Small Business Counselor

Requisition ID: req46693

Job Title: Small Business Counselor

Sector: Social Work

Employment Category: Regular

Employment Type: Full-Time

Compensation: USD 26.00 – 31.00 Hourly

Location: Seattle, WA USA

Work Arrangement: Hybrid

Job Description

IRC Background:The mission of the International Rescue Committee (IRC) is to help people whose lives and livelihoods are shattered by conflict and disaster including the climate crisis to survive, recover and gain control of their future. Founded in 1933, the IRC has a presence in over 40 countries and 27 offices in the United States; the IRC leads the way from harm to home. The IRC opened an office in Seattle in 1976 and provides a continuum of services including intensive case management, employment and economic empowerment services, immigration assistance, health and wellness programming, and education support to refugee and immigrant families in Washington State. IRC Seattle is committed to providing trauma-informed, equitable, and accessible services and maintaining and evolving a diverse, inclusive, and supportive workplace.

Job Overview:

IRC Seattles Economic Empowerment Department supports refugees and immigrants in securing entry-level employment, developing career pathways, learning basic financial management skills, and starting or expanding small businesses. Under the direction of the Small Business Program Coordinator, the Small Business Counselor will support the continued development of IRC Seattles Small Business Program, modeled after the success of a proven microenterprise model used by other IRC field offices, and supported by IRCs headquarters-based Technical Advisors. The Small Business Counselor will support refugee and immigrant entrepreneurs with individualized one-on-one technical assistance, access to low-barrier financing, and linguistically and culturally accessible trainings and workshops that target their specific needs.

Major Responsibilities:

• Lead outreach to and recruitment of participants for small business programming; screen and assess interested King County residents for program eligibility and participation
• Provide one-on-one business counseling and management assistance to new and existing King County resident-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 statements
• Underwrite and package loan applications and present for review to the IRCs Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI), the Center for Economic Opportunity
• Conduct individual case management and provide loan repayment support, including technical assistance visits to the businesses of program participants
• Proactively facilitate referrals to outside service providers as necessary to meet the diverse needs of the program participants
• Ensure that information required for small business program eligibility and reporting purposes is collected and that accurate records are maintained, including case files and client data entry across multiple databases
• Ensure necessary steps are taken to obtain relevant program data in a timely fashion; follow-up with all clients regularly and record all contacts with case notes
• Attend regularly scheduled meetings with other IRC staff and volunteers as part of the review, evaluation, and program maintenance process
• Attend and participate in regular program network meetings and open office hours with headquarters-based Technical Advisors
• Assist in the planning and coordination of training activities and special events
• Other duties as assigned

Key Working Relationships:

Position Reports to:Small Business Program Coordinator, Economic Empowerment

Indirect Reporting:Economic Empowerment Program Manager,Deputy Director for Economic Empowerment Program Quality and Innovation (HQ)
Other Internal and/or external contacts:

Internal: Economic Empowerment staff, Regular communication/coordination with other IRC departments

External: Monthly calls with counterparts in other IRC offices across US programs network, external community partners

Job Requirements:

Education

Undergraduate degree or equivalent experience in a related field

Work Experience

• 2 years experience in small business development or operation of a small business preferred
• Experience with immigrant entrepreneurs preferred
• Knowledge of and experience with an array of business topics, including marketing, management, financing, and entrepreneurship
• Familiarity with business software and technologies, especially low-cost online marketing strategies
• Previous experience working with individuals from diverse cultural and ethnic backgrounds and varying levels of literacy and numeracy
• Experience and training in trauma-informed and person-centered services

Demonstrated Skills and Competencies

• Competency in Microsoft Office required, additional technical skills an asset
• Excellent organizational skills
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including ability to make presentations
• Ability to work independently, be a self-starter and maintain responsibility for multiple tasks, as well as working together on a close, collaborative team
• Fluency in English and an additional language relevant to current populations served preferred (particularly Swahili, Farsi, Dari, Urdu, French, Ukrainian, Tigrinya, Somali, Burmese, or Arabic)

Working Environment:

• Regular travel to off-site locations like client businesses required
• Access to reliable transportation to travel regularly throughout the service delivery area
• Offices hours are scheduled as Monday-Friday, 9am-5pm (some flexibility possible); occasional work after hours and on weekends as needed to support programming
• Standard, professional office environment (currently hybrid remote/in-person)

Posted pay ranges apply to US-based candidates. Ranges are based on various factors including the labor market, job type, internal equity, and budget.  Exact offers are calibrated by work location, individual candidate experience and skills relative to the defined job requirements.

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. 

Gender Equality: IRC is committed to narrowing the gender gap in leadership positions. We offer benefits that provide an enabling environment for women to participate in our workforce including parental leave, gender-sensitive security protocols and other supportive benefits and allowances. 

Professional Standards: The IRC and IRC staff must adhere to the values and principles outlined in IRC Way Global Standards for Professional Conduct. These are Integrity, Service, Equality and Accountability. In accordance with these values, the IRC operates and enforces policies on Beneficiary Protection from Exploitation and Abuse, Child Safeguarding, Anti-Workplace Harassment, Fiscal Integrity, and Anti-Retaliation.

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.

US 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 $145 per month, dental starting at $7 per month, and vision starting at $5 per month, FSA for healthcare, childcare, and commuter costs, a 403b retirement savings plans with up to 4.5% immediately vested matching contribution, plus a 3-7% base IRC contribution (3 year vesting), 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. 

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