New Address: Two Embarcadero Center, 8th floor, San Francisco, CA 94111     

MEDA: Business and Workforce Development Center Coordinator

Business & Workforce Development Center Coordinator
Job Description

PROGRAM OVERVIEW
Working in partnership with community organizations, other city agencies, and best-in-class service providers, the San Francisco Office of Economic and Workforce Development (OEWD) is set to launch the Business & Workforce Development Center as an innovative neighborhood-based joint workforce and business services center, located in Plaza Adelante, a multi-organization hub for asset-building services for low-income individuals and families in San Francisco’s Mission District. The offerings at the Center will complement the services provided by other Plaza Adelante with an infusion of career development services. In addition the services it provides to small businesses and social enterprises will generate employment opportunities and promote job quality for low-income clients. The result will be the availability of a full continuum of career development, asset building, and business services co-located within a single neighborhood-based center.

POSITION DESCRIPTION
We are seeking a full-time Program Coordinator that will be responsible for the following:
Program Delivery (60%)
The Center Coordinator will be responsible for providing direct technical assistance services in the form of workshops and one-on-one technical assistance to businesses, in some cases independently and in some cases in collaboration with consultants and partners. The target business services clients will be small businesses between 6-19 employees who are poised for expansion through specific assistance in expanding sales, developing personnel and management systems and accessing expansion capital. The specific industries we anticipate targeting for these services include food-based retailers, business and professional contractors and Production Distribution & Repair (PDR) businesses such as clothing designers and light manufacturers. The specific business services offered include the following:

  • Intake and Assessment:
    • Data, demographics, intake form: Assist business clients in filling out all relevant forms, registrations and documents as appropriate.
    • Intake interview: One on one interview with business clients to introduce them to the Center’s services.
    • Business Assessment: Complete business assessment with business clients to determine technical assistance needs and opportunities for growth.
  • Management/Personnel-related:
    • Human Resources: Employment assessment; interview and hiring; contract negotiations, employee management advice and accurate documentation/legalities assistance.
    • Legal Services: Direct assistance with business formation advice; all industry-specific legalities and intellectual property contracts.
    • Job-Ready Employees: Access to a screened pool of job-ready employees for matching to specific industry needs through project partners.
  • Finance:
    • Tax Credits and Wage Subsidies: Information and support to access tax credits and wage subsidies for existing businesses with employees (See Prosperity Center proposal for details and launch options).
    • Expansion Capital: Prep and assessment of bank capital, lines of credit, family-based loan and non-profit loans programs for expanding small businesses.
  • Business development:
    • Contracts and Procurement: Direct assistance with RFP and RFI options, procurement options, joint ventures with larger prime contractors and contract negotiations.
    • Social Networking Training: Social network training re tools for specific small businesses requiring a simple effective marketing package and collateral design for branding and/or sales.

Program coordination (30%)

  • Convene and/or participate in regular meetings of Center core partners (including MEDA, JVS, OEWD and others) to complete the menu of services and shared workplan to achieve full programming at the site.
  • Participate in fund development activities as identified by shared workplan.
  • Identify and implement a strategy to attract Business and Workforce development clients to the Center in collaboration with partners and MEDA’s Marketing & Events Coordinator.
  • Identify and implement a strategy for incentivizing the hiring of low income and displaced workers.
  • Oversee the production and distribution of marketing materials for the business services offered at Prosperity Center.

Site coordination (10%)

  • Booking and maintaining a regularly updated shared calendar of activities in the Center, including use of the cubicles/computers, conference room and computer lab.
  • Primary point of contact for all partners, MEDA staff and consultants regarding usage of the space, problems with the equipment, etc.
  • Collecting/compiling all relevant data and preparing reports regarding the services rendered at Prosperity Center and outcomes achieved by workforce and business services clients.
  • Preparing reports to transfer relevant client data to Sparkpoint Data coordinator.
  • Participating in cross-training activities with direct service staff at the other core partners in Plaza Adelante to facilitate cross-referrals.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS
The Business & Workforce Center Coordinator must have the following experience:

  • Minimum of a Bachelor’s degree in business or related field.
  • At least 2 years of project management experience.
  • At least 2 years of program development experience (preferably development of multi-stakeholder collaborative projects).
  • At least 5 years experience with small business (either as a business owner, manager or as a small business consultant).
  • Expertise in at least 3 of the service delivery areas listed above.
  • Experience and capacity to manage a database and produce reports.
  • Bilingual English/Spanish highly preferred.
  • Basic and intermediate technological competency is required, in Microsoft Office applications, database applications, and other software relevant to business operations.
  • Skilled communicator, experience working with diverse constituencies.
  • Some workforce development experience preferred.
  • Understanding and familiarity with asset development field is a plus.
  • Must be able to work in a fragrance free workplace.

Compensation will be based on experience. To apply please send resume and cover letter to Eric Cuentos ecuentos@medasf.org.