Director, Downtown Services DDP

Love Downtown Davenport? Ready to make an impact you can actually see?

The Downtown Davenport Partnership (DDP) is seeking a Director, Downtown Services to lead the day-to-day delivery of services that help keep downtown Davenport clean, welcoming, well maintained, and responsive to the needs of the district.

This is a hands-on, field-based leadership role responsible for overseeing DDP’s Cleaning Ambassador program, beautification efforts, maintenance services, vendors, assets, technology, budgets, and performance reporting. The Director works closely with City departments, public-safety and social-service partners, service providers, and downtown stakeholders to address daily conditions and ensure DDP’s strategic priorities translate into consistent, visible results throughout the district.

Approximately 70% of this position’s time is spent in the downtown district, providing direct leadership to the Ambassador team, monitoring conditions, coordinating services, and responding to emerging needs and opportunities.

What You’ll Do

• Lead and support the Cleaning Ambassador team and daily downtown service operations.
• Oversee beautification, maintenance, and contracted service delivery.
• Monitor downtown conditions and coordinate timely responses to service needs.
• Manage program budgets, vendors, equipment, assets, technology, and performance reporting.
• Build strong working relationships with City departments, public-safety partners, social-service organizations, businesses, property owners, and other downtown stakeholders.
• Connect DDP’s broader strategic priorities with on the ground execution and measurable results.
• Help create a downtown environment that is clean, welcoming, vibrant, and positioned for continued growth.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities

1. Team Leadership & Contract Management

• Ambassador Management: Provide daily management, scheduling, coaching, training and performance oversight for approximately five to ten contract Ambassadors
• Asset & Supply Oversight: Monitor inventory and condition of DDP vehicles, equipment and supplies; coordinate maintenance and repairs; track related expenses and routine purchases within established limits.
• Contract Fulfillment & Performance Reporting: Oversee fulfillment of the DDP/City maintenance contract, track service performance and maintain required documentation and accountability.
• Budget Management: Monitor the approved Downtown Services budget, track labor and contract expenses, review invoices, recommend annual needs and report significant variances to the Executive Director.
• Service Delivery: Oversee team responsibilities including daily downtown trash pick-up, parking ramp cleaning, pocket-park maintenance, Skybridge cleaning, graffiti removal, snow removal and other DDP services.

2. Public Realm Operations & Beautification

• Beautification Programs: Direct and manage the DDP flower beautification program to enhance the visual appeal of the district.
• Daily Maintenance: Manage daily DDP-led cleaning efforts, ensuring the cleanliness of the public right-of-way, general debris removal, graffiti removal, etc.

3. Stakeholder Liaison & Community Partnerships

• Civic Coordination: Serve as the primary liaison for DDP with City Public Works staff to build and maintain strong municipal partnerships.
• Social & Safety Outreach: Coordinate with social-service and public-safety partners to connect vulnerable individuals with appropriate resources and address on-street concerns.
• Business Relations: Communicate regularly with downtown business owners, property owners, and front-line staff to address concerns and gather feedback.
• Problem Resolution: Provide creative solutions and rapid deployment responses to unexpected on-street issues

4. Placemaking & Event Logistics

• Cross-Departmental Collaboration: Coordinate deployment of Downtown Services staff, equipment and resources to support outdoor programming, seasonal activations and district festivals. Responsibilities may include pre-event district preparation, equipment placement, waste management, and post-event cleaning.
• Built-Environment Improvements: Lead minor capital projects focused on spatial improvements, tactical urbanism, and outdoor infrastructure updates.

Supervisory Responsibilities: Supervises seasonal contract staff ranging from about 5-10 people

Qualifications: To perform this job successfully, the individual in this position must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the minimum knowledge, skills and ability:

Education, Experience & Skills

• Bachelor’s degree in public administration, operations management, urban planning, hospitality, facilities management or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education, training and relevant experience.
• 3+ years of experience in related field
• Strong organizational, time management and follow-through skills
• Ability to coach, mentor, train and supervise seasonal employees
• Ability to build and maintain effective work relationships both internally and externally
• Demonstrated ability to monitor operating budgets, analyze expenses, manage hourly labor costs and recommend annual budget needs.
• Ability to manage multiple initiatives and projects simultaneously and meet deadlines
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Availability to occasionally work non-traditional hours (early AM; evenings, weekends, holidays)
• Demonstrable integrity and professionalism in keeping with Chamber standards of conduct
• Ability to be pragmatic without compromising principles and high standards of performance

Equipment and Software Skills:

• Ability to operate small utility vehicles, experience with skid-loaders a plus
• Proficiency in Microsoft Excel, Word, PowerPoint, and Outlook
• Must be able to operate standard office equipment

Certificates, Licenses, Registrations:

• Must possess a valid driver’s license and be insurable
• Ability to operate a skid-loader or be willing to take training

Language Skills:

• Ability to read, analyze, and interpret general business issues
• Ability to write reports, business correspondence, and procedure manuals
• Ability to effectively present and respond to questions from managers & stakeholders
• Ability to effectively present information and respond to questions.

Mathematical Skills:

• Experience with basic budget analysis and capacity to schedule hourly staff accordingly

Reasoning Ability:

• Ability to solve practical problems and deal with daily variables
• Ability to interpret a variety of instructions furnished in written, oral, or visual form
  

Physical Demands: This position requires the ability to perform the essential functions of the job, with or without reasonable accommodation. The role involves a combination of office and field-based work, including routinely moving throughout the downtown district and working outdoors in varying weather conditions. The employee must be able to operate standard office equipment and DDP-provided utility vehicles and occasionally move or lift materials and equipment weighing up to 25 pounds.

Work Environment: The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those employee encounters while performing the essential functions of the job. Position will routinely move indoors and outdoors throughout downtown as-needed with occasional inclement weather. A DDP-provided utility vehicle will be available for travel throughout the downtown district. Position is expected to spend about 70% of their time out of office with the Ambassador team.