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POSITION OVERVIEW
The Vice President (VP) of Place-Based Initiatives is responsible for leading SLDC’s neighborhood implementation, corridor revitalization, and small business empowerment strategies across the City of St. Louis. This role oversees SLDC’s geographically focused implementation work through a team of Neighborhood Managers while also providing executive leadership for SLDC’s small business empowerment ecosystem, including the Northside Economic Empowerment Center (NEEC), technical assistance initiatives, neighborhood business support programs, corridor activation efforts, and related entrepreneurship and capacity building initiatives.

The VP serves as the executive leader responsible for connecting:

• neighborhood priorities
• economic empowerment
• corridor revitalization
• small business growth
• community partnerships
• and place-based investment strategies.

This role ensures SLDC operates as a coordinated implementation platform that advances neighborhood economic development through aligned investments, strategic partnerships, business support systems, and catalytic projects.

The VP of Place-Based Initiatives operates at the intersection of:

• neighborhood development
• small business ecosystem development
• economic empowerment
• corridor revitalization
• and community-centered implementation.

Success in this role is measured by neighborhood implementation outcomes, growth and effectiveness of SLDC’s small business ecosystem, corridor activation, stakeholder trust, and the successful alignment of public, private, philanthropic, and institutional resources around neighborhood and economic empowerment priorities.

CORE RESPONSIBILITIES
1. Place-Based Strategy & Neighborhood Implementation

• Lead SLDC’s citywide place-based implementation strategy
• Oversee implementation of adopted neighborhood, corridor, and small area plans
• Ensure neighborhood priorities are integrated into SLDC’s broader economic development strategy
• Develop systems that translate neighborhood plans into executable implementation priorities, project pipelines, and investment strategies
• Coordinate neighborhood implementation efforts across varying market conditions and geographies
• Identify catalytic opportunities that strengthen neighborhood stability, economic activity, and long-term investment potential

2. Leadership of Neighborhood Managers

• Lead, coach, and manage a team of Neighborhood Managers responsible for assigned geographies across the City
• Establish clear implementation priorities, performance expectations, and accountability systems
• Ensure Neighborhood Managers operate as high-capacity place-based implementation leaders
• Support development of staff capabilities related to:
  •  economic development,
  • development coordination,
  • partnership management,
  • corridor revitalization,
  • and community-centered implementation
• Build operational systems for:
  • implementation tracking,
  • project escalation,
  • stakeholder coordination,
  • and cross-functional collaboration

3. Small Business & Ecosystem Development

• Lead SLDC’s small business empowerment strategy and related implementation efforts
• Oversee the Northside Economic Empowerment Center (NEEC) and related business support initiatives focused on technical assistance, workforce development, access to capital, and entrepreneurial support systems
• Coordinate SLDC’s broader small business ecosystem initiatives, including:
  • business technical assistance,
  • entrepreneurship support,
  • contractor and supplier development,
  • certification assistance,
  • training programs,
  • and neighborhood business support services
•  Coordinate partnerships with lenders, technical assistance providers, workforce organizations, educational institutions, and community-based partners

4. Capital Alignment

• Support alignment of public, private, philanthropic, and institutional capital around neighborhood priorities
• Coordinate implementation of small business grant, lending, and capacity-building initiatives
• Support development of investable neighborhood and small business pipelines
• Identify opportunities to leverage incentives, grants, financing tools, and strategic partnerships to support neighborhood economic growth
• Support coordination with philanthropic and institutional partners on place-based initiatives

5. Commercial Corridor Revitalization

• Oversee neighborhood commercial corridor revitalization efforts citywide
• Support strategies related to:
  • vacancy reduction,
  • business attraction and retention,
  • public realm improvements,
  • façade enhancement,
  • and corridor activation
• Coordinate corridor-level investment and partnership strategies
• Ensure corridor revitalization efforts align with neighborhood plans and broader
• economic development priorities

6. Cross-Functional Coordination & Organizational Alignment

• Coordinate closely with:
  • EVP of Development
  • SVP, Real Estate / Major Projects
  • VP, LRA
  • COO
  • Incentives team
• Ensure neighborhood and small business priorities are integrated into:
  • development pipelines,
  • incentive strategies,
  • land assembly efforts,
  • infrastructure planning,
  • and capital deployment decisions
• Facilitate cross-department coordination to remove barriers to implementation and improve organizational responsiveness

7. Strategic Partnerships & Community Relationships

• Build and maintain strong relationships with:
  • Community Development Corporations (CDCs)
  • neighborhood organizations
  • small business support organizations
  • anchor institutions
  • lenders and CDFIs
  • workforce development providers
  • philanthropic partners
  • chambers and business associations
• Serve as an executive-level representative of SLDC in neighborhood and economic empowerment settings
• Ensure SLDC maintains strong credibility and visibility within neighborhoods and the broader entrepreneurial ecosystem

8. Systems, Data & Accountability

• Develop and maintain implementation dashboards and performance systems leveraging CRM (i.e. Salesforce) and other software platforms related to:
  • neighborhood plan implementation,
  • corridor activation,
  • small business growth,
  • stakeholder engagement,
  • and investment activity
• Establish KPIs related to:
  • business support outcomes,
  • neighborhood implementation progress,
  • corridor vitality,
  • partnership development,
  • and investment coordination
• Provide regular updates and strategic recommendations to executive leadership and the Board
• Ensure initiatives are measurable, coordinated, and outcome-oriented

WHAT SUCCESS LOOKS LIKE

• Neighborhood plans move from vision documents into visible implementation and investment
• Commercial corridors demonstrate increased activity, occupancy, and economic momentum
• Small businesses experience improved access to capital, technical assistance, training, and growth opportunities
• SLDC is recognized as a trusted and effective neighborhood and economic empowerment partner
• Neighborhood Managers operate as strong place-based implementation leaders
• Public, private, philanthropic, and institutional investments are better aligned around neighborhood and economic empowerment priorities
• SLDC’s small business ecosystem becomes more coordinated, scalable, and impactful
• Neighborhood stakeholders experience SLDC as responsive, strategic, and action-oriented

QUALIFICATIONS
Experience & Education

• Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree preferred in:
  • Urban Planning
  • Community Development
  • Economic Development
  • Public Administration
  • Urban Design
  • Business
  • Or related field
• 10+ years of progressively responsible experience in:
  • economic development,
  • community development,
  • small business ecosystem development,
  • place-based initiatives,
  • neighborhood revitalization,
  • public-private partnerships,
  • or related fields
• Demonstrated experience:
  • managing teams and complex stakeholder environments
  • leading cross-functional implementation initiatives
  • coordinating capital and partnerships
  • advancing neighborhood and economic empowerment strategies

KNOWLEDGE / SKILLS / ABILITIES

• Strong understanding of:
  • neighborhood development dynamics
  • commercial corridor revitalization
  • small business ecosystem development
  • economic empowerment strategies
  • public-private partnerships
  • economic development incentives and financing tools
  • entrepreneurship and workforce development systems
• Ability to:
  • lead complex place-based initiatives
  • build trust across diverse stakeholder groups
  • align multiple organizations and systems around shared priorities
  • translate strategy into implementation systems
  • operate effectively in politically and operationally complex environments
• Strong communication, facilitation, negotiation, and relationship-management skills
• Strong organizational leadership and operational management capabilities

LEADERSHIP PROFILE
The ideal candidate:

• Thinks systemically while remaining highly execution-oriented
• Understands the intersection between neighborhood development, economic empowerment, and small business growth
• Builds credibility across neighborhoods, institutions, businesses, philanthropy, and government
• Operates collaboratively while maintaining a strong bias toward action
• Brings structure, accountability, and strategic coordination to complex place-based initiatives
• Understands that successful neighborhood revitalization requires both relationship- building and operational execution

WORKING CONDITIONS

• Full-time, exempt position
• Combination of office, field, and community-based work
• Frequent attendance at neighborhood meetings, business events, trainings, and site visits required
• Evening and weekend work as needed
• Valid driver’s license required
• Requires St. Louis City residency within timeframe established by SLDC policy

POSITION TYPE/EXPECTED HOURS OF WORK
This is a full-time, exempt position with health benefits and paid time off. While our traditional work hours are from 8:00
am to 5:00 pm, SLDC follows a standard work schedule of 40 hours per week for full-time employees. Evening and
weekend work is required as job duties demand.

SLDC is committed to building a team with a wide range of experiences and perspectives. SLDC strongly encourages applications from people of
color, persons with disabilities, women, and LGBTQ+ candidates, and does not discriminate based on race, ethnicity, religion, national origin,
ancestry, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, marital status, veteran status, or any statuses protected by law.