Senior Manager SBDC Operations & Programs

The Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT) fosters a positive business climate and encourages quality economic development through the support of local and regional economic development activities across the state. A comprehensive slate of programs within OEDIT’s divisions work together to offer economic development services for all Colorado businesses – new and expanding, traditional and emerging, small and large.

The service offerings include retention programs to ensure continued competitiveness of Colorado’s economic base and job training to keep Colorado’s workforce the best in the nation.

As a U. S. Small Business Administration (SBA) Resource Partner, the Colorado Small Business Development Center (SBDC) empowers entrepreneurs and business owners to successfully navigate their full business lifecycle—from launch through growth to exit—by delivering business advising and other technical assistance (e.g., training) as well as connecting them to community resources. The Colorado SBDC consists of a network of 14 Service Centers across the state hosted by institutes of higher education, city and county governments, economic development agencies, chambers of commerce, and incubators.

The Business Support Division consists of four major programs within OEDIT:
Employee Ownership Office (EOO), Cannabis Business Office (CBO), Minority Business Office (MBO), and the Colorado SBDC.

The position offers full-time employment as an exempt, at-will State of Colorado Employee with an anticipated duration through June 2027, with the possibility of extension based on available funding.

The Senior Manager, SBDC Operations & Programs (Sr. Manager) will oversee and align the network's long-term operational and programmatic strategy with efficient day-to-day service delivery across the statewide SBDC Network while maintaining compliance with federal and state funders. The Sr. Manager will be responsible for several on-going and new programs across the Network. This position has one direct report who manages some of the programs, with the Sr.

Manager directly managing two programs (see below). Program management encompasses the overall operations, including project, financial, and compliance management, and is not solely focused on training. This could include contract negotiation and management, statement of work development, and reporting in order for the SBDC service centers to provide technical assistance to Colorado small businesses.

As noted above, the Sr. Manager will directly manage two programs executed through the SBDC Lead Center and 14 Service Centers to reach all Coloradans: the U.S. Department of the Treasury (UST) State Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI) Technical Assistance (TA) Program and the Economic Resilience TA Program. The Sr. Manager will oversee other programs managed by their direct report or other SBDC Lead Center staff to ensure productive operation of all client services.

Additionally, the Sr. Manager will lead the SBDC Network’s Program Committee, which coordinates and evaluates training activities provided by the SBDC centers.

The Sr. Manager will also develop, implement, and ensure network fidelity to standardized operational policies and procedures across the state to ensure consistency, quality of service delivery, and grant compliance.

• Oversee statewide SBDC network operations and program strategy for the Colorado SBDC Network, in coordination with the Lead Center, 14 Service Centers, and the Program Committee
• Oversee and execute the UST SSBCI TA Program (federally funded) and manage performance throughout the Network, including contracts, reporting, compliance, supporting service centers in execution, and maintaining relationships with SSBCI stakeholders
• Oversee and execute the Economic Resilience TA Program, including contracting subject matter experts (SMEs); manage performance throughout the network, including proposals, procurement, compliance, and reporting
• Connect business owners impacted by COVID-19 with no- or low-cost SBDC and OEDIT resources to aid in recovery and resiliency
• Manage procurement process for…