Urban Upbound
Business Innovation Program
Job Description: Business Innovation Consultant
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, particularly 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-owned and traditional small businesses.
Urban Upbound is seeking to hire a full-time Business Innovation Consultant to provide technical assistance services to entrepreneurs and small businesses in all stages of development, supporting them as they go from an idea to launch and then to profitability and sustainability. Reporting to the Business Innovation Assistant Director, the Business Innovation Consultant is an innovative, out-of-the-box thinker who can successfully assist small businesses in all areas of business development including financial planning, governance, marketing, and navigating government regulations, among others.
The Business Innovation Consultant must have a high work capacity and be extremely flexible, working evenings regularly and weekends when needed. In addition to incubating new businesses and supporting the growth of operating businesses, the Business Innovation Consultant troubleshoots challenges, conducts outreach, and finds new opportunities for the program and our clients, focusing on the worker cooperative model but assisting traditional small businesses as well. The Business Innovation Consultant serves as the key point of contact for the businesses they support and oversees the implementation of their business and strategic plans. This is a 100% in-person position that works from multiple locations.
Responsibilities:
- Support the efforts of clients to launch and/or grow their businesses through workshop facilitation and one-on-one technical support.
- Work with new entrepreneurs and worker-owners to develop a business plan.
- Conduct feasibility studies for new business, or new products and/or services for operating businesses.
- Work with clients to assess their small businesses and develop strategic plans.
- Provide clients with technical assistance in the areas of financial planning, bookkeeping, marketing, customer service, sales, government regulations, financing, governance, and others as needed.
- Connect clients to partner service providers to receive free or low-cost specialized services such as legal counsel, immigration counseling, and accounting services, among others.
- Assist clients in registering their business with the New York Department of State, receiving an employer identification number, and obtaining all licenses and permits necessary to launch and operate their business.
- Assist clients in applying for minority and/or women-owned business enterprise (MWBE) certification (city, state and various authorities) and to submit bids for government contracts.
- Develop and conduct workshops to foster entrepreneurship and teach other relevant skills such as conflict resolution, communication best practices, and cooperative values and principles.
- Troubleshoot obstacles faced by the worker cooperatives and other small businesses in our network by conducting the appropriate research and proposing viable solutions.
- Collect and record data in a timely fashion and ensure its accuracy, integrity and consistency.
- Prepare reports as requested.
- Lead outreach efforts and create a pipeline of entrepreneurs.
- Participate in community events and educate the communities we serve in the benefits of the worker cooperative model.
- Serve as the first point-of-contact for the worker cooperatives and other small businesses in our network.
- Stay up to date on best practices and technologies for small business incubation and technical assistance services, including taking courses on worker cooperative development.
- Represent the program at meetings and convenings.
- Promote our clients at events, conferences and other networking opportunities.
- Refer clients to other Urban Upbound services such as financial counseling, mental health & wellness, and income supports.
- Maintain compliance with all program and organization requirements.
- Collaborate with other programs and partner organizations.
- Other tasks assigned by the Business Innovation Assistant Director, the Financial Fitness Program Director or the executive team.
Qualifications:
- B.A. degree or3 years of experience working in a non-profit or community-facing setting.
- Experience in business incubation, business development, marketing and/or sales.
- Bilingual Spanish; other languages are a plus.
- A strong interest or background in worker cooperatives, community organizing or worker rights.
- Ability to learn quickly and be interested in developing a variety of new skills.
- Have the ability to work both autonomously and in a team.
- Strong project management skills, including managing competing priorities and meeting deadlines.
- Excellent listening and writing skills, with the ability to foster dialogue and address clients with cultural sensitivity.
- Computer proficiency in MS Office and Google Workspace.
- Highly motivated, with proven capacity to take the initiative and thrive in a fast-paced entrepreneurial environment.
- Must be flexible, willing to work weeknights regularly and weekends as needed.
- Willingness to travel and work from multiple locations.
- Experience with coaching, relationship building, and facilitating workshops is a plus.
- Experience with conflict resolution and mediation is a plus.
- Experience teaching financial literacy and financial planning is a plus.
- Knowledge of Salesforce and/or Microsoft Dynamics is a plus.
- Good sense of humor and a passion for social justice is a must.
Benefits:
- Professional training
- Flexible schedule, committed to work-life balance
- Health Insurance
- Medical
- Dental & Vision
- Salary range: 55,000 – 60,000 yearly
To Apply: Please submit a resume and cover letter to: Junaid@urbanupbound.org. Include “Business Innovation ProgramConsultant” in the subject line.
Job Types: Full-time, Contract
Pay: $55,000.00 - $60,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- Dental insurance
- Health insurance
- Life insurance
- Paid time off
- Vision insurance
Schedule:
Education:
Ability to Relocate:
- Astoria, NY 11101: Relocate before starting work (Required)
Work Location: In person