Project Manager, Operations Management

Downtown Wichita | Wichita, KS | Full-Time

Downtown Wichita is an independent 501c3 organization dedicated to creating a vibrant, thriving downtown through community engagement, placemaking, economic development, and strategic partnerships. Downtown Wichita manages a 100-block area defined by the Arkansas River, Kellogg, Washington, and Central. This area has experienced significant public and private investment over the past 15 years and continues to serve as a center for business, culture, entertainment, and community life.

With a growing residential base and new investment in educational and cultural facilities, Downtown is poised for exponential growth over the next decade.

Downtown Wichita is seeking aProject Manager to join our expanding team. This key role is responsible for translating the organization’s vision and priorities into executable plans and successful outcomes. The Project Manager will take ideas and strategic initiatives from concept through implementation by developing project plans, coordinating funding and other resources, engaging stakeholders, managing external partners, and maintaining momentum through project completion.

Working in a dynamic downtown environment, the Project Manager will support a diverse range of initiatives that support placemaking and streetscape activation, organizational initiatives, and other special projects. The successful candidate will be organized, detail-oriented, independent, and comfortable identifying solutions and creating structure around new ideas.

This position requires an energetic, adaptable self-starter who can balance multiple priorities, build productive and collaborative relationships, anticipate challenges, and move projects forward with limited day-to-day direction. This position reports to the Executive Director.

Project & Program Management

• Develop, guide, and implement projects and programs that support Downtown Wichita as a vibrant urban center.
• Partner with the Executive Director to translate organizational vision, priorities, and ideas into clear operational and project plans.
• Lead projects and initiatives from initial concept through planning, implementation, evaluation, and completion.
• Develop project scopes, goals, objectives, work plans, timelines, milestones, budgets, responsibilities, deliverables, and measures of success.
• Establish structure and processes for new initiatives.
• Manage multiple projects and priorities simultaneously while maintaining attention to deadlines, details, and desired outcomes.
• Track project progress, identify potential obstacles, and proactively develop solutions to maintain momentum.
• Regularly communicate project status, upcoming decisions, risks, and resource needs to the Executive Director and other stakeholders.
• Evaluate completed initiatives and identify lessons learned and opportunities for improvement.
• Analyze and tailor processes to improve efficiency in annual programs.

Strategic & Operational Support

• Serve as an implementation partner to the Executive Director by helping move strategic priorities from ideas to action.
• Gather and synthesize information from multiple sources and translate findings into practical recommendations and next steps.
• Develop processes, tools, and systems that improve project execution and organizational effectiveness.
• Identify gaps, ask thoughtful questions, and seek the information necessary to understand project needs, challenges, and desired outcomes.
• Respond to changing priorities and emerging opportunities with flexibility and sound judgment.
• Collaborate with internal staff in a collegial and supportive work environment.

Partner & Contractor Coordination

• Hire and coordinate the work of consultants,…