Director of the Stevens Center

Saginaw Valley State University•Lexington, MA

3d•Onsite

About The Position

The Director is the chief staff leader and working manager of the SCFB, responsible for the Center's performance, financial sustainability, member and sponsor relationships, membership and sponsorship growth, educational programming process, governance support, and day-to-day management. The role combines strategic leadership with hands-on execution in a lean two-person staff model. The Director manages the process for delivering relevant family-business education but is not expected to be the Center's primary subject-matter expert. We may also consider part-time candidates, depending on experience, availability, qualifications, and business needs.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in an appropriate discipline.
Demonstrated experience in organizational leadership, association/nonprofit management, membership or business development, community relations, university outreach, or a comparable relationship-intensive environment.
Demonstrated ability to build relationships with business owners, senior leaders, volunteers, community partners, and institutional stakeholders.
Experience managing budgets, projects, priorities, and multiple deadlines.
Excellent leadership, communication, judgment, problem-solving, customer-service, and follow-through skills.
Ability to work effectively as a hands-on manager in a small-staff environment and to learn CRM, email, registration, survey, and university systems.
Ability to work a flexible schedule, including occasional early-morning or evening events.
Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite and ability to learn new software quickly.
Experience and ability to positively interact with all members of the campus community
Ability to perform the essential duties of the position with or without accommodations.

Nice To Haves

Experience leading a membership-based association, nonprofit, chamber, economic-development organization, university outreach unit, professional society, or similar organization.
Successful record of member, client, donor, sponsor, or business-development retention and growth.
Experience working with volunteer boards or executive committees.
Familiarity with the Great Lakes Bay Region/Mid-Michigan business community and family-owned business issues; deep family-business expertise is not required at entry.

Responsibilities

Lead the Center's annual priorities, operating plan, staff work, and day-to-day management in alignment with the Executive Council and SVSU.
Maintain focus on SCFB's core mission: member value, education, networking, membership and sponsorship sustainability, and responsible operations.
Supervise the Program & Operations Coordinator and personally resolve issues requiring judgment, relationships, or organizational accountability.
Serve as principal staff liaison to the Executive Council, its Chair, the Dean, and appropriate SVSU units; prepare agendas, reports, and recommendations and implement committee decisions.
Be familiar with and adhere to all SVSU policies, procedures, systems, required trainings, and other university-wide mandates and expectations.
Serve as the primary staff relationship manager for member companies and sponsor firms, with regular contact to understand needs, reinforce value, and identify retention risks.
Lead member and sponsor retention, recruitment, referrals, prospect cultivation, and relationship-sensitive follow-up.
Welcome new members and sponsors and monitor membership and sponsorship results, recommending changes in outreach, benefits, or pricing when warranted.
Lead development of the annual educational program calendar with the Program Committee and other stakeholders; gather member input and identify relevant topics and speakers.
Evaluate and recommend speakers and program formats, approve or negotiate major program commitments within budget and SVSU procedures, and ensure programs deliver strong educational and networking value.
Serve as principal host and relationship lead at major events while the Coordinator manages event operations.
Develop and manage the annual budget, revenue forecast, membership and sponsorship revenue, event costs, and overall financial sustainability.
Provide regular financial and operating reports to the Executive Council and identify risks or corrective actions early.
Use a concise performance dashboard focused on membership, retention, sponsorship, attendance, satisfaction, and budget performance; discontinue or limit activities that do not materially support SCFB priorities.
Set direction for major member, sponsor, prospect, and event communications and ensure the website and routine communications remain accurate and useful.
Represent SCFB in the regional business community and maintain appropriate relationships with chambers, economic-development organizations, professional associations, and other partners.
Perform other duties as assigned.