Business Counselor

The Small Business and Technology Development Center is an inter-institutional program of The University of North Carolina. It functions as the Business and Technology Extension Service of The University.

The primary mission of the SBTDC is to support economic development in the state by providing assistance in the start-up, successful operation and expansion of small businesses and by facilitating technology development and transfer within the state's small business community. In carrying out its mission, the SBTDC cooperates with and fully utilizes a broad range of programs and resources in the state, but its primary attention is focused on leveraging the management and technical assistance resources of The University's constituent institutions and other colleges and state supported resources.

This position is a first-level business counselor/advisor. The individual provides business advice and counsel to all size small business clients with a focus on the SBTDC's pre-venture and existing small business segments. The individual independently manages a client portfolio of roughly 50 cases annually. The individual collaborates and consults with other team members to assess prospective clients and provide appropriate case manager assignment and/or professional referrals. The individual acts as the principal trainer for nascent entrepreneurs and plans and delivers other training events as required. The position is responsible for daily fiscal management of the Center's multiple budgets and is a primary point of contact with SBTDC State Administrative Office and campus finance, contract and grant resources.

This position performs the following duties:

Business Counseling and Case Management - 50%
Provides general business advice and counsel to all size businesses in the SBTDC portfolio with an emphasis on nascent entrepreneurs and existing small businesses (under 10 FTE). Acts as the Lead Counselor (i.e., case manager) and maintains a client portfolio consistent with the Regional Service Center's annual work plan and SBTDC strategic plan. As the Lead Counselor, this position is responsible for active management of each case in the portfolio. This includes autonomous decision-making based on an analysis of each client's current operating and financial situation and appropriate team counseling with other general or specialty counselors. Case analysis may require financial analysis, comparative market research and/or use of other analytical tools at the counselor's discretion. Metrics: Client economic impacts, segmentation targets, case activity targets, customer satisfaction.

Fiscal Management - 25%
Principal point of contact between the Center, the SBTDC State Administrative Office financial unit and campus contracts & grants and other financial units. Responsible for daily management of the Center's multiple operating budgets. Responsible for Center budget reconciliation, matching funds reports, identification of changes requiring budget revisions and other budget management duties. Responsibilities may include fiscal activities related to travel, procurement, HR and other functions based on campus requirements. This position will have a sound working knowledge of applicable OMB circulars and other federal contract requirements. Metrics: Annual SBTDC fiscal audit standards.

Training - 10%
Acts as the principal resource in the Center for delivery of the SBTDC's Pre-Venture Orientation ( PVO) training to nascent entrepreneurs. Responsible for planning, scheduling, content delivery, event documentation (to meet SBA 888 requirements), training evaluation and client follow up for PVO events. Acts as subject matter expert for SBA-required training documentation processes for the Center team. Metrics: Training event and attendee targets, training evaluation ratings.

Other Duties as Assigned - 10%
Other duties as assigned will be based on the Regional Service Center's staffing level, assignment of specialty resources, unique campus requirements and programmatic requirements consistent with the Regional Service Center's annual work plan. Duties may include but are not limited to oversight of student interns and/or teams (including maintenance of student time logs and documentation of work products) and outreach, engagement and other activities related to RSC and SBTDC statewide events.

Client Intake and Assessment - 5%
Evaluate client inquiries and requests for counseling assistance. Determine most appropriate resource to serve the client's needs. Make external referrals to training resources, private professional resources. Makes determinations on assuming the Lead Counselor role for prospective clients or refers to another SBTDC resource to open a counseling case. Responsibility and autonomy for evaluation and case assignment consistent with the the Regional Service Center's annual work plan. Metrics: New client satisfaction

Contingent upon availability of funds.

Bachelor's degree and one year of experience related to the area of assignment; or equivalent combination of training and experience. All degrees must be received from appropriately accredited institutions.

None

Prefer degree with major emphasis on coursework in business administration, public administration, or other related fields. Experience with small business ownership/management is also preferred.

East Carolina University requires applicants to submit a candidate profile online in order to be considered for the position. Candidates must also submit a cover letter, resume, and a list of three references, including contact information, online.

2-3 original letters of reference are required for employment. Please be aware that if selected as a candidate of choice, an automatic e-mail will be sent to the individuals entered by the applicant in the References section in the PeopleAdmin applicant tracking system. Letters of reference submitted via the PeopleAdmin applicant tracking system will be verified and considered towards meeting this requirement.

Applicants must be currently authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis.

In order to be considered for this position, applicants must complete a candidate profile online via the PeopleAdmin system and submit any requested documents. Additionally, applicants that possess the preferred education and experience must also possess the minimum education/experience, if applicable.

East Carolina University is committed to workforce success and cultivating a culture of care for our employees. ECU prohibits unlawful discrimination and harassment based on race/ethnicity, color, genetic information, national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, disability, political affiliation, and veteran status. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to their protected veteran status or disability.

Individuals requesting accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act ( ADAAA) should contact the ADA Coordinator at (252) 737-1018 (Voice/ TTY) or ADA-Coordinator@ecu.edu.

Final candidates are subject to criminal & sex offender background checks. Some vacancies also require credit or motor vehicle checks. ECU participates in E-Verify. Federal law requires all employers to verify the identity and employment eligibility of all persons hired to work in the United States.

If you experience any problems accessing the system or have questions about the application process, please contact the Department for People Operations, Success, and Opportunity at (252) 328-9847 or toll free at 1-866-489-1740 or send an email to employment@ecu.edu. Our office is available to provide assistance Monday-Friday from 8:00-5:00 EST.