Entrepreneurship & Small Business Development Manager - 0825

Under general direction and in compliance with standard operating procedures and policies, the Entrepreneurship & Small Business Development Manager will lead the Greenville City Economic Development Corporations (GCEDC) small business engagement, cultivation, and support efforts. Serves as an executive concierge and one-stop resource for small businesses (both start-ups and established businesses) in the City as a dedicated liaison and advocate for entrepreneurs and small business owners across Greenville, with a particular focus on minority and women-owned businesses, retail businesses, and small business located in special emphasis neighborhoods and opportunity zones. Builds and maintains relationships with local accelerators, chambers, nonprofit partners, and financial institutions to strengthen Greenvilles entrepreneurial ecosystem and to catalyze the ongoing development of small and minority business enterprises. Helps small businesses navigate the startup and growth process, connects them with key ecosystem partners, and facilitates access to resources, including grants, capital, and space, necessary for their success and growth. Connects with neighborhood associations, non-profit agencies, and organizations to foster community involvement. Builds partnerships with property owners, developers, and local organizations to help activate vacant storefronts and support inclusive growth citywide. Serve as a primary GCEDC liaison within the StartupGVL network. Develops and implements appropriate small and minority business educational programs and events. Collaborates closely with GCEDCs Real Estate Development team members to align small-business space activation efforts with broader redevelopment projects and city priorities. Develops, manages, and implements various small business support programs, including GCEDCs microgrants programming. Provides strategic recommendations on policies that impact small and minority-owned businesses. ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS: Provide Small Business Support and Navigation (40%): Act as an executive concierge and primary point of contact for small businesses and entrepreneurs, helping them navigate City processes, including licensing, permits, zoning, and inspections. Identify and remove barriers for minority-owned and startup businesses through policy feedback, technical assistance, and connection to city resources. Engage with small businesses and entrepreneurs to gain a comprehensive understanding of their business and financial situation and needs. Assist and empower small business owners to identify their business goals and financial sustainability plans. Provide information on potential funding support strategies and applicable incentives as is appropriate. Partner with City departments to provide real-time feedback on issues affecting small businesses and help streamline communication and processes. Maintain a comprehensive knowledge of programs and available resources for small, women, and minority owned and local businesses, including assistance programs, applicable resources and similar tools. Place special emphasis on supporting local retail businesses by understanding their unique challenges, including foot traffic, space affordability, and regulatory navigation, and working to identify strategies for their long-term sustainability and success. Facilitate Ecosystem and Stakeholder Engagement (25%): Build and maintain relationships with local accelerators, chambers, nonprofit partners, and financial institutions to strengthen Greenvilles entrepreneurial ecosystem and to catalyze the ongoing development of small and minority business enterprises. Serve as a primary GCEDC liaison within the StartupGVL network and related small business development organizations. Partner with neighborhood business associations to understand the unique challenges and needs of businesses in different parts of the city and help co-create localized support strategies. Serve as a liaison and resource for community agencies and other organizations and stakeholders. Receive and respond to questions and concerns from the community. Identify potential issues and resolve problems within level of authority, referring to supervisor as appropriate. Perform Program Development, Management, and Reporting: (20%): Develop and implement appropriate small and minority business educational programs and events. Lead and facilitate small and minority business recognition programs. Manage and input information on small business support activities; establish relevant metrics and track and report on programming milestones and deliverables; maintain documentation and reports of all efforts; maintain strict confidentiality of customer information, action, and records. Interact with program participants to keep them informed of upcoming events, program updates, program opportunities, deadlines, logistical information, program surveys, mentorship, and other needs as identified. Maintain and update records of City of Greenville business support and retention program participants. Assist with development and implementation of GCEDC grant programs. Ensure that all documentation is collected for GCEDC grant programs for applications and reporting after grant is awarded. Use data and community feedback to inform program and policy decisions that align with GCEDCs mission of equitable economic development. Work with the marketing and communications team to ensure that all small business-related information on the GCEDC website is accurate and regularly updated. Help develop materials that provide a roadmap and checklist for small businesses in the City. Source and provide relevant data to the President & CEO and to the Board of Directors upon request. Support Commercial Space and Real Estate Development (15%): Collaborate closely with GCEDCs Real Estate Development team members to align small-business space activation efforts with broader redevelopment projects and city priorities. Build relationships with property owners and developers to identify underutilized or vacant spaces and connect them with small, minority, or emerging businesses. Support inclusive activation of mixed-use spaces through pop-ups, shared retail concepts, or rotating vendors. Advocate for equitable inclusion of diverse entrepreneurs in redevelopment and commercial leasing opportunities. Proactively address challenges faced by existing businesses, working collaboratively to find solutions and ensure their satisfaction with the city as their location. Serve as lead on supporting diverse and inclusive downtown business engagement and retention efforts. Oversee and grow programs for retail businesses and develop new innovative initiatives. Perform other duties as assigned. JOB REQUIREMENTS

Education and Experience

• Bachelors degree in business management, public administration or a related field. Documented experience may be substituted for 2 years of experience for one year of college.
• Over four (4) years of experience owning or managing a small business; business development; or related economic development experience.
• Demonstrated experience working with underrepresented or underserved business communities.

Drivers License Required
Class D South Carolina license.

Preferred Qualifications

• Knowledge of Greenvilles small business ecosystem and neighborhoods.
• Experience with small business grant programs, technical assistance, or site activation.
• Familiarity with minority business certification programs and related policy work.

Performance Requirements
Knowledge of:

• Small business operations, financial management, and local economic development practices.
• The principles, practices, ethics, and legalities of small business management.
• Business acumen and understanding of the challenges faced by small businesses, particularly those owned by minorities and women.
• Community development issues, principles and techniques, including state and federal policies and programs.
• Project management experience with the ability to manage multiple initiatives and stakeholders.
• Economic development, finance, business or related experience
• Customer relationship management, project management, and grant reporting tools.

Ability to:

• Work both independently and on diverse and dynamic teams
• Build and maintain relationships in diverse settings
• Communicate at a superior level verbally and in writing, including capacity to communicate complex ideas compellingly to a variety of audiences.
• Successfully complete time-sensitive and/or high-profile projects through collaboration, consensus and creativity.
• Think creatively and provide complex analysis and reasoning to originate and develop innovative programs, techniques, and/or procedures.
• Recognize and be sensitive to political environments and situations.
• Use tact, initiative, prudence, and independent judgment within general policy, procedural, and legal guidelines.
• Exercise integrity, ingenuity, and inventiveness in the performance of assigned tasks.
• Establish and maintain effective working relationships with city officials and staff at all levels to execute organization-wide small business development and retention strategies.
• Establish and maintain effective working relationships with neighborhood associations, non-profit agencies, and organizations to foster community involvement.
• Build partnerships with property owners, developers, and local organizations
• At an advanced level, read, analyze, and interpret general business periodicals, professional journals, technical journals and procedures, financial reports, legal documents, and governmental regulations as well as literature, books, reviews, reports, and abstracts.
• Work with advanced mathematical operations methods and functions of real and complex variables.
• At an advanced level, write policies, contracts, formal presentations, and/or technical and legal documents and correspondence.
• Operate general office equipment to include scanner, printer, copier, smart telephone, and computer with Microsoft Office Suite and related business software; operate a car.

WORKING CONDITIONS

Primary Work Location: Office environment.

Environmental/Health and Safety Factors: Relatively free from unpleasant environmental conditions or hazards.

Physical Demands: Continuously requires fine dexterity, sitting, vision, and hearing. Frequently requires talking. Occasionally requires standing, walking, lifting, carrying, reaching, handling, and twisting. Sedentary strength demands include exerting up to 10 pounds occasionally or negligible weights frequently; sitting most of the time.

Mental Demands: Frequently requires working closely with others. Occasionally requires time pressures, frequent change of tasks, and tedious or exacting work. Frequently requires time pressures, frequent change of tasks, irregular schedule/overtime, performing multiple tasks simultaneously, working closely with others as part of a team, and tedious or exacting work. Occasionally requires emergency situations and noisy/distracting environment.

Human Collaboration Skills: Communications are complex, requiring the use of a variety of communication and interpersonal skills to interact successfully with people at a number of levels inside and/or outside the organization. Interactions aregenerallycontentiousandinvolveconfidentialdiscussionsorsituationswhereconflictinginterestsare apparent. Use of effective judgment and discretion in discussing and resolving issues is critical. High impact on the organization. External contacts include general public, Chamber of Commerce,business and property owners, GADC, Upstate Alliance, VisitGreenvilleSC, citizen task forces, financial institutions, real estate professionals, and consultants. Internal contacts include City Manager, City Attorneys Office, and Property Maintenance, Planning and Development, Finance, GIS, Public Works, Community Development, Public Information and Events, Traffic Engineering, and Engineering.

Management and Supervision: Job has no responsibility for the direction or supervision of others.

Freedom to Act and Impact of Action: The employee normally performs the duty assignment after receiving general direction as to methods, procedures, and desired end results. Duties and responsibilities of the position require that the employee regularly interpret policies, procedures and rules to determine appropriate courses of action. Position exercises a moderate level of discretion in decision making; peers and supervisors are available to assist with especially unique situations. Work is monitored on a case-by-case basis. Considerable benefits or costs in time, money or public/employee relations.

Americans with Disabilities Act Compliance
The City of Greenville is an Equal Opportunity Employer. To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential job duty satisfactorily. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform essential job functions. Prospective and current employees should contact Human Resources to request an ADA accommodation.

Disclaimer
The above information on this description has been designed to indicate the general nature and level of work performed by employees within this classification. It is not designed to contain or be interpreted as a comprehensive inventory of all duties, responsibilities, and qualifications required of employees assigned to this job.