Associate Director, East Colorado SBDC; Northeast

Department Information

The Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT) fosters a positive business climate and encourages quality economic development through the support of local and regional economic development activities across the state. A comprehensive slate of programs within OEDIT's divisions work together to offer economic development services for all Colorado businesses - new and expanding, traditional and emerging, small and large.

The service offerings include retention programs to ensure continued competitiveness of Colorado's economic base and job training to keep Colorado's workforce the best in the nation.

As a U. S. Small Business Administration (SBA) Resource Partner, the Colorado Small Business Development Center (SBDC) empowers entrepreneurs and business owners to successfully navigate their full business lifecycle-from launch through growth to exit-by delivering business advising and other technical assistance (e.g., training) as well as connecting them to community resources. The Colorado SBDC consists of a network of 14 Service Centers across the state hosted by institutes of higher education, city and county governments, economic development agencies, chambers of commerce, and incubators.

The East Colorado SBDC is one of the 14 service centers and supports 20 counties in the eastern half of the state divided into Northeast and Southeast regions:

• Northeast Region:
  Adams (partial), Arapahoe (partial), Cheyenne, Elbert, Kit Carson, Lincoln, Logan, Morgan, Phillips, Sedgwick, Washington, Weld, and Yuma.

• Southeast Region:
  Baca, Bent, Crowley, Kiowa, Las Animas, Otero, and Prowers

This fully remote position offers full-time employment as an exempt, at-will State of Colorado Employee. This position is funded by a federal grant and is contingent upon the renewal of annual grant funding.

The Associate Director (AD) will oversee daily operations to support the Northeast region's SBDC services, and will also support the Colorado SBDC Regional Director with strategic planning and community and stakeholder engagement. Daily operations include delivering advising, training, and resource connection services to small business clients while ensuring compliance with the Colorado SBDC Network's mission, vision, and funder requirements. This is done through a combination of providing direct support, working with Colorado SBDC staff, and managing contracted advisors and facilitators.

The AD will also work with the Colorado SBDC Regional Director and the Colorado SBDC Lead Center to provide accounting support, procurement support, compliance monitoring, grant reporting, financial reviews (audits), budgeting and forecasting, fiscal management, and training of SBDC service center staff to advance the success of the Colorado SBDC Network.

Key

Duties and Responsibilities:

Operations

• Monitor and assess the performance of the Northeast Region, ensuring compliance with the Colorado SBDC Network grants, mission, and vision

• Implement and enforce Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and policies consistently across the region, updating SOPs as necessary

• Collaborate with the Regional Director to ensure smooth day-to-day operations and propose innovative solutions to enhance organizational efficiency.

• Maintain appropriate client records & ensure client confidentiality, in accordance with SBDC requirements

• Support the Regional Director in regular economic impact and financial reimbursement reporting

• Support the implementation of technology solutions to optimize operational effectiveness

• Manage pool of contracted advisors, including recruitment, vetting, onboarding, contract management, processing invoices, engagement, and offboarding.

• Collaborate with the Regional Director to recruit, hire, and onboard new staff members, as necessary. Identify potential new contract advisors to serve the needs of the territory.

Small Business Advising and Training

• Provide expert 1:1 advice and guidance to small business clients, addressing their specific challenges and opportunities

  • This may involve conducting thorough assessments of their businesses, identifying areas for improvement, and developing customized action plans to help them achieve their goals

• Organize, host, and facilitate relevant and engaging training sessions, workshops, and seminars for small business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs

• Work closely with the SBDC service center and network to ensure seamless service delivery and collaboration

Community and Stakeholder Engagement

• Attend and actively participate in community meetings, events, and forums related to small business development

• Foster relationships with local organizations, chambers of commerce, government agencies, and other stakeholders to promote SBDC services and initiatives

• Cultivate and maintain relationships with internal and external stakeholders, including staff, board members, donors, partners, vendors, and clients

• Represent the organization at meetings, conferences, and events,…