Eastern Market Main Street Program Manager
About us: Eastern Market Main Street (EMMS) is a designated DC Main Street program.
EMMS is dedicated to fostering a collaborative, connected, and competitive business
community that reinforces our historic, iconic, and diverse neighborhood identity. The
mission of EMMS is to capitalize on our historic assets and entrepreneurial culture to
promote, retain, and attract diverse, small businesses through the Main Street Four-
Point Approach: Organization, Promotion, Design, and Economic Vitality.
About Main Streets: Main Street America has been helping to revitalize historic
commercial districts for more than 35 years. Made up of small towns, mid-sized
communities, and urban commercial districts, Main Street America represents the broad
diversity that makes this country so unique. The Main Street Approach™ offers
community-based revitalization initiatives with a practical, adaptable framework for
downtown transformation that is easily tailored to local conditions. The Main Street
Approach helps communities get started with revitalization, and grows with them over
time.
DC Main Streets is a Main Street America™ Coordinating Program. DC Main Streets
serves as the citywide coordinating program that provides services and funding for the
28 Main Streets found in the District of Columbia. DC Main Streets' mission is to
support traditional retail corridors in the District. Through our 28 independent,
nonprofit neighborhood Main Street programs, we revitalize communities by retaining
and recruiting businesses, improving commercial properties and streetscapes, and
attracting consumers.
Program Manager Job Description
Eastern Market Main Street is seeking a full-time Program Manager. This individual will
be responsible for the management, coordination, documentation, and implementation
of the Main Street revitalization program, following the National Main Street Center’s
Four-Point approach:
● Organization - Managing the operational aspects of the nonprofit, extensive
fundraising efforts, and building consensus and cooperation among the
volunteers, businesses, residents and organizations that all play roles in the
Eastern Market neighborhood of Capitol Hill.
● Design - Enhancing and improving the appearance of the Eastern Market
neighborhood utilizing urban design and historic preservation initiatives.
● Promotion - Marketing the Eastern Market neighborhood to investors, new
businesses, residents, local employees, shoppers and visitors.
● Economic Vitality - Strengthening, building, and diversifying the economic base
of the Eastern Market neighborhood.
Work Objectives
The Eastern Market Main Street Program Manager will work closely with the EMMS
Board leadership and Barracks Row Mainstreet (BRMS, our neighbor to the south) to
plan, execute, and document the work of the Eastern Market Main Street program.
Eastern Market Main Street shares office space with Barracks Row Mainstreet and
Capitol Hill Association of Merchants and Professionals (CHAMPS, the local chamber of
commerce) and coordinates some programming with these organizations to best serve
the business community of Capitol Hill.
The Program Manager is the principal on-site staff person responsible for EMMS
program activities and volunteers, as well as representing the community regionally and
nationally as appropriate.
The Program Manager will carry out the following tasks:
● Coordinate the activity of the EMMS committees (Programs, Economic Vitality,
Design) to implement current programming including small business grant
programs and educational sessions for small businesses, annual events (National
Cherry Blossom Festival, Funky Fridays, Art All Night and The Holly Days) and
campaigns (#HeartoftheHill), neighborhood partnerships, etc.
● Oversee all administrative aspects of the EMMS program, including purchasing,
record keeping, budget development, basic accounting, preparing the timely
reports required by the DC Main Street program and by the National Main Street
Center, assisting with the preparation of reports to funding agencies, and
supervising employees or consultants.
● Get to know the business owners and managers in the EMMS corridor in order to
better serve the community and fulfill the role of Program Manager. Be a
resource for our business community helping to connect businesses with
available city services and programs.
● Help build strong and productive relationships with appropriate public agencies
at the local government, including the office of the Ward 6 and At-large
Council members and the Department of Small and Local Business Development.
Work closely with other local Main Street programs to ensure cooperation,
rather than competition, between programs. Collaborate with other Capitol Hill
organizations – namely, CHAMPS, Capitol Hill BID, and Barracks Row Main Street
– to foster activities that benefit the entire Capitol Hill community.
● Support the Board of Directors and committees in developing an action plan that
will involve directly and indirectly all businesses in the neighborhood. Ensure
EMMS is a inclusive organization.
● Develop and conduct on-going public awareness/marketing programs designed
to enhance appreciation of the area’s assets and businesses and to foster an
understanding of Eastern Market Main Street’s goals and objectives. Use social
media, networking events, and personal appearances to keep the program in the
public eye.
● Maintain data systems to track the progress of the local Main Street program.
These systems include fundraising progress, economic monitoring, individual
building files, photographic documentation of physical changes, and statistics on
job creation and business retention.
Resource Management Responsibilities
The Program Manager supervises any necessary temporary employees, as well as
professional consultants. They participate in personnel and project evaluations. The
Program Manager oversees the maintenance of local Main Street program records and
reports, establishes technical resource files and libraries, and prepares regular reports
for the DC Main Street program and the National Main Street Center. The Program
Manager monitors the annual program budget and maintains financial records.
Job Knowledge and Skills Required
About the job: Main Street programs are, historically, single employee organizations, so
the responsibility for and a majority of the work will fall to this position. EMMS is now
working closely with BRMS and CHAMPS and has a shared office manager to assist with
the work of these organizations. Sharing resources and close coordination and
cooperation with BRMS and CHAMPS allows all three organizations to do more for the
business community on Capitol Hill.
EMMS seeks a highly organized, self-starting, action-oriented, capable Program
Manager with incredible attention to detail to the day-to-day operations of a very small
yet very busy non-profit organization. A BA or BS is strongly preferred with 2-3 years of
applicable experience.
The Program Manager should have education and/or experience in one or more of the
following areas: commercial district management, fundraising / development, event
planning, economics, finance, public relations, planning/design, business administration,
public administration, retailing, graphic design, volunteer or non-profit administration,
architecture, historic preservation, and/or small business management, development,
and / or assistance.
The Program Manager must be sensitive to design and preservation issues and must
understand the issues confronting the Eastern Market business community, property
owners, public agencies, and community organizations. Excellent written and verbal
communication skills are essential. Supervisory skills are desirable.
How to apply:
To apply, please send a single PDF containing your cover letter, resume, and
professional references to HR@easternmarketmainstreet.org, Attn: Mary Quillian.
EMMS is accepting applications through June 12, 2023.
Salary will vary with experience, but will be in the $60,000-$70,000 range. EMMS will
offer a comprehensive benefits package that will includes health insurance, dental, a
generous employer match for retirement funds, and paid vacation and sick leave, in
addition to comp time as needed. Standard office hours are 10:00am to 6:00pm at our
offices on Capitol Hill. This is a full time position and requires on-site presence most of
the time. Some weekend work may be required and when this happens, equivalent
weekdays are exchanged for work on weekends. Preference will be given to DC-area
residents and those willing to relocate into the area. Relocation allowance is not
provided for this position.
Eastern Market Main Street is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants
are encouraged to apply!