Downtown Engagement and Membership Manager

Position Summary

The Downtown Community Partnership (DCP) is seeking a dynamic, relationship-driven Downtown Engagement & Membership Manager to strengthen the connection between downtown businesses, residents, community partners, and the DCP. This role is at the heart of our mission to support a clean, safe, vibrant, and welcoming Downtown Fargo.

The Downtown Engagement & Membership Manager builds and maintains meaningful relationships with the business community, leads membership growth and retention, supports downtown activation initiatives, and serves as a connector between individuals and companies in our downtown. This role requires a natural connector; someone who brings genuine energy to relationship-building, communicates consistently with businesses, and ensures our members feel heard and supported. The person in this role must be comfortable regularly walking the district visiting businesses, proactively communicating, solving problems, listening to needs, and helping downtown businesses succeed.

Key Responsibilities

As part of a small, highly collaborative team, this role adapts to individual strengths and contributes to an office culture where each person helps make the whole organization stronger.

Membership Development & Retention (40%)

• Grow and manage the DCP’s membership program, including recruitment, onboarding, engagement, and retention.
• Build strong, consistent relationships with members through regular check-ins, follow-up, and ongoing communication; ensuring businesses feel heard, supported, and connected.
• Manage member records in NOVI AMS; track membership analytics and prepare monthly reports.
• Lead membership campaigns, targeted outreach, and small business engagement efforts.
• Maintain an organized approach to managing member needs, requests, and onboarding processes to keep information and workflows clear for the entire DCP team; including the development of business-facing communication (newsletters, updates, resource guides).

Downtown Engagement & Activation (30%)

• Maintain a strong daily presence in Downtown Fargo; visiting businesses, responding to concerns, and reporting issues.
• Serve as a liaison between businesses, property owners, and the DCP.
• Collaborate closely with DCP staff to share insights from business visits, ensuring our internal work reflects real-time downtown needs.
• Support implementation of the City of Fargo’s Downtown InFocus initiatives.
• Assist with business-focused programs such as the Coffee and Cocoa Crawl, Window Wonderland, Small Business features, holiday campaigns, etc.
• Track district trends, business changes (openings/closings), and report opportunities or concerns to DCP leadership.

Events & Programming Support (20%)

• Assist in planning and executing DCP events, including membership socials, educational workshops, panel discussions, and business appreciation events.
• Support onsite needs for major community events (Street Fair, Holiday Lights Parade, Fashion Show, Miss Downtown, etc.).
• Bring ideas and solutions to event planning discussions and help improve processes through thoughtful problem-solving and feedback.
• Coordinate member participation in events and district-wide activations.

Partnership & Community Coordination (10%)

• Build strong relationships with downtown institutions, city departments, service providers, neighborhood groups, and anchor organizations.
• Participate in downtown meetings, business roundtables, and stakeholder working groups as a representative of the DCP.
• Support advocacy efforts by gathering business feedback and communicating district-wide needs.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in communications, business, community development, public relations, or related field OR equivalent professional experience.
• 2+ years of experience in community engagement, business development, nonprofit management, or related work.
• Strong interpersonal skills; thrives in relationship-oriented work and public-facing environments.
• Strong attention to detail with the ability to organize information, maintain accurate records, and keep processes running smoothly for a small, fast-moving team.
• Outstanding communication skills, both written and verbal.
• Highly organized with the ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• Able to balance independent work with strong collaboration; comfortable bringing ideas forward, communicating needs, and working as part of a close-knit team.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a small, collaborative team.
• Comfortable walking outdoors year-round throughout Downtown Fargo.
• Occasional evenings/weekends required for events.

Preferred Skills

• Knowledge of Downtown Fargo and its business community.
• Familiarity using CRM or membership management systems (NOVI preferred).
• Experience in sales, business outreach, or member-driven work.
• Comfortable supporting small businesses through events, promotions, or community engagement initiatives.
• Experience collaborating with retailers, restaurants, or entrepreneurs.

About the DCP

The Downtown Community Partnership works to promote, support, and grow Downtown Fargo as the vibrant heart of the region. Through advocacy, events, placemaking, member services, and community partnerships, the DCP connects businesses, residents, and visitors to create a thriving and inclusive downtown experience.

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: $48,000.00 - $60,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• Dental insurance
• Flexible schedule
• Health insurance
• Paid time off
• Retirement plan
• Vision insurance

Application Question(s):

• Do you love Downtown Fargo? If so, what does Downtown Fargo mean to you?

Work Location: In person