Small Business Counselor

Requisition ID: req46174

Job Title: Small Business Counselor

Sector: Social Work

Employment Category: Fixed Term

Employment Type: Full-Time

Compensation: USD 24.00 – 26.98 Hourly

Location: Phoenix, AZ USA

Work Arrangement: In-person

Job Description

IRC Background:Founded in 1933, the International Rescue Committee (IRC) is a leading nonsectarian, voluntary organization providing relief, protection and resettlement services for refugees and victims of oppression. For over 25 years our Phoenix office has provided a range of services including resettlement and economic empowerment services, immigration, community gardening and case management for victims of trafficking.

Our strength and success lie within our core values of Service, Accountability, Equality, and Integrity. We are strongly motivated by our clients and are dedicated to delivering high-impact and quality programs.

Job Overview:The Small Business Counselor will support the continued development of the IRC in Phoenixs Small Business Development Program with a strong focus on supporting the Small Business Administration Community Navigator Program. The SBAs Community Navigator Program, is a federally funded program, which focuses on providing targeted outreach for small businesses in underserved communities. The Community Navigator Program leverages partnerships with local and ethnic community-based organizations (ECBOs) to connect to specific sectors of the entrepreneurial community. They 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 small business owners for program eligibility and participation.
• Connect with ECBOs and assist with coordination of technical assistance and trainings, data collection, and other administrative tasks as needed.
• Assist with identifying potential partners and resources available to program participants.
• Assist with coordination of ECBOs partner meetings, agenda development, and creation of meeting materials.
• Ensure that information required for program eligibility and reporting purposes is collected and 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 and partners regularly and record all contacts with case notes.
• Provide one-on-one business counseling and management assistance to new and existing refugee and Low or Moderate (LMI) Income 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).
• 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

Key Working Relationships:

Position Reports to:Economic Empowerment Supervisor

Position directly supervises:Interns and volunteers within program

Indirect Reporting: Economic Empowerment Manager
Other Internal and/or external contacts:

Internal: IRC staff, interns, and volunteers

External:Community partners, employers

Job Requirements:

• 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 an immigrant language preferred;
• Ability to work independently, be a self-starter and maintain responsibility for multiple tasks.
• Excellent computer skills, including Word, PowerPoint, Excel, and the ability to learn the custom computer programs used for the program.
• Experience with CRMs such as Salesforce and ETO 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

Working Environment:Standard, professional office work environment combined with some travel throughout service delivery area.

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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