Executive Director, Downtown Allentown Alliance

The Opportunity

The DAA is excited to announce the start of their search for an Executive Director to provide strategic, operational and organizational leadership for Allentown’s Main Street Program. This is an exceptional opportunity to be at the start of this work and advance the mission to activate and promote Downtown Allentown as a vibrant, inclusive, and economically sustainable district.

The Downtown Allentown Alliance (DAA) was formed in 2025 to build on the tremendous success downtown Allentown has achieved over the past decade. The DAA is dedicated to strategically increasing activation and engagement, retail variety and support, clean and safe streets, recognition of diverse cultures, and positive public perception of the downtown. The DAA works to meet its goals for continuously improving downtown Allentown through community input, public and private funding, and a partnership with the United Way of the Greater Lehigh Valley.

The Executive Director leads day-to-day management of programs and partnerships that enhance downtown’s cleanliness, safety, hospitality, business vitality, and cultural vibrancy, serving as the primary connector between public, private, and nonprofit stakeholders. They will lead organizational planning and capacity-building efforts to grow and transition DAA toward full independence by the end of 2026.

This position requires a collaborative leader who can balance strategic vision with hands-on management, fostering trust among diverse constituencies and ensuring the long-term sustainability of DAA’s programs and impact.

Essential Responsibilities and Functions

• Leadership & Governance: Support the DAA BOD, serve as the primary liaison between DAA, the City of Allentown, ANIZDA, and other partners, hire and manage staff, oversee the management of vendors and service providers, including Block by Block Ambassadors.
• Community & Stakeholder Engagement: cultivate relationships with community stakeholders and downtown partners, represent DAA in community and advocate for downtown priorities.
• Program & Economic Development Management: Oversee all DAA programs, including Clean & Safe, Retail Support, Marketing & Loyalty, and Public Space Activation, lead annual reporting, training, and alignment with Pennsylvania Downtown Center standards.
• Fundraising & Financial Oversight: annual operating budget, revenue generation and fundraising from public, private, and philanthropic sources, manage grants including the Neighborhood Partnership Program (NPP).
• Marketing & Communications: DAA’s Brand & Loyalty Campaign, messaging and storytelling across all platforms (digital, print, and social), serve as DAA’s spokesperson, collaborate with agency partners to deliver marketing strategies
• Administration & Operations: Manage day-to-day operations of DAA, ensure policies, procedures, and reporting meet nonprofit and Main Street program standards, foster a positive, collaborative organizational culture rooted in equity, inclusion, and transparency.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in business, urban planning, or related field. Experience considered in lieu of education.
• Minimum of 7 years of leadership experience in nonprofit management, economic development, or community revitalization.
• Professional experience in a range of the following: fundraising, grant writing, managing diverse funding portfolios, financial management, budgeting, reporting, marketing, placemaking, downtown management.
• Passion for community-building, urban revitalization, and downtown Allentown’s long-term success.

Position Details

This is a full-time salary exempt position required to report in person to an office location in downtown Allentown. The base salary range is $100k to $120k annually. The schedule is Monday – Friday with a frequent need for evening and weekend hours for events and meetings. The benefits package for this role will be co-designed with the BOD upon hire. We are ready for the right candidate to start as soon as they are available.