Director Small Business Development

NORTHERN KENTUCKY COMMUNITY ACTION COMMISSION INC•Covington, KY

2d•Onsite

About The Position

The Small Business Development Manager leads the agency’s efforts to strengthen economic self-sufficiency in the community by supporting entrepreneurs and small business owners to create high quality, full time jobs for individuals with low incomes. This role manages the full business growth pipeline in partnership with Aviatra—recruiting and vetting participating businesses, providing technical assistance, training, and access to resources, structuring and monitoring CED loan/start-up capital agreements (with repayment beginning in-grant), and ensuring signed third-party agreements, site/asset control, and position-based job creation targets are met. The Director develops partnerships with lenders, business networks, and economic development organizations while ensuring services align with the Community Action Agency’s mission of reducing poverty and increasing opportunity. The director also coordinates recruitment and retention of eligible hires through NKCAC’s Neighborhood Service Centers and partner network; oversees barrier-reduction supports; and maintains Individual Advancement Plans (IAPs) in NKCAC’s client management system to achieve 75% low-income placement and 80% 12-month retention. The position is accountable for all aspects of grant compliance including financial and program management, procurement, performance and financial reporting, subrecipient/partner monitoring, and records retention.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in business, public administration, economics, social work, or a related field; or an equivalent combination of education and at least 6–8 years of progressively responsible experience.
5+ years in at least two of the following: small-business/entrepreneur technical assistance, workforce development/job placement, community economic development, grants/program management.
Hands-on experience coordinating services for individuals with low incomes (e.g., childcare, transportation, financial capability, behavioral health/SUD), with a track record of improving job retention.
Demonstrated success managing multi-partner initiatives (MOUs/third-party agreements), meeting numeric targets (jobs created/filled, business outcomes), and producing on-time funder reports.
Working knowledge of federal grant requirements (45 CFR Part 75; transition to 2 CFR Part 200), including procurement standards, subrecipient/contractor monitoring, performance/financial reporting, and records retention.
Experience supporting loan or start-up capital agreements (repayment schedules, documentation, monitoring); comfort reconciling employer payroll data with internal records.
Proficiency with a client/case management system (e.g., EmPOWER, Apricot, Salesforce or similar) to document eligibility (HHS poverty guidelines), services, and outcomes; strong Excel/Google Sheets skills (pivots/lookups, data QA).
Strong employer and partner engagement skills.
Clear, persuasive written and verbal communication.
Culturally responsive, trauma-informed approach; commitment to ethical handling of PII/HIPAA/42 CFR Part 2–sensitive information as applicable.
Valid driver’s license, reliable transportation, and willingness to travel regularly across NKCAC’s eight-county service area; occasional evenings/weekends.

Responsibilities

Identify and maintain a geo-coded inventory of small businesses across NKCAC’s eight-county area (including home-based firms).
Build and manage a recruitment pipeline in coordination with Aviatra.
Leverage NKCAC’s close community connections with local elected officials, faith leaders, business associations, and other influencers to recruit employers, open referral channels, and elevate project visibility.
Coordinate entrepreneurship advising and readiness with Aviatra; oversee basic career navigation for candidate referrals (skills/aptitude screening, HHS low-income eligibility verification) and initiate Individual Advancement Plans (IAPs) for hires.
Work with at least 10 businesses to develop expansion plans to create at least 29 jobs over the three year grant period.
Work with NKCAC’s marketing department to implement a dual-audience campaign that attracts participating businesses and engages low-income job seekers—prioritizing Opportunity Zone neighborhoods and NKCAC service centers.
Work with Aviatra to provide basic TA (readiness assessments, job description templates, HR onboarding practices, position scoping).
Issue warm hand-offs to community resources to augment TA based on each business’s needs; ensure execution of required third-party agreements outlining roles and reporting.
Connect newly hired low-income employees to NKCAC wraparound services and provide support to ensure 12 month retention.
Use NKCAC’s client management system to track eligibility, services, and outcomes.
Collect employer payroll data to verify wages/benefits and retention; maintain position-based counts (not people counts).
Coordinate with Finance to structure and monitor CED loan/start-up capital agreements (repayment begins during the grant; non-forgivable) and support procurement, reporting, records, and subrecipient/contractor monitoring.
Participate in internal work groups and convene employer/partner touchpoints as needed.
Identify obstacles (hiring lag, transportation/childcare barriers, business readiness) and implement mitigation strategies tied to timeline and milestones.
Track outcomes (e.g., businesses launched, jobs created, loans secured) to meet grant and funding requirements.
Support audits and any federal evaluation activities; contribute to SOPs and continuous improvement; prepare briefings for NKCAC leadership, Board committees, and funders; perform related duties necessary to achieve job creation and retention targets.