New Kensington Community Development Corporation (NKCDC) is a community development corporation committed to sustainable development in housing opportunities, economic development, vacant land strategies, community engagement, and real estate development. NKCDC advances social equity and economic empowerment by nurturing and creating opportunities for residents to live and actively shaping their neighborhoods of choice. To that end, NKCDC provides free resources to residents and businesses in the Kensington, Fishtown, and Port Richmond neighborhoods.
NKCDC has a strong reputation, both locally and nationally, with longstanding credibility of serving as a trusted and valuable partner and collaborator. The organization is one of only two community development organizations in Philadelphia chartered members of the NeighborWorks America network. Our current work using a trauma-informed community engagement model, applying a racial equity lens across the organization, and leading programs at the intersection of health and housing are keeping NKCDC at the cutting edge of community development. NKCDC draws on the strengths of the communities in Kensington, Fishtown, and Port Richmond — a population of over 62,800, 23% of whom live below the federal poverty level — to make sure neighborhood development benefits all residents. More information can be found at nkcdc.org.
Function
The Corridor Steward will work with the Economic Development team to improve commercial corridors through cleaning and education. They will also serve as an ambassador for commercial corridors within the Kensington, Fishtown, and Port Richmond area. The Commercial Corridor Steward will interact with business and property owners, providing cleaning services, servicing public trash cans and provide street furniture maintenance.
Reports to
Lead Commercial Corridor Steward
Responsibilities
• Remove litter from sidewalks, curbs, and sections of the street
• Remove graffiti, stickers, and other debris from public fixtures
• Ensure lots and public spaces are free from trash and debris
• Track and maintain a list of business/property owners’ concerns as needed, reporting such concerns to
Supervisor
• Interact with business owners along the corridor, distributing materials and promoting events and providing
education on City policies
• Identify code violations, capture images on camera phone and send to 3-1-1
• Service NKCDC owned trash cans in the public right of way
• Additional tasks as assigned.
Qualifications
• Ability and willingness to work outside in all types of weather
• Ability to stand and/or walk for long periods of time
• Ability to lift 50 lbs.
• Comfortable walking and using a pushcart for short and long distances
• Excellent interpersonal communication skills and a willingness to interact with a diverse population
• A team player and self-starter with the ability to prioritize tasks
• Language skills in Spanish, Polish or Vietnamese a plus
Compensation
The pay rate for this position is $23.90, with a full-time schedule, 35 hours per week. To counter pay inequality and uphold internal parity, we use a nonnegotiable starting salary system, while benchmarking our pay to competitive markets in the nonprofit sector. Excellent benefits include an HMO health plan, long- and short-term disability insurance, life insurance, paid vacation, and a 403(b)-retirement plan. Work hours are from 9am-5pm. This position will be on-site at our central office, 2771 Ruth Street, Suite 1, Philadelphia, PA 19134.
Application process
Applicants should submit a resume to HR@nkcdc.org, with “[YOUR NAME] Commercial Corridor Steward” in the subject line or apply in person with a physical application. Applications received by April 19th, 2024, will be given full consideration. All candidate resumes are given due consideration and are kept on file for one year, but we cannot always respond personally depending on the volume of inquiries.
Hiring process
Our hiring process includes a 20–30-minute interview with HR, followed by an in-person interview with the hiring manager, and finally an hour-long “panel” interview with 4-6 staff members. Reference checks are conducted after the final interview.
NKCDC provides Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) to all persons regardless of age, race, national or ethnic origin, gender identity or expression, religion, language, political beliefs, sexual orientation, or physical ability. If you meet some of the qualifications above, we encourage you to apply or to reach out for more information. We know groups subjected to systemic oppression– including people of color, women, people from working-class backgrounds, and people who identify as LGBTQ – are less likely to apply unless and until they meet every requirement for a job. Therefore, we strongly encourage applications from people with these identities or who are members of other communities who are marginalized.