILITIES AND ATTITUDE (We understand not all applicants will have all the following skills and abilities. We are hoping for a subset.)
Program Coordination 

• Demonstration of creative and innovative thinking around approach to program development.
• Ability to manage a multi-level approach to tasks and projects to meet deadlines and planned outcomes.
• Ability to balance customer service skills with requirements to host events on the Cortex Commons.
• Demonstrated experience tracking metrics (i.e. attendance, quality, value) to submit a quarterly report with surveyed feedback.

Communications 

• Strong oral and written skills, and enthusiasm for community engagements.
• Experience with community outreach strategies, including newsletter distribution and other marketing tools.
• Familiarity with Microsoft Office suite and Monday.com for use in communications and project management.

Operation with Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Lens 

• Experience applying a systems lens to diversity, equity, and inclusion work.
• Experience setting strategies to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion work within strategic priorities.

Personal Skills 

• Strong collaboration, delegation, and partnership-building skills.
• Commitment to honesty, transparency, and trust-building across communities.
• An eagerness to learn and a commitment to continuous quality improvements.
• A passion for Cortex’s mission.

POSITION QUALIFICATIONS 

• Practical experience in community development, activation and outreach, with a focus on building and sustaining engagement over time.
• 3-5 years of progressively responsible event coordination experience, including large scale, public facing events.
• Proven experience with marketing to both targeted and general audiences.

DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION 
Cortex actively seeks to increase the diversity of its workforce. Cortex is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, gender, age, veteran status, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status or disability (in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act) with respect to employment opportunities.

COMPENSATION 
The salary range for this role is $65,000-$70,000. Cortex employees also receive a benefits package that includes health insurance, 10 holidays, 20 days of PTO a year, 10% 401K matching after 6 months, and others. Work location can be hybrid between in the office and at home, depending on weekly needs and responsibilities.

RESUME SUBMISSIONS 
Please submit a letter of interest and resume to resumes@cortexstl.org. We will interview until we fill the position but prefer a submission date of November 1, 2024.