BUSINESS ADVISOR - Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses Program

Job Details • New Orleans, LA

1d

About The Position

The Business Advisor provides individualized advising and coaching to established small business owners participating in the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses Program. The advisor manages two to three Growth Groups of approximately five to seven business owners each and conducts at least six to eight individual advising sessions with each business owner through in-person and virtual meetings. The role guides participants in developing actionable Growth Plans, analyzing financial information and business performance, identifying growth opportunities, preparing financial forecasts, and delivering Growth Pitches.

The position supports program curriculum delivery by attending modules, clinics, workshops, and events; collaborating with faculty; facilitating learning activities; monitoring milestones; and supporting participant assessments. The advisor also connects participants with external business resources, builds relationships with community and economic development partners, supports recruitment and alumni activities, and represents the program at business and community events. The role requires maintaining confidential and professional relationships, a flexible schedule, and collaboration with program staff and partners.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university in Business Administration, Entrepreneurship, Finance, Accounting, Management, Sales, or a closely related field.
• At least three years of successful professional experience providing business advising, consulting, coaching, or related business development services to small business owners.
• Experience evaluating business operations, analyzing financial information, identifying growth opportunities, and helping business owners develop and implement improvement or growth strategies.
• Experience working directly with business owners, entrepreneurs, or business leadership teams in an advisory capacity.
• Ability to manage multiple client relationships and provide individualized guidance to business professionals from diverse industries and backgrounds.
• Strong understanding of small business operations, business models, strategic planning, and business growth principles.
• Working knowledge of income statements, balance sheets, and cash flow statements.
• Ability to develop, interpret, and explain financial forecasts, budgets, and key business performance indicators.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, including the ability to identify business challenges and develop practical recommendations.
• Excellent interpersonal, verbal, written, presentation, and active-listening skills.
• Ability to coach, advise, and provide constructive feedback to business owners and organizational leaders.
• Ability to facilitate small-group discussions, workshops, and collaborative learning activities.
• Strong organizational, time-management, and project-management skills, including the ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines.
• Ability to establish credibility, build trust, and maintain productive professional relationships with business owners from diverse backgrounds and industries.
• High emotional intelligence, sound professional judgment, discretion, and commitment to confidentiality and ethical conduct.
• Ability to work independently and collaborate effectively with faculty, advisors, program staff, and external partners.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications, particularly Excel, Word, and PowerPoint.
• Ability and willingness to learn and use business planning, learning management, and customer relationship management platforms, including LivePlan, Canvas, AI, Salesforce, and Zoom.
• Ability to work a flexible schedule to meet program, participant, and event requirements.
• Passing a pre-employment criminal background screen is required as a condition of employment.

Nice To Haves

• Master's degree in Business Administration (MBA), Finance, Accounting, Entrepreneurship, Management, or a closely related field.
• Five or more years of professional experience in business advising, management consulting, executive coaching, entrepreneurship development, or small business leadership.
• Experience as a business owner, entrepreneur, senior manager, executive, or business consultant with direct responsibility for business growth, financial performance, or strategic planning.
• Experience advising established, growth-oriented small businesses on revenue growth, profitability, operational efficiency, financial forecasting, and scaling strategies.
• Experience developing or evaluating business plans, strategic growth plans, financial projections, or business expansion strategies.
• Experience facilitating business advising meetings, executive education programs, entrepreneurship training, or small-group coaching sessions.
• Experience working with economic development organizations, small business technical assistance organizations, entrepreneurship support organizations, or business accelerator programs.
• Familiarity with LivePlan, Salesforce, Canvas, Basecamp, or comparable business planning and program management platforms.
• Experience working with business owners from multiple industries and varied stages of organizational growth.

Responsibilities

• Provide individualized business advising and coaching to participating small business owners.
• Manage two to three Growth Groups, each consisting of approximately five to seven business owners.
• Conduct a minimum of six to eight individual advising sessions per business owner through in-person and virtual meetings.
• Guide participants in developing and completing comprehensive, actionable business Growth Plans, including objectives, financial forecasts, growth opportunities, and implementation strategies.
• Help business owners analyze financial statements and business performance, develop financial projections, and identify ways to strengthen profitability and cash flow.
• Advise participants on preparing and delivering professional Growth Pitches.
• Help participants identify business challenges, evaluate strategic alternatives, and develop practical solutions for sustainable growth.
• Support the collection, interpretation, and use of business performance metrics in growth decisions.
• Attend and support required program modules, clinics, workshops, and events.
• Collaborate with faculty to reinforce curriculum concepts and help participants apply classroom learning to their businesses.
• Assist with classroom activities, small-group discussions, and collaborative learning exercises.
• Facilitate workshops and advising sessions on financial forecasting, strategic planning, Growth Plan development, and related topics.
• Participate in program team meetings, participant progress reviews, and curriculum debriefings.
• Monitor participant progress toward milestones and deliverables and support completion and validation of baseline and graduation assessments.
• Use program technologies and platforms, including Microsoft Office, LivePlan, Canvas, Salesforce, AI, and other applicable systems.
• Connect participants with external business support services, professional resources, and entrepreneurship ecosystem partners.
• Build and maintain relationships with local business organizations, economic development partners, and small business support providers.
• Participate in national Business Advisor meetings, professional development activities, and best-practice exchanges.
• Support participant recruitment, application reviews, and applicant interviews as needed.
• Assist with alumni engagement, program events, and post-program surveys as needed.
• Represent the program professionally at business and community events.
• Maintain professional and confidential relationships with participating business owners and demonstrate teamwork, ethical judgment, accountability, and commitment to participant success.
• Maintain a flexible schedule to accommodate program modules, advising appointments, and special events.
• Perform other duties as assigned to support program delivery and continuous improvement.

Benefits

• Retirement benefits.
• Multiple medical insurance options.
• Supplemental insurance options, including dental, term life, disability, accident, and vision coverage.
• Tax Saver Flexible Benefits Plan for eligible child care and medical expenses.
• 14 holidays per year, typically including a longer break at Christmas.
• Annual (vacation) and sick leave benefits.
• Employee Assistance Program.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level