Business Navigator – E3 Durham Program

Overview

The E3 (Equity for Every Entrepreneur) Durham program is designed to increase connectivity, counseling services, and capital access for underrepresented entrepreneurs in Durham/Durham County, NC. The Business Navigator will provide basic business counseling services to clients and connect them with partner organizations to meet their business development needs. This role reports to the E3 Durham Program Director and will be part of a cross-functional team in support of E3 Durham - a 24-month program.

 

Functions and Responsibilities

Business Counseling, Client Navigation, & Community Outreach
  • Thoroughly review incoming intake applications on a daily basis and respond within 2 business days via entrepreneurs' preferred method of contact;
  • Maintaining, tracking, and updating the client relationship management system (SourceLink) within 2 business days of serving clients according to the navigation protocols; 
  • Conducting regular follow-up contact with clients to help them gain access to resources and troubleshoot as needed;
  • Maintaining regular contact with program partners to ensure timely services are provided and records of services provided are submitted;  
  • Maintaining a Calendly account for scheduling and tracking Google meet and phone appointments with entrepreneurs; 
  • Collaborating with Program Director and ecosystem partners to identify key events focused on aspiring entrepreneurs and small business owners;
  • Hosting tables at events that are suitable for E3 Durham client recruitment with optimal returns
E3 Durham Event Support
  • Attending and supporting E3 Durham events; 
  • Hosting the E3 Durham info table at events;
  • Enrolling new clients on site 
Navigation Leadership
  • Developing a deep understanding of and familiarity with local, regional, and capital resources for various sectors and stages of business development for the E3 Durham project;
  • Building and maintaining a library of national and local online resources to support clients; 
  • Creating a decision tree-style referral strategy that is informed by both internal and external stakeholders;  
  • Coordinating client assignments and outreach activities with contract or part-time Navigators and Outreach Specialists and ensuring timely record keeping for these members of the team;
  • Supporting additional Navigators and incoming partners with SourceLink training and any additional Navigator-specific training provided by Forward Cities; 
  • Updating Navigation protocols and referral decision tree as needed  
Program Strategy Support
  • Collaborating with the Program Director and the Senior Director of Impact and Assessment to support the E3 Durham Needs Assessment; 
  • Serving as a thought partner on strategy and decisions that impact ecosystem navigation and processes, and service/programming/offerings to entrepreneurs and the organizations serving them;
  • Leading the development capital and procurement readiness tools

 

Qualifications

The ideal candidate will have:

  • 2+ years of providing business support services; 
  • A friendly, approachable demeanor, and stellar interpersonal skills to build trusting relationships with clients and business support providers;
  • A strong understanding of the wide range of specific issues encountered during all stages of business development (i.e., idea → maturity) including access to business capital, procurement processes, and business certifications for MWBE; 
  • Lived experience as an entrepreneur/business owner;
  • A keen attention to detail and commitment to service documentation;
  • Demonstrated experience as a highly collaborative team player; 
  • Existing relationships and trust within the Durham community among predominantly Black, Hispanic, Indigenous, and/or immigrant business communities;
  • A history of community involvement in Durham, NC; 
  • A demonstrated commitment to the mission and work of Forward Cities;
  • The ability to thrive in a fast-paced, dynamic work environment;
  • Spanish-speaking a plus
Work Location & Expectations

The full-time position is based in Durham, NC with standard work hours from 9am - 5pm, Monday - Friday, with flexible work time for attending required events during the evenings and weekends. This position requires in-office presence Tuesday - Thursday in Forward Cities’ Durham office. Mondays and Fridays may generally be worked remotely.

Salary and Benefits

The salary range for this position is $50,000 - 60,000 annually in addition to benefits including health insurance, 403(b) Plan matching, paid time off, and paid holidays. The anticipated start date for this position is May 2024.

 

Forward Cities provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.

Overview

The Program Director will lead the E3 (Equity for Every Entrepreneur) Durham program. The program is designed to increase connectivity, counseling services, and capital access for underrepresented entrepreneurs in Durham/Durham County, NC. The role will also coordinate a cross-functional team in support of E3 Durham - a 24-month program. This role reports to the Senior Director of Programs.

 

Functions and Responsibilities

Program Management
  • Serving as the outward-facing leader of the project in community; 
  • Providing day-to-day leadership and operational guidance of the E3 Durham program; 
  • Leveraging business development expertise and knowledge of local business support resources to better connect business owners in underserved communities with critical services and assistance programs;
  • Maintaining communications with the the Senior Program Director to ensure engagement milestones are on schedule and within the prescribed budgets; 
  • Identifying opportunities to improve our work and impact within our programs as well as our broader team;
  • Identifying potential issues and risks and providing timely recommendations;
  • Tracking and updating the engagement calendar, action plans, and project management boards for the project;
  • Supervising Community Navigator(s) to ensure all assigned engagement milestones are on schedule and within the prescribed budgets;
  • Coordinating with the Marketing and Communications team and Program Assistant to provide any necessary inputs and multimedia content for events, web, print, and social media;
  • Producing minutes, actions items, follow-ups after meetings, and scheduling future meetings;
  • Vetting, selecting, and managing multiple contractors for the project, including those providing direct services to E3 Durham clients and those supporting other aspects of E3 Durham program delivery;
  • Coordinating and leading the E3 Alliance, a collaborative group of business support organizations from the Durham entrepreneurial ecosystem; 
  • Training and helping contractors with data reporting and invoice submissions; 
  • Preparing monthly service summary reports according to the templates provided with the support of the Program Assistant
Community Engagement & Events
  • Attending events and meetings to share information about E3 Durham with other leaders in the ecosystem and learn about other activities;  
  • Collaborating and coordinating with partner organizations on entrepreneur outreach strategies, activities, and events;
  • Producing and curating content (e.g., workshops) for the monthly engagement gatherings;
  • Serving as host, recruiting, and overseeing volunteers for the weekly engagement gatherings;
  • Serving as the community manager for the ecosystem digital community platform;
  • Working with navigators and other service providers to emerge stories to communicate the impact of the engagement;
Capacity-Building for Entrepreneur Support Organizations (ESOs)

Specific topics to be determined. Examples may include:

  • Developing and delivering training curriculum to help to ESOs expand their capacity to meet the needs of  businesses at various stages; 
  • Emerging and sharing best practices on outreach, education, and 1:1 counseling

 

Qualifications

The ideal candidate will have:

  • 5+ years of full-time operational experience in program management for corporations and/or non-profits; 
  • Experience in business development and support, business capital, procurement, business certification, program management, and entrepreneurial ecosystem building;
  • Existing relationships and trust within - and/or familiarity with- the Durham community among predominantly Black, Hispanic, Indigenous, and/or immigrant business communities;
  • A strong and confident presence and aptitude for live presentations and meeting/event facilitation;
  • Exceptional written and verbal communication skills;
  • The ability to describe the historical and systemic realities that have led to the disenfranchisement and underinvestment of underrepresented businesses;  
  • The ability to clearly communicate information using technical and non-technical language in both oral and written format;
  • A high-level understanding of data-informed program delivery and impact evaluation;
  • Experience developing, delivering, and codifying training programs;
  • A demonstrated commitment to the mission and work of Forward Cities;
  • The ability to thrive in a fast-paced, dynamic work environment;
  • Spanish-speaking a plus
Work Location & Expectations

The full-time position is based in Durham, NC with standard work hours from 9am - 5pm, Monday - Friday, with flexible work time for attending required events during the evenings and weekends. This position requires in-office presence Tuesday - Thursdays in Forward Cities’ Durham office. Mondays and Fridays may generally be worked remotely.

Salary and Benefits

The salary for this position is $70,000 - 80,000 annually in addition to benefits including health insurance, 403(b) Plan matching, paid time off, and paid holidays. The anticipated start date for this position is April 2024.

The interview period is scheduled to begin as early as the week of March 25th.

Applications close April 5th, 2024 at 11:59 PM EST.

 

Forward Cities provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.

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