Business Advisor, Small Business Training Program

Overview

Business Advisor, Small Business Training Program — Wayne State University, Detroit campus.

Wayne State University is a premier public urban research university located in Detroit, Michigan. We offer a rich, high-quality education with a commitment to excellence, collaboration, integrity, diversity and inclusion to prepare students for a global society.

• Advise designated scholars on completing program deliverables and growing their business; support the classroom environment and connect scholars to business support services.
• Meet with small business owners individually (approximately 6-8 meetings per program; 1.5–2 hours per meeting) with a combination of in-person and phone/online formats; conduct a final meeting focused on quality control of the growth plan and an advisor transition plan.
• Assist scholars in learning how to use professional services (advisors) appropriately (preparation, discussion and debrief, and follow-up).
• Help scholars connect to external business support services and the local entrepreneurship ecosystem for specialty services as needed.
• Help scholars understand, collect and apply business metrics to support growth.
• Assist within the classroom to coordinate group activities and support faculty; help scholars apply course content to their businesses.
• Lead bi-weekly planning sessions to support scholar growth and participate in the Scholar Support System planning framework.
• Attend all modules, clinics and program events to support scholar learning.
• Participate in curriculum-related activities with a focus on advising for business growth, facilitating peer learning, and supporting the Scholar Support System; collect and validate baseline and graduation measurements and promote a metric-based mindset.
• Collaborate on Cohort Preparation: connect with local partner CDFIs as guided; assist in scholar recruiting, review applications, assess baseline data, plan advising schedules, create scholar profiles, and assign Growth Groups.
• Engage in Community Building: participate in quarterly calls with national partners, network with business support services, and assist with scholar alumni program events as needed.
• Participate in Assessment: contribute to assessment of scholars, curriculum sessions, and program through debriefings and reviews.
• Other duties as assigned.

• Bachelor's degree (preferably in business, entrepreneurship, sales or related field); advanced degree preferred.
• Minimum of 2 years of job-related experience; at least three years of successful experience in business advising for a small business clientele.
• Experience in community outreach and development of program partnerships; familiarity with program/project management principles, practices, and processes.
• Effective interpersonal and customer service skills; ability to communicate clearly and professionally in writing and orally.
• Flexibility: ability to work evenings and weekends as needed; flexible schedule.
• Project management: ability to prepare timelines and project plans with limited supervision and meet deadlines.
• Teamwork: ability to collaborate across organizational levels and build a cooperative environment.
• Integrity: high personal and professional ethical standards.

• School/College/Division: H36 - VP Entrepreneurship & Economic Dev.;
  Primary department: H3106 - Small Business Training Program
• Employment type:
  
  Regular Employee;
  Job type:
  Fractional Time;
  Job category:
  Staff/Administrative
• Funding/salary information:
  Compensation type:
  Annual Salary;
  Salary hire maximum: $72,000
• Working conditions:
  
  Work is a combination of in-classroom participation, work from home, and visiting customer sites anywhere in Michigan or northern Ohio. Appointment is grant/contract funded and contingent on subsidy; continuation depends on subsidy and satisfactory performance. Substitution of subsidy may affect continuation of employment.
• Job openings:
  Number of openings: 1;
  Reposted position:
  No
• Background check requirements:
  University policy requires a background check before starting work if offered employment.