Director, APEX Accelerator

Research Foundation of The City University of New York•Long Island, NY

21h•Hybrid

About The Position

The LaGuardia Community College APEX Accelerator helps businesses in Queens compete for federal, state, and local government contracts. Established in 1999, it is part of a nationwide network funded in part by the U.S. Department of War (DoW) Office of Small Business Programs through a cost-share cooperative agreement. The Accelerator is managed through the Business Services unit of LaGuardia Community College’s Division of Adult and Continuing Education. It provides no-cost, one-on-one counseling, training, and technical assistance to businesses of all sizes, with particular attention to minority-owned, service-disabled veteran-owned, veteran-owned, and women-owned small businesses. Its work supports the Defense Industrial Base and Government Industrial Base.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree from an accredited institution of higher learning required
Five (5) or more years of related experience in government or private-sector purchasing/procurement, small business counseling, or government contracting
At least two (2) years of supervisory or program management experience
Knowledge of the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) and federal, state, and local government contracting/subcontracting requirements relating to small businesses
Business and/or government contracting background required
Proven ability to lead and develop staff, manage competing priorities, and drive a team toward measurable performance goals
Proven ability to build and maintain strong relationships with external stakeholders, including government agencies, prime contractors, and small business resource organizations
Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications and CRM/client management database platforms (e.g., Monday.com), including safeguarding sensitive client and electronic data and generating accurate program reporting
Excellent written and oral communication skills, including public speaking and training delivery

Nice To Haves

Master's degree preferred
Experience with the Defense Industrial Base preferred
Demonstrated experience managing federal grants, cooperative agreements, or cost-share funded programs, including budget development and compliance reporting
Prior experience with an APEX Accelerator, SBA Small Business Development Center, or similar small-business technical assistance program strongly preferred

Responsibilities

Serve as the Accelerator's Program Director and primary liaison to DoW OSBP; act as the authorized representative for the cooperative agreement, including negotiation, reporting, and renewal.
Provide day-to-day leadership of the APEX Accelerator, including strategic planning, program design, and execution in alignment with DoW OSBP priorities and the APEX Accelerators General Terms and Conditions.
Represent the APEX Accelerator to host-institution leadership, providing regular updates on program performance, funding status, and strategic initiatives.
Recruit, hire, supervise, mentor, and evaluate the Assistant Director/Senior Procurement Counselor, Procurement Counselors, and support staff; foster a high-performing, client-focused program team.
Oversee counseling, training, and technical assistance delivered by the program team through individual sessions, workshops, webinars, and networking events.
Oversee maintenance of the Accelerator's website and client database systems, ensuring data integrity for DoW reporting.
Develop, manage, and monitor the annual program budget and required cost-share match; ensure fiscal accountability and compliance with cooperative agreement financial requirements.
Own overall responsibility for program performance metrics (client counts, counseling hours, contract awards, and economic impact) and submit all required federal and host-institution reporting on schedule.
Ensure the center and its staff maintain current knowledge of, and full compliance with, the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) and federal, state, and local government contracting/subcontracting requirements.
Manage internal controls, audits, and site visits related to the cooperative agreement; respond to DoW OSBP inquiries and corrective action requests.
Lead the Accelerator's focus areas mandated under the APEX Accelerators program, including strengthening the Defense Industrial Base (DIB)/Government Industrial Base (GIB) and addressing Foreign Ownership, Control, or Influence (FOCI) considerations with clients.
Serve as a Subject Matter Expert (SME) on government contracting, representing the program at conferences, networking events, and DoW OSBP national meetings.
Develop and maintain a marketing/outreach strategy to achieve client recruitment, retention, and economic development goals across the service area.
Build and sustain strategic relationships with prime contractors, government agencies, other APEX Accelerators, Small Business Development Centers, Chambers of Commerce, economic development entities, and small business resource organizations.
Plan and execute procurement expos, workshops, and webinars that connect clients with government buyers and prime contractors.
Provide direct counseling and training to clients as needed.
Perform other duties as assigned by host-institution leadership.