Small Business Development Counselor

IRC Background:

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) responds to the world’s worst humanitarian crises, helping to restore health, safety, education, economic wellbeing and power to people devastated by conflict and disaster. Founded in 1933 at the call of Albert Einstein, the IRC is at work in over 40 countries and 24 U.S. cities helping people to survive, reclaim control of their future and strengthen their communities.

The IRC’s Center for Financial Opportunity (CFO) helps newly arrived refugees and other low-income individuals reach self-sufficiency by finding entry-level employment and progress to living wage jobs, learn basic financial management skills and build assets, and start small businesses. The IRC’s Center of Financial Opportunity hosts a Small Business Development Center, the IRC SBDC, helping small business owners and entrepreneurs prosper by delivering in-language and no-cost business assistance. The small business development team offer loans and technical assistance to help CDBG, ORR, SBA, and SBDC eligible San Diego County residents start or grow a small business.

Job Overview:

The Small Business Development Counselor will support the continued development of the IRC Small Business Development Program with a strong focus on supporting the Small Business Administration Community Navigator Program and Small Business Development Center grants. As a Small Business Develop Center, the IRC SBDC offers one on one business advising on several topics including but not limited to start-up assistance, financial literacy, selling online and managing a business. The SBA Community Navigator Program, a federally funded program, focuses on providing targeted outreach for small businesses in underserved communities through leveraging partnerships with local and ethnic community-based organizations (ECBOs) who will connect to specific sectors of the entrepreneurial community to provide assistance during economic recovery, including:

• Financial assistance and access to capital
• Contracting and procurement
• Marketing, operations, business development, and exporting
• Industry-specific training

Major Responsibilities:

• Assist in the outreach and recruitment of program participants; screen and assess interested County of San Diego residents for program eligibility and participation;
• Connect with ECBOs and provide assistance with coordination of technical assistance and trainings, data collection, and other administrative tasks as needed;
• Lead training programs on a variety of topics including marketing, financial literacy, starting a business, best business practices, etc;
• Data entry in Neoserra, SalesForce, and ETO, as necessary, to log key outcomes such as milestones, scope of work, surveys, etc;
• Ensure that information required for program eligibility and reporting purposes is collected and that accurate records are maintained, including case files and client data entry across multiple data bases;
• Ensure necessary steps are taken to obtain relevant data in a timely fashion; follow-up with all clients regularly and record all contacts with case notes;
• Provide one-on-one business counseling and management assistance to new and existing San Diego County residents owned businesses in all areas of business start-up and expansion;
• Assist entrepreneurs to become ready for business financing through preparation of loan applications, business plans, and financial Underwrite and package loan applications, and present for review to the IRC’s CDFI;
• Proactively facilitate referrals to outside service providers as necessary to meet the diverse needs of the program participants;
• Conduct individual case management and loan collections, including “off-site” technical assistance visits to the businesses or homes of program participants;
• Proactively facilitate referrals to outside service providers as necessary to meet the diverse needs of the program participants;
• Assist participants accessing COVID-19 related funding such as grants and loans
• Assist in the planning and coordination of training activities and special events;

• Develop outreach materials and assist with communication to partners;

• Attend regularly scheduled meetings with other IRC staff and volunteers as part of the review, evaluation and program maintenance process;

• Other duties as assigned.

Job Requirements:

• Excellent computer skills, including Word, PowerPoint, Excel, and the ability to learn the custom computer programs used for the SBDC;
• Experience with CRMs such as Salesforce, ETO, Neoserra preferred;
• Familiar with assessing business training needs and analyzing business-related materials, including financial reports, business and marketing plans as well as conduct market research;
• Undergraduate degree in Business Administration, Finances, Public Administration, or related field. Business experience in lieu of formal business education is acceptable;
• 2+ years of experience in small business development counseling and training. Experience operating a small business in lieu of small business development counseling and training may be acceptable;
• Prior experience working with immigrant and refugee entrepreneurs is strongly desired;
• Experience in the non-profit sector strongly preferred;
• Excellent organizational, record keeping, and analytical skills;
• Strong written and verbal communication skills;
• Proven ability to conduct affective instructional sessions to colleagues and entrepreneurs;
• Proficiency in Spanish required;
• Ability to work independently, be a self-starter and maintain responsibility for multiple tasks.

Working Environment*:*

• Hybrid, professional office environment and home-based remote work;**
• Regular travel to off-site locations is required;**

• Offices hours are scheduled as Monday-Friday, 8:30am-5pm;**

• Access to a reliable vehicle to travel regularly throughout the service delivery area with a valid driver’s license and current insurance.**

Benefits: We offer a comprehensive and highly competitive set of benefits. In the US, these include: 10 sick days, 10 US holidays, 20-25 paid time off days depending on role and tenure, medical insurance starting at $120 per month, dental starting at $7 per month, and vision starting at $5 per month, FSA for healthcare and commuter costs, a 403b retirement savings plans with immediately vested matching, disability & life insurance, and an Employee Assistance Program which is available to our staff and their families to support counseling and care in times of crisis and mental health struggles.

COVID-19 Vaccination Requirement: In accordance with IRC’s duty to provide and maintain a workplace that is free of known hazards and our commitment to safeguard the health of our employees, clients, and communities, IRC requires candidates who are selected for interview to furnish proof of vaccination against COVID-19 in order to be considered for this position.**

Commitment to Diversity and Inclusivity: IRC is committed to building a diverse organization and a climate of inclusivity. We strongly encourage applications from candidates who can demonstrate that they can contribute to this goal.**

Equal Opportunity Employer: We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, sex, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status. We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us to request accommodation.**

We offer a comprehensive and highly competitive set of benefits. In the US, these include: 10 sick days, 10 US holidays, 20-25 paid time off days depending on role and tenure, medical insurance starting at $120 per month, dental starting at $7 per month, and vision starting at $5 per month, FSA for healthcare and commuter costs, a 403b retirement savings plans with immediately vested matching, disability & life insurance, and an Employee Assistance Program which is available to our staff and their families to support counseling and care in times of crisis and mental health struggles.