Marketing & Communications Coordinator, East Colorado SBDC

Full Job Description

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 East Colorado SBDC is one of the 14 service centers and supports 20 counties in the eastern half of the state divided into Northeast and Southeast regions:

• Northeast Region: Adams (partial), Arapahoe (partial), Cheyenne, Elbert, Kit Carson, Lincoln, Logan, Morgan, Phillips, Sedgwick, Washington, Weld, and Yuma.

• Southeast Region: Baca, Bent, Crowley, Kiowa, Las Animas, Otero, and Prowers

Requirements

This fully remote position offers full-time employment as an exempt, at-will State of Colorado Employee. This position is funded by a federal grant and is contingent upon the renewal of annual grant funding.

The East Colorado SBDC Marketing and Communications Coordinator (Coordinator) will manage marketing and communication efforts, answer client and general inquiries, attend networking and community events, and host team onboarding and ongoing team training sessions.

Additionally, the Coordinator will provide business advising for clients as needed.

Key Duties and Responsibilities:

Marketing

• Develop and implement comprehensive marketing and communication strategies to promote SBDC services effectively across the region

• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to ensure alignment with organizational and network goals and objectives

• Conduct market research to identify target audiences, analyze trends, and gather insights to enhance marketing efforts

• Assist with internal and external communication efforts, including newsletters, customer communication, and media relations

• Create and manage compelling content for various marketing materials, including brochures, websites, social media platforms, e-newsletters, videos, and press releases

• Collaborate with the state marketing team to develop and implement marketing strategies that promote the Colorado SBDC’s services

• Ensure sponsorship fulfillment, including detailed tracking and reporting back to the sponsor

• Ensure all content is engaging, consistent, and aligned with the brand image and messaging across all communication channels

• Ensure compliance with digital accessibility standards, overseeing the creation of inclusive content that meets or exceeds statewide requirements.

• Manage and maintain the organization's website and social media, ensuring up-to-date and relevant content

Operations & Communications

• Work with the service center team to answer general inquiries and client calls and emails, connecting them with services and resources

• Support with matching clients to contracted business advisors

• Maintain and update database, directory, and filing systems

Small Business Advising

• Provide expert 1:1 advice and guidance to small business clients, addressing their specific challenges and opportunities

  • This may involve conducting thorough assessments of their businesses, identifying areas for improvement, and developing customized action plans to help them achieve their goals

• Work closely with the SBDC service center and network to ensure seamless service delivery and collaboration

Networking and Community Engagement

• Represent the organization at networking events, conferences, and community gatherings to build relationships and promote our brand

• Collaborate with external partners and stakeholders to identify potential partnership opportunities and enhance the organization's visibility

Team Onboarding and Training

• Host team onboarding sessions to ensure new team members are effectively integrated into the SBDC team

  • Ensure new team members receive relevant marketing materials (i.e. name tags and business cards)

• Develop and deliver ongoing training sessions to enhance team members' skills, knowledge, and professional growth in the region’s strategies

• Manage the Advisor Toolbox

• Support Advisory Board and advisor pool management

Disclaimer: This posting provides a high-level job definition. It is not intended to provide a comprehensive or exclusive list of job duties. As such, job duties and/or responsibilities within the context of this job posting may change at the discretion of the employee’s direct supervisor.

Qualifications

Qualifications, Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skills, and abilities preferred.

• Proven experience in marketing and communication

• Proficiency in social media platforms, website management, content management systems, and marketing analytics tools

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills

• Experience in providing technical assistance to small business owners, with previous SBDC experience preferred

• Experience managing projects from concept to delivery and meeting fixed deadlines, with previous project management experience preferred.

• Ability to effectively work in a fast-paced, dynamic environment; prioritize and support multiple projects and/or work tasks/initiatives; and apply effective problem-solving skills.

• Ability to effectively communicate with all stakeholders (e.g., staff members, clients, vendors) and provide a high-level of customer service as well as apply conflict resolution.

• Must be detail oriented and possess exceptional organizational skills, with demonstrated time management and analytical abilities.

• Must be honest, trustworthy, and demonstrate a high degree of integrity and ethical behavior.

• Must be a self-motivated team player who is a creative and strategic thinker, with previous change management experience preferred.

• Ability to represent the Colorado SBDC in presentations and at events.

• Outstanding customer service skills, including maintaining a positive attitude, actively listening to needs, and calmly responding to requests

• Comfortable working in a fast-paced, dynamic environment, able to prioritize multiple initiatives

• Must be a creative and strategic thinker with effective oral and written communication

• Ability to work at identified office space in the service area, with the flexibility to travel across the region and state as needed

Competencies

• Strategic Communication: Effectively persuades and influences others; clearly articulates key points in writing and speech; practices active listening.

• Teamwork: Builds and supports effective teams; encourages a spirit of participation and belonging; enhances group cohesiveness by emphasizing team objectives and reinforcing cooperation

• 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.

• Relationship Management: Builds collaborative relationships and effectively manages relationships within OEDIT, with the SBDC network (includes SBDC Service Center Directors and staff statewide), and with external community partners

Education / Experience

• 3+ years of experience in marketing and communications, supporting small businesses, and/or working within an SBDC

• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field preferred (e.g., marketing, communications). Related occupational experience or a combination of education and relevant experience will substitute for the degree requirement on a year-for-year basis.

• Experience with training, operations, project management, change management, process improvement, and/or establishing internal controls

• Proven experience in business advising, preferably in a small business or entrepreneurial environment.

• Demonstrated acumen and excitement to work at the convergence of public sectors at the local, state, and federal levels supporting private sector businesses

Additional Information

Salary Range: $50,000 - $60,000 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: jennifer.salvatore@state.co.us

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.