Adaptive Reuse Policy and Programs Manager

Founded in 1956, Providence Preservation Society (PPS) is one of the country’s first preservation organizations. It is a unique civic, design and community resource with a distinguished history of scholarship, grassroots advocacy, and visionary educational and training initiatives that has spearheaded the successful preservation of significant buildings, cultural landscapes and neighborhoods across the city. PPS understands that the work of preservation is not defined by the fight to protect singular examples of architecture, as though the city were a museum, but must engage with planning and policy, place-based research, creative practice, climate justice, and community agency with the goal of shaping a livable, equitable city for all. Our 2021-2026 Strategic Plan outlines the organization’s progressive approach that prioritizes social and racial justice and new programs or initiatives that address systemic inequities.

PPS seeks an Adaptive Reuse Policy and Programs Manager to develop and lead PPS’s policy agenda; manage its preservation and reuse trades training program; and provide staff support for the Providence Preservation Corps, a new volunteer committee that assists under resourced community organizations with preservation and reuse projects. The candidate should have superb research, communications and relational skills that make them an asset to PPS’s community relationship building activities, and broad interests in planning and land use policy, urban design, sustainable building practices and craft traditions, and equitable community development. The position will be part of a highly integrated office of five full-time staff and will report to PPS’s Executive Director.

PPS is one of Providence’s legacy institutions and as one of the first preservation organizations in the country, has always played a significant role in shaping and defining preservation and heritage practice nationally. This is an exciting opportunity to join a dynamic, creative and innovative cultural organization whose work integrates research, advocacy, education, and community work in a city that is changing rapidly. This is a new position at PPS and is very likely the first such position in any preservation organization in the country, indicating the organization’s leading-edge, solutions-oriented approach to preservation practice. This is a 2-year grant-funded position; renewal after two years is contingent on funding.

Policy Development and Stewardship (50%)

• Develop PPS’s policy, advocacy and legislative agenda in the areas of preservation,
  adaptive reuse, materials conservation, building deconstruction, salvage, and zoning.
• Identify and track relevant legislation or regulatory changes that impact PPS’s policy
  agenda in the City of Providence.
• Research and draft position letters, reports, memos, fact sheets, hearing testimonials,
  newsletter articles, social media posts, website content and other communications
  related to PPS’s policy agenda, priorities and progress.
• Identify and report on funding opportunities that support preservation, reuse, circularity and equitable redevelopment in PPS’s newsletter, website and social media channels.
• Advance PPS’s policy agenda through coalition building and stakeholder engagement by building, leading or participating in coalitions of preservation, sustainability, climate justice and community-centered planning organizations.
• Coordinate efforts with coalition partners on joint advocacy strategies, including lobbying campaigns, grassroots mobilization and media outreach.
• Lead trainings or other special events including lobbying or action days, summits, or workshops.
• Represent PPS in external policy discussions, public forums, meetings, hearings, or legislative events with or in place of the Executive Director.
• Collaborate with PPS staff to design and implement policy-related advocacy campaigns.
• Collaborate with the Executive Director to identify and pursue funding opportunities to support policy and legislative advocacy.

Adaptive Reuse Trades Training Program Management (40%)

• Program and manage PPS’s adaptive reuse trades training workshops and courses, recruiting and onboarding instructors as needed, collaborating with instructors on the development of teaching plans as needed, managing training site access and materials, filing participant waivers, collecting participant data for internal and external reporting, and managing program budgets.
• Write workshop descriptions for PPS’s newsletter, website and social media channels, and for distribution to external partners in workforce development, continuing education or the trades.
• Develop training and restoration partnerships with historic building owners, working to expand the sites where hands-on workshops and courses may take place.
• Work with the Executive Director to develop partnership opportunities with schools, institutions of higher education, unions, professional associations or nonprofits related to the program’s curriculum or student/instructor recruitment.
• Collaborate with the Executive Director to identify and pursue funding opportunities to support adaptive reuse trades training and curriculum development.
• Collaborate with the Executive Director to expand and improve the program’s curriculum, ensure curricular alignments with PPS’s policy agenda, and explore the creation of a PPS adaptive reuse trades collective comprised of the program’s alumni.

PPS’s trades training program currently offers 6-8 short workshops throughout the year teaching
skills in building restoration, reuse and deconstruction. Most workshops are held at the historic
Esek Hopkins House (1756).

Providence Preservation Corps (PPC) (10%)

• Lead PPC’s bimonthly committee meetings, where partnership inquiry applications are evaluated and either accepted or declined.
• Manage the workflow of PPC partnership projects, liaising with committee members and community partners to establish meeting times, preparing and organizing materials for site visits and partnership meetings, facilitating team and community meetings, taking meeting notes, drafting the committee’s final recommendations, conducting follow-up surveys with community partners, and writing final reports when projects are complete.
• Collaborate with staff to promote the program to organizations that serve marginalized communities or are located in neighborhoods that have seen underinvestment.

The Providence Preservation Corps (PPC) is a new volunteer committee of design, preservation, planning and construction professionals who assist under resourced community organizations with adaptive reuse or restoration projects, providing a vision and implementation brief that can help organizations plan and fundraise effectively for preservation-related capital projects. A typical project requires 2-3 site meetings and 2-3 team meetings over the course of about 3 months.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s and/or Master’s degree in public policy, urban studies, environmental studies, planning, design, or education, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• 2+ years of experience directly related to policy research and development, legislative advocacy, or community planning.
• Strong research and analytical skills with the ability to synthesize complex policy information.
• Strong project management skills; highly organized with ability to manage multiple projects and deadlines independently.
• Exceptional communication skills both orally and in writing, with ability to distill complex concepts for a broad audience.
• Ability to quickly build rapport, trust and credibility with stakeholders or partners with diverse interests, with a track record of working collaboratively with others, navigating organizational and power dynamics to meet common goals.
• Creative, collaborative and entrepreneurial approach to building new programs and initiatives with cross-sector partners.
• Ability to work effectively and comfortably in a city that is multi-cultural and multi-lingual with demonstrated cultural awareness and competency skills and a commitment to the equity and justice-oriented mission outlined in PPS’s current strategic plan.
• Educational background or prior experience in design, planning or the heritage trades is a plus.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite, Adobe and Canva.

PPS fosters a diverse and inclusive workplace. We are committed to reflecting the communities with whom we work and encourage members of traditionally underrepresented populations to apply. This position is based in Providence, and candidates should be based in the area or willing to move. Providence is a diverse city of 190,000 that is home to Brown University, Rhode Island School of Design, Providence College, and other institutions of higher education, located one hour from Boston.

Compensation and Benefits

• This is a full-time salaried professional position with a salary of $60,000 – $65,000 commensurate with experience.
• Comprehensive benefits package includes health, dental, bereavement leave, and retirement benefits.
• Current policy affords 15 paid holidays, 10 vacation days, 10 sick days and 2 personal days each year with the option of working remotely on Fridays.
• Annual professional development stipend of $1,000.

To Apply
Interested applicants should send an email to jobs@ppsri.org with “Adaptive Reuse Policy and Programs Manager” as the subject line. The email should contain the following (please send the following as a single PDF document):

• A cover letter that describes your experience and skills in relationship to the responsibilities of this position.
• Resume.
• Optional: one additional submission relevant to this position. This may relate to past projects or experience in policy or project management in the areas of preservation, sustainability, adaptive reuse, land use, the circular economy, or community-centered development (for example, a policy memo, op-ed or published article, syllabus, or design project).

Applications are being accepted on a rolling basis and will be reviewed beginning April 10, 2025.