Director of Programs and Operations, ULI Washington

Job Description

Job Description

About the Urban Land Institute

The Urban Land Institute is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit research and education organization supported by its members. Founded in 1936, ULI has more than 48,000 members worldwide representing the full spectrum of land use and real estate development disciplines. ULI's mission is to shape the future of the built environment for transformative impact in communities worldwide.

About ULI Washington

ULI Washington is one of the largest district councils in the ULI network, serving approximately 1,800 members across Washington DC, Northern Virginia, and Suburban Maryland. Programming is delivered through a network of member-led product councils, affinity groups, and signature convenings, supported by a small professional staff working in close partnership with volunteer leaders.

The district council is in the middle of a deliberate rebuild under a new Executive Director: a more member-driven model, clearer priorities, and a team structured for sustainable delivery. The Director hire is central to that rebuild. This is a genuine opportunity to help shape what ULI Washington becomes, not just manage what it has been.

The Role

The Director is the operational heart of ULI Washington. When the Executive Director is out building relationships, pursuing sponsorship, and representing the district council externally, the Director runs the business: keeping programs on track, staff aligned, member volunteers supported, and decisions made. This is a role for someone who has already built a career, brings natural executive presence in rooms with senior professionals, and wants to apply that experience to something with real civic impact.

Day to day, the Director owns ULI Washington's flagship programs from strategy through execution, manages external communications, and serves as the Executive Director's most trusted operational partner. The right person is collaborative by instinct, comfortable being the steady presence that holds a small team together, and confident enough to make judgment calls without waiting for direction.

What You Will Do

Operational leadership and team stewardship

• Serve as the Executive Director's primary operational partner: run the day-to-day business of ULI Washington when the ED is engaged externally, make sound decisions independently, and be the reliable center of gravity for the team

• Keep staff, contractors, and member volunteers moving together toward shared goals, in a culture where titles are less important than shared ownership of outcomes

• Support the ongoing transition from a staff-led service model to one where members lead and staff enables, including resetting member expectations with diplomacy and clarity

• Partner with the Program and Operations Coordinator on membership engagement and new open programming development

Signature events and programs

• Own Future Forum, the Annual Awards for Excellence Gala, and the Winter Luncheon (Women's Leadership Initiative) from strategy through execution, with direct accountability for revenue targets on all three

• Lead two Local Product Councils and organize the annual joint Local Product Councils Summit

• Support additional programming as needed, including the Women's Leadership Initiative, Pathways to Inclusion, and Leadership Institute

• Manage contractors and coordinate staff and volunteers in support of event execution

Communications and external voice

• Set messaging strategy and own ULI Washington's external voice across email, LinkedIn, and Instagram

• Manage the communications contractor relationship and determine the right balance of in-house and outsourced content production

• Oversee the internal communications calendar and review and approval of outgoing content

• Develop program marketing assets using Canva and other available tools

WHAT ARE WE LOOKING FOR

Required

• 7 to 10 years of relevant experience in program management, events, stakeholder engagement, or a related field, with meaningful experience running signature or high-profile events
• Natural executive presence and the credibility to represent ULI Washington in rooms with senior real estate executives, civic leaders, member volunteers, and sponsors
• A genuinely collaborative working style: comfort sharing information, trading roles when needed, and contributing to a small team where no task is beneath anyone
• Demonstrated ability to manage complex programs with real financial accountability, including revenue targets, not just logistics or cost management
• Strong written and verbal communication skills and the confidence to own an organisation's external voice
• Comfort operating independently on a small team where priorities shift and sound judgment matters more than close supervision
• Located in or willing to relocate to the DC metro area; availability for early morning and evening events is required
• Bachelor's degree required

Preferred

• Experience in a membership-based, association management, or mission-driven nonprofit context
• Familiarity with land use, real estate, urban planning, or civic engagement in the DC region
• Experience with communications tools including Canva, Adobe Creative Suite, or social media scheduling platforms

WHAT SUCCESS LOOKS LIKE

In the first year, a successful Director will have planned and executed a financially strong Future Forum, helped reposition the Awards gala as a serious revenue driver, and built the kind of trust with the Executive Director that makes the partnership genuinely work. They will have helped shift the team's culture and the expectations of ULI Washington's member community toward a more sustainable model. And they will have established themselves as a credible, consistent external voice for the district council.

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS

The salary range for this position is $85,000 to $100,234. Actual compensation will be based on experience, education, skills, and other job-related factors.

ULI offers a comprehensive benefits package including health, dental, and life insurance; generous vacation leave; and retirement plan with employer match.

WORKING CONDITIONS

The Urban Land Institute (ULI) is committed to shaping the future of the built environment for transformative impact in communities worldwide, and we embrace our core values of integrity, collaboration, inclusion, and excellence in service to our members. In alignment with the Board of Directors’ strong commitment to in-person collaboration, our roles require regular on-site presence to foster teamwork, innovation, and organizational effectiveness. ULI’s primary workplace remains its offices, where in-person collaboration supports our mission and service to members.

APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS:

To apply, please follow the link. Please submit a résumé and a letter of interest/cover letter.

ULI is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion/creed, sex, national origin, disability, genetic information, pregnancy, veteran or active military status, non-citizenship or citizenship status, arrest or conviction record, credit history, salary history, caregiver status, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital or partnership status, familial status, unemployment status, status as a victim of domestic violence or sexual violence, or any other status protected by applicable law.

EOE/m/f/d/v. No relocation reimbursement is offered at this time.