Sr. Business Consultant

Michigan Technological University • Houghton, MI

398d

About The Position

The Sr. Business Consultant at Michigan Technological University provides personalized consulting services to business owners, focusing on planning, funding, and growth strategies. This role involves managing client relationships, assisting with loan proposals, delivering educational workshops, and building partnerships to enhance client success in economic development.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in accounting, business, finance, economics, or a related field
• 5 years of professional work experience in business leadership, management, consulting, economic development, or small business ownership
• Working knowledge of business financial statements, core marketing principles and other business basics
• Demonstrated interpersonal, organization, and communication skills
• Demonstrated ability to work within an economic development network
• Residence within the counties assigned
• Must be willing to relocate or live within the counties represented, Houghton, Keweenaw, Iron, Baraga, Ontonagon, Gogebic.

Nice To Haves

• Master's degree in accounting, business, finance, economics, or a related field
• Working knowledge of financial analysis, accounting & budgeting practices, capital structures, loan products and private equity resources available to small businesses
• Knowledge of sales, marketing and new business development strategies
• Proficiency in a broad range of computer applications, online databases, tools and systems used in project management, business planning, accounting, market research, e-commerce, analytics, and/or financial reporting, as well as customer relationship databases and e-learning tools
• Prior consulting experience with small businesses and/or second-stage companies
• Demonstrated success in, or potential future contributions to, working with persons from diverse backgrounds, creating a sense of belonging, and fostering a fair, objective, welcoming place to work for persons with a wide variety of personal characteristics and viewpoints
• Residence within Houghton or Keweenaw County

Responsibilities

• Provide confidential, in-depth, one-on-one consulting assistance to pre-venture, startup and existing business owners in areas of business planning, financing, loan packaging, marketing, human resources and other areas of management to promote small business sustainability and growth
• Assist clients in accessing capital through both traditional and non-traditional funding institutions by helping businesses create business loan proposals, structured narrative business plans, realistic financial projections, collateral documentation and other documents as required
• Develop and manage a client pipeline to provide at least 800 hours of client contact and preparation time per calendar year, subject to adjustment by Regional Director
• Meet or exceed established metrics of consulting hours and economic impact goals
• Establish and maintain detailed electronic records of client assistance in the client management system in accordance with MI-SBDC policies and procedures
• Participate in, develop and deliver online and in-person business education workshops and other presentations
• Build and maintain relationships with small business support organizations, financial institutions, consultants, and other public and private sector business resource partners and stakeholders for serving and attracting SBDC clients
• Actively engage in the development and deployment of statewide SBDC innovative initiatives
• Stay abreast of federal, state, and regional economic development initiatives and support programs. Help clients best utilize these programs as well as strategic private sector partners
• Work out of assigned SBDC office, remote office, and at client sites, with periodic in-state and out-of-state travel
• Commit to learning about continuous improvement strategies and applying them to everyday work. Actively engage in University continuous improvement initiatives
• Apply safety-related knowledge, skills, and practices to everyday work.

Benefits

• Negotiable salary based on experience
• Full-time position with a 100% FTE
• Exempt from FLSA regulations
• Equal Opportunity Employer policies

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Part-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Industry: Educational Services
• Education Level: Bachelor's degree