Development and research manager

The Downtown Dayton Partnership (DDP) — a nonprofit 501 (c) (3) organization with a mission to address our downtown’s challenges and capture transformative opportunities through commerce, community, and culture — is seeking the right person to join our team as an Economic Development and Research Manager.

The Economic Development and Research Manager will report to the VP of Strategy and support DDP’s economic development, planning, and advocacy efforts. This role will lead the collection, analysis, visualization, and storytelling of data related to Downtown Dayton’s economic health, real estate activity, public space use, and vibrancy metrics. Key responsibilities include:

Urban Economics & Real Estate Analysis

• Track and maintain quality control of key downtown indicators such as pedestrian activity, employment, visitation, and commercial and residential occupancy.

• Collect, synthesize, and analyze data from public and private sources (e.g., city departments, property owners, real estate firms, mobility data providers, census data, and third-party platforms).

• Monitor real estate ownership changes, development pipelines, and business ownership and retention.

• Manage and optimize DDP’s Salesforce CRM for economic and stakeholder data tracking.

Data Visualization & Content Development

• Create clear, visually engaging dashboards, charts, maps, and infographics for use in presentations, reports, social media, the DDP website, and other collateral.

• Use GIS tools to conduct and visualize spatial analysis of economic development, land use, and public space trends.

• Author content to highlight economic research and thought leadership, including data insights and supporting materials for grant applications and fundraising campaigns.

Outreach & Stakeholder Engagement

• Support strong relationships with key downtown stakeholders, including City officials, civic organizations, property owners and managers, developers, brokers, employers, and small businesses.

• Steward partnerships with local, regional, and state economic development organizations.

• Collect and integrate stakeholder feedback into program development and economic strategy recommendations through qualitative and quantitative research.

Business Development & Support Services

• Serve as a point of contact for downtown businesses seeking services from DDP and partner organizations.

• Lead the Downtown Site Seeker program, which matches businesses with available commercial space.

These are the essential functions of the position; other duties may be assigned as needed.

JOB QUALIFICATIONS

Required:

• Minimum of 3 years’ experience in an analytical or research role related to urban economics, commercial real estate, city planning, or a similar field. Applied graduate coursework may be considered towards relevant experience.

• Ability to access, distill, analyze economic and statistical data and quantitative and qualitative research.

• Proficiency with Salesforce and the Microsoft Office suite. Advanced knowledge of Excel is required.

• Excellent communication and writing skills.

• Naturally inquisitive.

• High attention to detail with strong project management experience.

Preferred:

• Bachelor’s degree in business, information science, urban planning, or a related field.

• Technical proficiency using economic development, mapping, and data visualization platforms such as Tableau, GIS, Power BI, Placer.ai, Infogram, and/or Canva.

Job Site: While DDP provides occasional remote work options, this role is mainly based at DDP’s office in Downtown Dayton.

Salary: The range for this role is $65-75,000 per year.

Benefits:

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance

• HSA with an employer contribution

• Short and long-term disability and life insurance

• 401(k) retirement contributions and employer match

• Paid time off

• Employer-paid Parking

To apply: Please submit a cover letter and resume to [email protected] by October 3, 2025.

Downtown Dayton Partnership is an equal opportunity employer and strongly encourages individuals of all backgrounds and cultures to consider this position. DDP’s commitment to inclusivity encompasses but is not limited to diversity in race, nationality, ethnicity, religion, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, and disability.