Minority Business Office Program and Operations Manager

The Office of Economic Development and International Trade (“OEDIT”) was created to foster a positive business climate that encourages economic development through support of local and regional economic development activities throughout the State of Colorado. A comprehensive slate of programs within OEDIT’s divisions support economic development efforts for all Colorado businesses – new and expanding, traditional and emerging, small and large – including retention programs to ensure the continued competitiveness of Colorado’s economic base, and job training to keep Colorado’s workforce the best in the nation.

The mission of the Minority Business Office (MBO) of the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade is to advocate and support growth and development opportunities for minorities, women, and veteran-owned businesses in the State of Colorado. 

POSITION 

The position offers full-time employment as an exempt, at-will State of Colorado Employee and the duration of the position is contingent on funding availability. 

The successful applicant will be responsible for promoting the interests of minority- and women-owned businesses by assisting them to create or support the growth of their businesses, disseminating available opportunities for MBO clients, and supporting operations for the current and future MBO programming. 

This position requires a self-starter who excels in a collaborative environment, is outgoing, enthusiastic, has a positive attitude, and good judgment. Candidates should have exceptional organizational skills and strong attention to detail; the ability to multitask and work on several assignments at the same time; strong oral and written communication skills; problem-solving acumen; and demonstrate personal integrity, confidence, diplomacy as well as flexibility.

DESCRIPTION OF JOB: 

Colorado is a resource rich state and its most vital resource is its people. Just as we cultivate our natural resources to make Colorado a more prosperous state, so too must we invest in and cultivate our citizens. Colorado must have a supply of skilled talent to attract and keep companies and jobs, these are key underpinnings of an effective economic development ecosystem. To be competitive in the global marketplace, Colorado businesses and industries require innovation to support quality, quantity and capacity associated with talent innovation.

The Program and Operations Manager manages the daily operations and compliance of the programs within the MBO. The role supports the MBO Director in three primary areas: program management & outreach, operations administrations and budget support, and data administration. 

This position will utilize Salesforce to track program performance, manage client data, and generate regular performance reports and documentation. The manager will be responsible for migrating Google processes to Salesforce.

The ideal candidate will have experience in the following areas: 

• Managing and processing applicant pipelines, compliance verification, and eligibility reviews for complex programs.

• Configuring and maintaining database infrastructure, managing data tracking fields, and generating performance metrics and custom reports.

• Providing operational guidance and customer support to clients and ecosystem partners.

• Managing high-level administrative support, complex stakeholder scheduling, and internal/external event execution.

• Designing operational processes for program delivery and navigating state systems, including budgeting, procurement, and invoicing.

• Utilizing tools like Salesforce and Google Workspace to monitor compliance and manage daily program operations.

• Developing marketing strategies to increase program utilization, which may include collaborating with external partners and/or conducting direct outreach efforts

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES: 

The Manager is responsible for performing the following duties, which represent the approximate allocation of time:

• Support and administer the MBOs cornerstone program Certify Colorado and manage the workflow with the existing participating certifiers, including managing referral flow, processing reimbursements, and ensuring compliance.

• Support the development and  delivery of the MBO programs from operations to development aspects as defined by the MBO Director. 

• Coordinate marketing content and activities for MBO, social media, outreach, training, and other MBO events and programs. 

• Be the point of contact for MBO customer service processes and connection with clients to guide them through opportunities created for MBO clients and respond to general inquiries and messages via phone and email in a timely manner. 

• Serve as a community advocate to promote participant engagement increasing awareness specifically related to MBO programs and MBO partners. 

• Support Minority Business Office - OEDIT with communication plans internally and about MBO missions and opportunities for other OEDIT divisions. 

• Collaborate with the Small Business Development Center (SBDC) Lead Center Team to serve MBO clients through their statewide network. 

• Collaborate with ecosystem partners, diversity chambers, and technical assistance providers to serve MBO clients. 

•  Lead Coordination, staff, and attend outreach events for MBO clients. Occasionally present/fulfill speaking engagements to share information about the MBO or MBO programming. 

• Support the MBO Director in coordinating the Minority Business Office Advisory Council by providing administrative support

• Fund Tracking & Reconciliation: Support the MBO Director in maintaining the office's ledger. Track expenditures across distinct, shifting funding sources, sponsorships, and vendors. 

• General Administration: Provide general administrative support to the MBO division including submitting and processing invoices, coordinating administrative orders and tasks with other divisions/state agencies, scheduling,  and other tasks as assigned. 

• Tool Procurement: Evaluate, implement, and manage current data collection platforms (google) to streamline team workflow and work on converting/transitioning the office to Salesforce. 

• System Architecture: Serve as the division’s Salesforce super-user. Build out, test, and maintain the application pipelines, compliance dashboards, and reporting modules.

• Data Integrity: Design and enforce data-entry protocols to ensure clean tracking of MBO specific and statewide economic metrics. Ensure technical systems accurately capture and track technical assistance and office engagement.

• General Administration: Provide general administrative support to the MBO division including data research, data entry and other assigned tasks. 

• Experience: Minimum 3-5 years of professional experience directly managing operations, public sector contracts, complex programs, program management, or project management.

• 5+ years experience working in a professional business environment with a high-level of responsibility.

OR

• Education: Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Public Administration, Finance, or a related field. Related occupational experience in finance, government, program management will substitute for degrees on a year-for-year basis

An equivalent combination of education and proven experience in comparable fields will be considered.

Fluency in English and Spanish (written and verbal) preferred.

Required Competencies 

• Relationship Management – Builds collaborative relationships and effectively manages relationships within OEDIT, SBDC, and other with external community partners

• Problem Solving and Adaptability – Identifies and defines a problem; gathers and analyzes information; determines potential solutions and decides on course of action(s); accountable for and learns from decisions; responds to new information and/or situation and adapts to updated priorities and/or requirements.

• Planning & Organizing - Establish and prioritize tasks and objectives in order to manage time and resources appropriately.  

• Project Management – Plans, executes and monitors projects and programs, consistently creating high-quality results.  Clearly understands project purpose, priorities and expectations; provides clear support and execution so that all stakeholders have a mutual shared understanding. Anticipates and plans for contingencies and assures that projects are on schedule and completed successfully.

• Budget Management – Tracks overall budget and alignment of resources with division management to ensure funding is maximized and best used to advance priorities.

• Communication - Understands others; clearly articulates key points when writing and speaking; actively listens; effectively interprets non-verbal communication and truly hears what a wide variety of people are trying to say; accurately assesses personal styles and adjusts own style of communication to optimize personal effectiveness.

• Results Driven - Drives for successful results; makes things happen and conveys a sense of urgency; sets aggressive goals and works hard to achieve these goals; moves tasks and assignments toward closure; invests considerable effort to ensure goals are achieved in a high-quality manner.

• Design, implement, and refine workflows to improve program delivery and efficiency.

• Providing high-level administrative support, managing complex stakeholder scheduling, and planning and executing internal and external events.

Salary Range: $65,000 - $75,000 Annually

This position is considered non-classified, which means the position is not part of the Colorado State Personnel System. Therefore, the individual appointed to this position is considered at-will, and is not covered by the State Personnel Rules or the State Classification System. However, this position does come with the same benefits (retirement, insurance, etc.) as every other State employee, and with the same opportunities, pride and passion that comes with working for the great State of Colorado. Even though employment is at-will, non-classified positions have protections against discrimination and retaliation in state and federal employment laws. “At-will” employment means that either the employee or the State may terminate the employment relationship at any time for any reason or no reason, with or without notice or cause, as long as no federal or state law is violated.

A wide salary range is posted for this position and any job offer is based upon a salary analysis to comply with the Colorado Equal Pay for Equal Work Act. The salary analysis considers relevant experience, education, certifications, and state seniority as compared to others doing substantially similar work. While all offers are compliant with the Colorado Equal Pay for Equal Work Act, there is no guarantee an offer will be at the top of the posted range based on the salary analysis. 

Benefits

The State of Colorado/Office of the Governor offers generous benefits to full-time employees including:

• Annual leave accrued at 13.33 hours per month

• Sick leave accrued at 6.66 hours a month

• 11 paid holidays per year

• Medical plans - choice of Cigna or Kaiser; several plan options (including High Deductible Health Plan with HSA); most plans  offered with significant state contribution towards premium

• Dental and vision plans

• Flexible spending accounts

• State-paid life insurance policy of $50,000

• Choice of 2 retirement plans (defined contribution or defined benefit) with generous state contribution

• Optional 401(k) and 457 plans for additional retirement savings

• State-paid short-term disability coverage

• Additional optional life and disability plans

• Access to the Colorado State Employee Assistance Program

• Membership opportunity with the Credit Union of Colorado

• RTD (transit) EcoPass

• Training and professional development

To learn more about State of Colorado benefits, please visit: https://www.colorado.gov/dhr/benefits

Equity, Diversity and Inclusion

The State of Colorado believes that equity, diversity, and inclusion drive our success, and we encourage candidates from all identities, backgrounds, and abilities to apply. The State of Colorado is an equal opportunity employer committed to building inclusive, innovative work environments with employees who reflect our communities and enthusiastically serve them. Therefore, in all aspects of the employment process, we provide employment opportunities to all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, pregnancy, medical condition related to pregnancy, creed, ancestry, national origin, marital status, genetic information, or military status (with preference given to military veterans), or any other protected status in accordance with applicable law.

To learn more about the “State of Colorado For All”, visit our Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion website.

ADAAA Accommodations

The Office of the Governor is committed to the full inclusion of all qualified individuals. As part of this commitment, our agency will assist individuals who have a disability with any reasonable accommodation requests related to employment, including completing the application process, interviewing, completing any pre-employment testing, participating in the employee selection process, and/or to perform essential job functions where the requested accommodation does not impose an undue hardship. If you have a disability and require reasonable accommodation to ensure you have a positive experience applying or interviewing for this position, please direct your inquiries to our ADAAA Staffing Coordinator, the Director of Human Resources: [email protected]

Application

Your application must provide sufficient detail about your background and experience to allow the screening panel to properly assess your experience in the required elements, including your experience and achievements.   

Due to the large volume of resumes we receive, we do not acknowledge receipt of each application and are unable to give status updates. If a strong match is found between your qualifications and the requirements of the position, a member of the recruiting staff will contact you to further discuss the career opportunity.

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