Urban Upbound
Business Innovation Program Director
Founded in 2004, the mission of Urban Upbound is to break cycles of poverty in New York City public housing and other low-income neighborhoods. We provide underserved youth and adults with the tools and resources needed to achieve economic prosperity and self-sufficiency through seven comprehensive, integrated programs: Employment Services, Financial Counseling, College Access and Youth Development, Tax Preparation and Income Support Services, Community Revitalization through Business Innovation, Mental Health and Wellness, and Financial Inclusion services anchored by the Urban Upbound Federal Credit Union.
In 2015 we launched a Worker Cooperative Initiative to develop and support the growth and sustainability of worker-owned businesses that provide a path for low-income and immigrant New Yorkers, in particular public housing residents to access employment, build wealth and gain entrepreneurial skills. Since then, our program has grown to include the incubation and support of dozens of worker-own and traditional small businesses.
Urban Upbound is seeking to hire a full time Program Director for our Business Innovation Program, which oversees our Worker Cooperative Initiative and our other small business services. Reporting to the Chief Operating Officer and working in collaboration with the CEO, the CFO, and the CPO, the Program Director is an innovative, out-of-the-box thinker who can lead a team of business developers and specialists.
The Program Director has a high capacity for work and plays a critical role in formalizing the governance and business structure for new businesses, supporting their growth, connecting them to financing, monitoring and evaluating goals, troubleshooting challenges, finding new opportunities, cultivating stakeholder engagement, liaising with technical assistance providers, reporting outcomes regularly, conducting outreach, scheduling workshops, and coordinating the launch of additional businesses.
Responsibilities
- Provide strategic leadership to the program and ensure its successful achievement of outcomes.
- Develop annual operating plans and manage the program’s budget.
- Hire, support and supervise program staff including developing individual performance plans.
- Serve as the key point-of-contact for our partners and funders.
- Identify resources and opportunities that support the growth and development of the businesses, including government procurement and access to capital.
- Strengthen our relationship with current partners and build new partnerships.
- Direct the program’s outreach efforts and work in collaboration with the community and other stakeholders, ensuring participation in community events.
- Ensure quantitative and qualitative data are being properly collected and recorded.
- Prepare and submit reports on time.
- Assess the performance of the program and make adjustments as necessary.
- Ensure that we have a pipeline of small businesses and entrepreneurs.
Develop tools and implement processes to improve the program’s effectiveness.
- Prepare learning materials and facilitate or coordinate training opportunities for entrepreneurs.
- Provide business technical assistance to businesses and support the implementation of their business plans, as needed.
- Analyze trends and review business plans ensuring they reflect the most recent and accurate information available
- Connect clients to other services at Urban Upbound and work collaboratively with other programs.
- Represent Urban Upbound at meetings, events and conferences, and promote the businesses in our network.
- Participate in organization-wide strategic meetings.
- Stay up to date on best practices and technologies for small business incubation and technical assistance services.
- Other tasks as assigned by the COO, CEO, or CFO.
Skills and Qualifications
- B.A. degree or higher in Business Administration, Marketing, Psychology or a related field.
- At least 5 years of experience as a supervisor.
- Strong skills in business incubation, business development, sales and marketing, leadership development, and coaching.
- Experience or knowledge of worker-cooperatives.
- Relationship building or organizing experience, with excellent listening and writing skills, and the ability to foster dialogue.
- Strong project management skills, including managing competing priorities and meeting deadlines.
- Computer proficiency in MS Office and Google Workspace.
- Outcomes-driven, strong analytical skills and experience using data to inform programmatic decisions.
- Highly motivated, with proven capacity to take initiative and thrive in a fast-paced entrepreneurial environment.
- Flexible, with availability to work weeknights and weekends as needed.
- Experience teaching financial literacy and financial planning is a plus.
- Knowledge of Salesforce and/or Microsoft Dynamics is a plus.
- Bi-lingual Spanish is a plus.
- Sense of humor and passion for social justice.
Urban Upbound is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes candidates of all backgrounds.
Job Types: Full-time, Contract
Pay: $75,000.00 - $85,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- Dental insurance
- Health insurance
- Life insurance
- Paid time off
- Vision insurance
Schedule:
Education:
Ability to Relocate:
- Astoria, NY 11103: Relocate before starting work (Required)
Work Location: In person