About the Department:

The Virginia SBDC Network is a partnership with the US SBA and other Local hosts to provide counseling services and training to Small Businesses in Virginia. The Virginia SBDC Lead office administers and manages the SBDC network of 25 centers across Virginia with 13 subrecipients including universities, community colleges and economic development organizations. The Virginia SBDC is a program of Mason Enterprise.

About the Position:

The Program Manager leads the SBDC State Small Business Credit Initiative Technical Assistance (SSBCI TA) Program. The SSBCI TA Program works with very small businesses (10 employees or less) and socially and economically disadvantaged individuals (SEDIs) across Virginia to help them secure federal and state funding. This position requires a strong understanding of financial institutions and funding mechanisms, experience working with small businesses on accessing capital, a high level of comfort and experience developing and delivering training both in-person and virtually, and experience managing a federal grant.

Responsibilities:

Executes SSBCI Services and Programming

• Leads the implementation of SSBCI services and programming in accordance with funder requirements and small business needs;
• Provides one-on-one advising to very small businesses and SEDIs on accessing capital, financial management, and other relevant areas;
• Develops and delivers training sessions and events both in-person and virtually to support very small businesses and socially and economically disadvantaged individuals; and
• Participates in America’s SBDC SSBCI Interest Group to stay informed of best practices and program updates. 

Prepares and Submits SSBCI Programmatic Reports 

• Tracks and reports all activities, impacts, and outcomes to funders as per their schedule and requirements;
• Ensures accurate and timely submission of all required reports, demonstrating performance toward goals in alignment with funder and grant agreements; and
• Ensures adherence to all grant requirements, including financial and programmatic reporting, to maintain compliance and funding eligibility. 

Markets and Promotes SSBCI Programs and Services 

• Works closely with the digital content coordinator and other team members to support the promotion of SSBCI programs and services;
• Contributes to the creation and review of marketing materials that effectively communicate program offerings to target audiences, including very small businesses and socially and economically disadvantaged individuals; and
• Assists in coordinating outreach efforts and ensuring alignment with overall marketing strategies and objectives. 

Supervisory Responsibilities 

• Hires, trains, and supervises full-time and part-time employees and contractors ensuring they have the resources and support needed to achieve program objectives;
• Provides ongoing coaching and performance feedback to team members; and
• Oversees the day-to-day operations of the SSBCI program staff, ensuring alignment with program goals and funder requirements.

Required Qualifications:

• High school diploma or equivalent;
• Demonstrated experience with web and mobile technologies;
• Demonstrated experience with Microsoft Office products;
• Knowledge and understanding of current small business challenges and technical assistance resources;
• Knowledgeable of training methodologies and platforms;
• Ability to interface with multiple levels of expertise in a professional, unbiased manner;
• Ability to work productively on simultaneous projects and to respond quickly to rapidly changing priorities;
• Public speaking skills;
• Demonstrated communication and people skills; and
• Proficiency in computer software programs and databases.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in related field;
• Recent experience advising and training very small businesses (10 employees or less) and socially and economically disadvantaged individuals in the areas of financial literacy, financial analysis and management, access to capital, accounting and recordkeeping, and legal issues related to financing;
• Recent experience creating and/or curating content in the areas of financial literacy, financial analysis and management, access to capital, accounting and recordkeeping, and legal issues related to financing;
• Experience and knowledge of federal and state loan programs (SSBCI, SBA, USDA, VSBFA, etc.);
• Recent experience working with financial institutions and lenders that support very small businesses (10 employees or less) and socially and economically disadvantaged individuals;
• Experience with hiring and supervising full-time and part-time employees, and contractors;
• Experience establishing program performance metrics and tracking and reporting deliverables according to grant requirements;
• Experience managing a government grant;
• Experience with economic development, entrepreneurship, and innovation communities statewide;
• Familiarity and knowledge working with the Small Business Administration (SBA), Small Business Development Center (SBDC), and Virginia Small Business Financing Authority (VSBFA) and other state and federal programs and the products and services they provide.
• Ability to establish program performance metrics and tracking and reporting deliverables according to grant requirements;
• Knowledge of federal, state and local regulations relevant to small business; and
• Bilingual or multilingual is preferred.

Instructions to Applicants: 

For full consideration, applicants must apply for SSBCI Program Manager at https://jobs.gmu.edu/. Complete and submit the online application to include three professional references with contact information, and provide a cover letter and a resume.

Posting Open Date: October 17, 2024

For Full Consideration, Apply by:  November 7, 2024

Open Until Filled:  Yes