Continuing Education
A full-time professional academic staff position is available in Continuing Education as an Outreach Specialist for Small Business Development Center Programs beginning July 1, 2009. The official title is Outreach Specialist.
The Continuing Education (CE) Unit is charged with establishing supportive and collaborative ties among UW-Eau Claire faculty, staff and a variety of external interests for the purpose of providing quality regional educational programs, services, and partnerships. The Small Business Development Center (SBDC) represents a significant part of the Unit’s outreach efforts offering valuable expertise and resources to prospective entrepreneurs and small business located throughout an 8-county area of west central Wisconsin. The SBDC is a partnership of UW-Eau Claire, UW-Extension and the U.S. Small Business Administration. The UW-Eau Claire SBDC is one of thirteen centers in Wisconsin’s statewide SBDC network. The mission of the Wisconsin SBDC is to:
- champion business creation and growth through entrepreneurial education
- develop the regional capacity to support entrepreneurs
- consistently deliver higher levels of quantifiable economic impact than taxpayer investment required.
Additional information on the Wisconsin’s statewide SBDC network can be found at www.wisconsinsbdc.org
RESPONSIBILITIES:
The Outreach Specialist is responsible for administration of assigned, noncredit SBDC programming to include program management/administration, event coordination and marketing/promotion, budget administration and small business counseling. The Outreach Specialist is responsible for developing and continually updating a financially viable annual program array with support from SBDC/Unit staff and collaborative partners. Specific responsibilities include:
- Program Management/Administration (60%). The Outreach Specialist is responsible for business programming and has specific program management responsibilities for the Supervisory Management Certificate Program. The Outreach Specialist is also responsible for developing programs which meet the needs of small business. In this capacity, the Outreach Specialist conducts needs assessments and market research, program planning and development, instructor recruitment and coaching, contract negotiation, Memoranda of Understanding development, budgeting, reporting, and program evaluation.
- Event Coordination and Marketing/Promotion (10%). The Outreach Specialist is responsible for planning and implementing logistical support for small business programs and events, including on-site coordination of programs. The Outreach Specialist coordinates marketing with the technical assistance of the CE Marketing/Graphics staff. This includes, but is not limited to, writing and development of promotional brochures, print ads, e-mail announcements and Web site postings; identification of appropriate database sources to utilize for marketing; and creation of a marketing plan for specific programs and/or groups of programs. The Outreach Specialist also coordinates preparation of instructional materials for participants; communication with guest speakers, potential partners, and program participants regarding program content and event logistics; provision of logistical and follow-up support for events.
- Budget Administration (10%). The Outreach Specialist is responsible for the development and management of the budget specific to this subject area and for satisfying established revenue targets for the fiscal year. The Outreach Specialist also maintains quality programming in a fiscally sound manner that generates contribution to support CE goals. The Outreach Specialist provides summary data for the use of the CE Unit planning and reporting financial information. The Outreach Specialist works with the SBDC Director to develop an annual program plan and establish financial goals and monitor their achievement. For each event, the Outreach Specialist creates a detailed budget, monitors revenues and approves expenditures, and coordinates the staff compilation of data summarizing revenue, expense and contribution to overhead. In addition, the Outreach Specialist may be involved in the overall identification, authoring, and oversight of other grants related to continuing education or professional development programming. This may include, but is not limited to, writing and coordinating grant activities with the UW-Eau Claire Office of Research and Sponsored Programs. Additionally, the Outreach Specialist may work with representatives from other external funding sources to coordinate underwriting of specific program expenses.
- Small Business Counseling (10%). The Outreach Specialist will assist the SBDC Director with one-on-one counseling services of the SBDC. The Outreach Specialist will assist the SBDC Director inoverseeing the counselors’ activities as they deliver business counseling services to SBDC clients andalso provide one-on-one counseling to small business owners/managers and prospective entrepreneurs across a broad spectrum of business topics, including new product development, innovation/technology transfer, marketing, angel financing acquisition, and other topics.
- Other duties and responsibilities as assigned by the SBDC Director and/or CE Director (10%).
QUALIFICATIONS:
- A bachelor’s degree in a business related field or a master’s degree in a business-related field required.
- Experience in continuing higher education programming for business audiences is preferred.
- Excellent written and oral communication skills are an asset.
APPLICATION PROCEDURE:
To apply, send a letter of application describing experience and training relevant to the position, a resume or vitae, and detailed contact information for three professional references. The university reserves the right to check additional references with notice given to the candidates at an appropriate time in the process. A criminal background check will be required prior to employment. Send application materials to:
Screening Committee, Ms. Barbara Severson
Outreach Specialist/SBDC
University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire
Continuing Education
P.O. Box 4004
Eau Claire, WI 54702-4004
Email: seversb@uwec.edu
DEADLINE: To ensure consideration, completed applications must be received by May 29, 2009. However, screening may continue until the position is filled.
UW-Eau Claire is an AA/EEO employer dedicated to enhancing diversity.
Posted 4/27/09
