Sbdc Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Thank you for considering a career with the Research Foundation of The City University of New York (RFCUNY)! We are thrilled that you are interested in exploring opportunities to join our team.

Primary Location:

Bargaining Unit:

No

The Small Business Development Center (SBDC) at LaGuardia Community College is part of the New York SBDC network that provides business advising, training, and technical assistance to small businesses across Queens and surrounding areas. Supported by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), the State University of New York (SUNY), and LaGuardia Community College, the Center helps entrepreneurs start, operate, and grow their businesses through no cost one-on-one advising, specialized workshops, and outreach initiatives. The LaGuardia SBDC also oversees an Outreach Center at Queens College, providing services across both campuses to support business creation, job retention, and regional economic development.

Under the direction of the Assistant Dean of Business Services, the Regional Center Director provides overall leadership, management, and operational oversight of the LaGuardia Community College SBDC and its Queens College Outreach Center. The Regional Center Director is responsible for program strategy, fiscal management, compliance, staff supervision, and performance outcomes. The Regional Center Director manages a team of Business Advisors and Administrative Support, ensuring the delivery of high-quality services to small businesses. The Regional Center Director also maintains a client counseling caseload, builds institutional and external partnerships, and represents the Center in its work with city, state, and federal agencies, financial institutions, and business organizations.

Duties and Responsibilities:

Program Leadership and Operations

• Provide strategic direction and oversight for the LaGuardia SBDC and Queens College Outreach Center, ensuring all operations align with New York SBDC network goals and performance standards.

• Develop and implement annual and long-term plans that support small business growth and regional economic impact.

• Supervise staff assignments, case management, performance reviews, and professional development to maintain service quality and consistency.

• Conduct regular team meetings to review counseling activity, address challenges, and ensure all deliverables are completed on time.

• Maintain a limited client counseling caseload, providing advice on business planning, financial management, operations, marketing, and access to capital.

• Ensure full compliance with Research Foundation, SUNY, SBA, and institutional program standards.

Fiscal Management and Compliance

• Oversee all fiscal operations of the SBDC in collaboration with LaGuardia's Business Services and ACE fiscal areas to ensure accurate reporting, budgeting, and adherence to fiscal policy.

• Prepare and monitor the program's annual budget and expenditure plans, ensuring compliance with Research Foundation, SUNY, and SBA guidelines.

• Develop and maintain internal fiscal controls to meet audit requirements and ensure fiscal accountability.

• Coordinate with the LaGuardia College Adult Continuing Education fiscal office and the SBDC Lead Center to review fiscal performance, reconcile budgets, and manage contracts.

• Prepare required fiscal and narrative reports for submission to LaGuardia administration, the Lead Center, and funding partners.

• Ensure all fiscal activity, reporting, and documentation meet federal and institutional audit standards.

Partnership Development and Community Engagement

• Represent the SBDC at meetings, conferences, college, and community events to promote awareness and visibility of services.

• Build and sustain partnerships with local, state, and federal agencies, chambers of commerce, lenders, and business organizations.

• Collaborate with economic development stakeholders to coordinate resources and expand outreach.

• Lead targeted outreach initiatives to engage small business owners, increase awareness of SBDC services, and expand regional impact.

• Coordinate with other LaGuardia Business Services programs, including the APEX Accelerator, Small Business Transportation Resource Center, PowerUp2030, and Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses, to develop referral pipelines and shared initiatives.

Program Development and Performance Oversight

• Identify opportunities to enhance service offerings and develop new initiatives to meet small business needs.

• Monitor program data and evaluate outcomes to ensure all network goals are met or exceeded.

• Track key performance indicators, including clients served, counseling hours, new businesses established, capital accessed, and jobs created or retained.

• Use data and evaluation findings to improve program operations and inform future planning.

• Prepare quarterly and annual reports for submission to the SBDC Lead Center and LaGuardia administration.

Staff Supervision and Development

• Supervise, hire and evaluate a team of Business Advisors and an Administrative Assistant across two sites.

• Provide regular coaching, feedback, and professional development opportunities to ensure staff effectiveness.

• Oversee staff adherence to SBDC policies, procedures, and performance benchmarks.

• Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement.

• Monitor client caseloads and outcomes to ensure service consistency and efficiency.

• Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Public Administration, Finance, Economics, or a related field required; Master's degree preferred.

• Minimum five years of experience in private sector business, including two years in managerial capacity. Relevant consulting experience may be substituted for management experience, however at least one year of private sector business management is desired.

• Proven experience managing budgets and fiscal operations, preferably in federally or state-funded programs.

• Demonstrated understanding of small business operations, financial analysis, and program management.

• Strong ability to lead teams, manage multiple priorities, and meet performance targets.

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including experience with stakeholder engagement and reporting.

• Strategic planning experience.

• Ability to liaise with federal, state and local elected officials.

• Identification and development of grant and other funding opportunities.

• Familiarity with SBA programs, New York SBDC systems, and small business financing.

• Proficiency in Microsoft Office 365 and the ability to learn SBDC reporting systems.

• Ability to work a flexible schedule, including some evenings and weekends.

This is a grant-funded position through the Research Foundation of CUNY. Appointment is contingent upon continued funding and satisfactory performance. The position is primarily in-person with the option for limited remote work.

About LaGuardia Community College

Founded in 1971 in Long Island City, Queens, LaGuardia Community College is one of seven community colleges of the City University of New York (CUNY). LaGuardia offers more than sixty associate degree programs and more than fifty workforce training, ESOL, GED, and pre-college programs. In 2023, LaGuardia served approximately 24,000 students. More than one-third of LaGuardia's degree-seeking students are born outside the United States; they come from 136 countries and speak 43 heritage languages. Sixty percent are first-generation college students.

Virtually all LaGuardia students are ethnic minorities (89 percent), 58 percent are women, 27 percent are over the age of 25. Forty-six percent of associate degree students are Hispanic. Upon graduation most students transfer to four-year colleges, typically in CUNY, to complete their baccalaureate degrees. Graduates of career programs such as Nursing, Computer Technology, and Veterinary Technology enter the workforce. LaGuardia ranked fifth among U.S. community colleges in economic mobility moving low-income students into the middle class and beyond in studies by Stanford University (2017) and the Brookings Institution (2020). Please visit www.laguardia.edu to learn more.

Pay Range:

RFCUNY Benefits
RFCUNY Employee Benefits and Accruals

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement
The Research Foundation of the City University of New York is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action/Americans with Disabilities Act/E-Verify Employer. It is the policy of the Research Foundation of CUNY to provide equal employment opportunities free of discrimination based on race, color, age, religion, sex, pregnancy, childbirth, national origin, disability, marital status, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, marital status, domestic violence victim status, arrest record, criminal conviction history, or any other protected characteristic under applicable law.