ECI Small Business Ecosystem Navigator

Ball State University

Muncie, IN

ID: 7236659 (Ref.No. BSU42465)
Posted: April 16, 2024
Application Deadline: Open Until Filled

Job Description

This is a strategic role bridging the interests of the Indiana Economic Development Corporation’s (IEDC) Entrepreneurship Team, ConnectIND portal, stakeholders, peer groups and SBDC Team. The Navigator will work with SBDC Business Advisors, stakeholders, and partners to foster a thriving entrepreneurial ecosystem to help entrepreneurs connect to the right resources at the right time in their entrepreneurial journey. This position will foster a positive and measurable impact on the formation, growth and sustainability of small businesses in Indiana.

This position is grant funded and the individual hired will have an At Will assignment. Funding for this position will run through December 31, 2025.

Ball State University hosts the East Central Indiana SBDC. The region comprises 11 counties, including Blackford, Delaware, Jay, Fayette, Grant, Henry, Madison, Randolph, Rush, Union, and Wayne. This position requires off-campus travel throughout the region and, at times, Indiana. This position will also require flexible hours, including some early mornings, evenings, and weekends, and flexible work locations.

The Indiana Small Business Development Center (Indiana SBDC), housed within the Indiana Economic Development Corporation, helps small businesses start, grow, finance, innovate, and transition through no-cost, confidential business advising and training. The Indiana SBDC was established in 1985 with funding support from the U.S. Small Business Administration and the State of Indiana and has worked with over 50,000 entrepreneurs and small businesses. With a network of 10 regional offices throughout the state, the Indiana SBDC helps Hoosier entrepreneurs and small businesses start stronger, grow faster, and work smarter. https://isbdc.org/

Ball State University hosts the East Central Indiana SBDC. The region comprises 11 counties, including Blackford, Delaware, Jay, Fayette, Grant, Henry, Madison, Randolph, Rush, Union, and Wayne. This position requires off-campus travel throughout the region and, at times, Indiana. This position will also require flexible hours, including some early mornings, evenings, and weekends, and flexible work locations.

The position is grant-funded for one year through December 2025. The individual hired will have an at will assignment.

Job Function:

Minimum Education:

Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution in business, public education, communication, program development, public relations, or other relevant fields.

Preferred Education:

Master’s degree in business, public education, communication, program development, public relations, or other relevant fields.

Minimum Experience:

Demonstrated experience working with leaders in the private and public sectors.

Experience in assisting small businesses with an assessment of needs and connections to resources.

Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to build working relationships with partners and stakeholders.

Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including public speaking and presentation skills.

Experience with computer hardware and software (including Excel, Word, and PowerPoint)

Preferred Experience:

Small business ownership or business management experience; demonstrated ability to work harmoniously with co-workers and supervisors; ability to work effectively with leaders in the private and public sectors.

Duties and Responsibilities:

Serve as the regional point of contact for the statewide resource portal (ConnectIND), which includes assessing individual entrepreneurs' current needs and skills, advising entrepreneurs and small businesses about the programs and partners that can best assist them in their development process, and creating an action plan of assistance steps for leads and SBDC clients.
Provide entrepreneur support, which includes serving as a boundary-spanning connector in and between various groups of entrepreneur-serving organizations and local entrepreneurs at the right time in their journey, meeting one-on-one with entrepreneurs to guide them to the right resource or mentor at the right time in their journey, organize and facilitate founder peer groups, being the regional point of contact for the statewide resource portal (ConnectIND), and working from workspaces in the region to meet entrepreneurs where they are, holding walk-in office hours, and hosting group coffee hours.
Facilitate community collaboration by identifying and executing community partnerships to support local entrepreneurial ecosystem initiatives, regularly collaborating with local partners to support and grow the entrepreneurial ecosystem, including but not limited to coworking centers, incubators, accelerators, universities, local economic development organizations, and regional bodies, developing and managing relationships with cities and counties within the region as an active partner in developing the local entrepreneurship ecosystem, representing the Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IEDC) and Indiana SBDC at regional events promoting entrepreneurship, and identifying gaps in the entrepreneurial ecosystem and providing recommendations to fill them.
Perform operations duties that include identifying and amplifying success stories, developing and providing progress reports for the SBDC Regional Director, IEDC, and regional stakeholders, administrative and data-related tasks to measure impact, and regularly meeting with the SBDC Regional Director, IEDC, and other Entrepreneurial Ecosystem Navigators.
Advocate for small business interests by developing and promoting public awareness of SBDC programs and services.
Enter and keep up-to-date client information, program details, professional development, outreach, and training in the State database.
Work within the regional host institution, a contractual center of the Indiana SBDC, to meet organizational goals and objectives and to serve students, faculty, and staff.
Travel throughout the geographic area served, with occasional travel throughout Indiana. Early morning and evening hours may be required.
Perform other related duties as assigned.
Support IEDC planning, marketing, and executing regional ecosystem events which includes organizing and facilitate at least one founder peer group that meets at least once a month on average, represent IEDC and Indiana SBDC at regional events promoting entrepreneurship, support regional Global Entrepreneurship week planning efforts and attend events where IEDC cannot be present, and support IEDC Global Entrepreneurship Congress (GEC) panning efforts as requested.

At Ball State University, we recognize inclusive excellence as an integral endeavor to fulfill our University’s mission and our strategic plan. We recruit, support, and retain a diverse population of students, faculty, and staff. We encourage and reward diversity of thought. We promote a work environment that encourages and rewards innovation and creativity. We pledge to keep Inclusive Excellence at the highest level of institutional importance and as a foundation in all that we strive to do. Our over-arching goal for Inclusive Excellence is to adopt a university-wide Inclusive Excellence approach to academic, administrative support, and service functions of the university. We believe Inclusive Excellence must be infused in every step we take.

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