Department

Job Posting Title

Job Description

The Associate State Director of the Kansas SBDC network provides financial, operational and programmatic support to the Kansas SBDC network, which is hosted by Fort Hays State University and is comprised of a statewide network of centers hosted by universities and economic development organizations that provide business advisory services, educational programming and research to prospective entrepreneurs and established small businesses.

The Associate State Director of the Kansas SBDC network is primarily responsible for program management, financial management, and reporting. 

The Associate State Director is expected to be a mission-driven, dedicated team player committed to supporting excellence throughout the Kansas SBDC network, while simultaneously managing multiple projects and meeting strict deadlines.  The primary responsibility of the position is to support the Kansas SBDC network to enable and facilitate the delivery of SBDC services that enable program customers to achieve strong results.  Characteristics important to success include conscientiousness, flexibility, integrity, empathy, curiosity, resiliency, self-motivation, diligence, discretion, tact, collaboration-orientation, effective communicator, and ability to build trust among diverse constituencies. Among other duties that may be assigned, responsibilities include:

Program Management

• Supports network centers and staff in the development and delivery of customer-focused services to meet the needs of prospective entrepreneurs and small business owners.
• Develops policies and procedures to guide SBDC service delivery and achieve results for customers.
• Assures compliance with funder requirements.
• Manages tools and resources to support SBDC services.
• Provides oversight and direction to Southwestern and Central Kansas SBDC staff.
• Support efforts to develop partnerships and resources to enhance and extend SBDC services.
• Supports programmatic reviews by SBDC stakeholders.
• Manages professional development for network staff.
• Supports efforts to enhance intra-network communication and collaboration within, and effectiveness of, the Kansas SBDC network.
• Provides input and direction on external communications, marketing and partnerships.
• Supervises Marketing Coordinator/Outreach, Training and Operations Coordinator support position.

Financial Management

• Manages SBDC network budget and accounting, including cashflow projections, reimbursements and reconciliations.
• Prepares budgets and required documentation for grants and other funding proposals.
• Develops and manages policies and procedures to guide SBDC financial management.
• Assures compliance with federal, state and FHSU statutes and policies, other funder requirements, and Kansas SBDC policies.
• Manages subawards, contracts and vendors.
• Conducts annual reviews of subawards and contracts.
• Manages financial reviews by program stakeholders.
• Supervises Accounting Specialist and Program Specialist support positions.

Reporting

• Drafts required financial and narrative reports to program funders.
• Manages data reporting to program funders.
• Prepares proposals to program funders.
• Manages network CRM (Neoserra) to collect and report as required by funders and network policies.
• Develops and manages policies and procedures on CRM utilization, and data collection and reporting.
• Develops and manages policies and procedures to collect and assess satisfaction and impact data.
• Analyzes data to assess and enhance services and program impact.

Position Details

This is a full-time, exempt position that requires the ability to interact regularly with staff, stakeholders and partners across the state of Kansas and occasionally outside of the state.  This is a grant funded position subject to availability of funds. Position location (office, hybrid, remote) will be negotiated.

Minimum Required Qualifications, Skills and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution in a relevant field
• Five years of relevant work experience
• Skill in using common productivity (Office 365/GSuite), CRM (Neoserra, CenterIC), and survey (Qualtrics, Survey Monkey) tools

Preferred Qualifications, Skills and Experience

• Master’s degree from an accredited institution in a relevant field
• Project management experience
• Financial management, budgeting and/or accounting experience
• Federal and/or state grants management experience
• Staff management experience
• SBDC experience
• Economic development experience
• Small business management experience
• Business advising and/or training experience
• Student engagement experience
• Skill in using data analytics (Tableau, Power BI),  AI (ChatGPT, Gemini), research (IBIS World, Vertical IQ), business planning (Live Plan, Growth Wheel), and/or LMS (Canvas, Blackboard) tools

Appointment Date:  The start date will be determined after acceptance of an offer and successful completion of a background check.

Deadline: Review of applicants will begin on October 7, 2024 and continue until the position is filled.

Benefits: Competitive benefit package http://www.fhsu.edu/humanresourceoffice/Prospective-Employees/

Required Application Documents:  Applicants should submit a cover letter, resume, and names and contact information for three professional references.

Applicant documents should be submitted in one PDF.

If you have questions regarding the position, please contact:

Christian Conroy

Interim State Director, Kansas SBDC

conroy@ksbdc.net

Community of Hays

FHSU is located in Hays, a vibrant college town of approximately 20,000, located halfway between Kansas City and Denver on Interstate 70. Hays is the regional center for education, health care, professional services, shopping, culture, and recreation for the western half of Kansas. The community boasts excellent recreational programs and facilities, including the comprehensive Center for Health Improvement, Hays Aquatic Park, Smoky Hill Country Club, Hays Municipal Golf Course, and extensive walking, running, and biking trails. Hays is within 45 minutes of two large lakes that offer great opportunities for boating, fishing, and camping. The Hays Municipal Airport provides connecting service to Denver with several flights daily. The Hays community is home to excellent Pre-K and K-12, public and private schools. With over 60 restaurants, major retail outlets, a low unemployment rate, and very short commute times, the city provides a safe, welcoming, low-cost, high-quality living environment for the residents who call "Hays, America" home.

Notice of Non-discrimination – Fort Hays State University is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of gender, race, religion, national origin, color, age, marital status, sexual orientation, genetic information, disability or veteran status.

Background Check: Final candidate will have consented to and successfully completed a criminal background check.

Notice to KPERS retirees applying for a position: Recent legislation changes working-after-retirement rules for both you and your employer if you go back to work for a KPERS employer. Please contact your KPERS representative or www.kpers.org for further information on how this might affect you.