Oakland Chinatown Place Manager

Company Description

District Works stands strong in the Bay Area's Urban Place Management community, providing a wide variety of services that help create beautiful community spaces, neighborhoods, and public parks by removing litter, installing & maintaining landscaping, and hosting events. We provide highly trained Place Managers to make public plazas, downtowns, and neighborhoods more comfortable and welcoming for all. We support our clients with Urban Place Management services through public realm improvement and hospitality services.

A Place Manager for District Works provides supervision of business improvement districts, community benefit districts, local agencies, and municipality cleaning and safety programs. Our services include cleaning detail while offering exceptional customer service and hospitality.  As a Place Manager your duties will be varied; however, the ideal candidate will demonstrate interpersonal skills that contribute to delivery of an exceptional customer experience.

Position Description - Oakland Chinatown Place Manager

The primary responsibilities of the Oakland Chinatown Place Manager are as follows:

1. CARETAKING AND RADICAL HOSPITALITY

• Provide a clear and visible presence within the boundaries of Oakland Chinatown (the “district”) in order to improve the perception of the district as a safe place;
• Offer assistance and information to businesses and employees within the district (e.g., providing directions, distributing flyers, and answering questions about the district and its activities);
• Work to achieve a measurable decrease in all crimes committed within the boundaries of the district. We will specifically:
  • Engage with the residents, visitors, and employees of our downtown. Listening to people is the only way to effect real change. This type of engagement allows us to discover new ideas, invigorate old methods, and reduce behavior that negatively impacts the districts. It takes vision and skill to do, and we have both;
  • Participate in community meetings with social service providers from the public and private sectors, including the City of Oakland and Alameda County. The goal is to promote communication and collaboration on issues of mutual concern for business owners and residents in the districts;
  • Practice radical hospitality and use our resources to help everyone in need, especially the unsheltered. Our knowledge of temporary housing, food banks, “call home” programs and drug rehabilitation services are invaluable in dealing with an ongoing social disaster that we know is not going away soon;
  • Train and ensure all staff adhere to our clients stated position on homelessness.

2. ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP

• TRASH COLLECTION & LITTER ABATEMENT
  • Abate all litter and illegal dumping in the public right of way and ensure that all items are sorted and directed to their appropriate waste stream in a timely manner
  • Collect, dispose of, and replace trash bags in trash receptacles as needed
  • Wipe down, clean, and pressure wash all trash receptacles frequently
  • Maintain daily collection/cleaning reports and distribute the reports to the Program Coordinator for program evaluation and data collection
  • Pressure wash the bottom of trash receptacles to remove dog urine and liquid spills.
• GRAFFITI REMOVAL
  • Using the most environmentally sensitive practices, the Oakland Chinatown Placemanager will remove graffiti, stickers and signs from buildings, trees, poles, planters, newsracks, utility boxes, or any other surfaces every day.
  • All graffiti will be color matched and painted or removed from the ground and wall surfaces as quickly as possible. Our goal is to remove graffiti within 24 hours of each work order.
• SPECIAL PROJECTS
  • Graffiti abatement and strategic touch-up painting of trash receptacles, planters, and light poles.
  • Installing benches and trash receptacles in the public right of way.
  • Support the Oakland Chinatown Improvement Council in executing numerous projects, including the abatement of hard-to-reach graffiti that requires boom lifts and aerial lift operator certification.
• SPECIAL EVENTS
  • Pre and post-event cleaning, onsite event maintenance, and waste sorting and hauling.
• SIDEWALK PRESSURE WASHING
  • Conduct environmentally sound pressure washing, following all local and state regulations to remove blood, urine, feces, and substances that cause harm in high traffic public right of ways.

3. GROUNDSKEEPING & MAINTENANCE

• Provide greening and beautification services including street median and ground planter maintenance, debris removal, soil amendment, watering, hanging plant program management, and other ground related groundskeeping and maintenance services as requested within the district.

4. ZONE MANAGEMENT, DISPATCH & REPORTING

• Communicate via 2-way radios, email and other technology, information relevant to district requests for service and areas of high interest. 
• Responsible for supervising district zones in conjunction with, and especially in the absence of the Program Director.

General Responsibilities

• Provide backup support to other team members when on vacation, sick, or out of the office.
• Available to assist other District Works Programs in any capacity needed.
• Schedules are not set hours or days and fluctuate according to programmatic needs and management requests. 
• Able to read, write, and speak English, Cantonese, and/or Mandarin.

Benefits and Compensation

• $27.00 - $29.00 ($56,160 - $60,320 annually annually)
• Health, dental, and mental wellness insurance coverage for employees and dependents 
• 401(k) plan with employer match 
• Paid vacation and sick time off 
• A full-time employment status of 40 hours per week is required to participate in company benefits.

Job Requirements

• Must have the physical capacity to walk or ride a bicycle while towing up to 125 lbs of debris continuously during an eight hour shift, with normal breaks (two fifteen minutes, and one thirty minute meal break).
• Must be able to work outdoors in all conditions with provided inclement weather gear.
• Must be able to lift 50 lbs.
• Must provide proof of COVID-19 vaccination or appropriate religious or medical exemption status.
• Must be able to provide proof of valid CA Driver’s license and clean driving record.
• Must be able to read, write, and speak English, Cantonese, and/or Mandarin.
• Must maintain a positive, professional environment in full compliance with applicable laws, regulations, policies, procedures and overall District Works standards of expected professionalism.
• Must be able and willing to correct poor performance or employee misconduct.
• Must be dedicated to serving the community.
• Ability to maintain clear boundaries and strict confidentiality with clients.
• Ability to create a compassionate and empowering connection with visitors, residents, and members of the community.
• Ability to remain calm in crisis situations, think well on one’s feet, de-escalate situations, and promote positive communication.
• Ability to work independently with minimal supervision.
• Good listening skills, with a strong ability to be patient and compassionate with community members challenged by mental health issues.
• Core competency to effectively relate with a culturally and racially diverse group of staff, residents, and tenants.