Compensation: $55,000 - $70,000 per year, plus excellent benefits

ORGANIZATIONAL BACKGROUND

PACE is a local community Nonprofit founded in 1976 to provide job training and placement services for the Asian Pacific Islander communities in Los Angeles. PACE has since expanded into a variety of service areas, all tailored to meet the growing and changing needs of the multi-ethnic communities in Los Angeles County. Now, in addition to job training and employment services, significant PACE programs encompass: business development; early childhood education (Head Start); financial education and asset building; housing and rehabilitation services; weatherization and energy-conservation programs; and affordable housing development. PACE serves more than 60,000 people each year with our wide scope of services with approximately 350+ staff. PACE is recognized as a leader in addressing problems of poverty and economic inequity in ethnic minority communities and has a reputation of being responsive to community needs and is known for creating innovative solutions to the myriad of challenges faced by our clients.

PACE BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CENTER (PACE BDC)

PACE BDC promotes the growth and economic expansion of diverse Los Angeles communities through the infusion of capital and the provision of business consultation services and financial literacy training. We target low and moderate income residents, entrepreneurs and business owners in Los Angeles with diverse loan products as well as technical assistance focused on financial education and credit building. The PACE Business Development Center (BDC) provides no-cost advising services and low-cost educational programs to entrepreneurs looking to start or grow their small business. PACE BDC business advisors work with entrepreneurs in one-to-one sessions in the areas of management, marketing, sales, finance, accounting, and other disciplines required for small business growth, expansion, and innovation.
http://pacelabdc.org/

POSITION FUNCTION:

Under the supervision, direction of and collaboration with Business Counselor Manager, the individual will carry out all day-to-day program activities for meeting and exceeding all program performance outcomes & requirements. Additionally, the individual will collaborate with other business counselors, loan/credit counselors and program assistants, interns, and volunteers to meet or exceed performance outcomes, requirements, and compliance. When directed, he or she will also act as the representative of PACE in cultivating and maintaining collaborative working relationship with all partners, key stakeholders, and other community partners. This is a great opportunity for individuals looking to work or continue career growth in nonprofit sector and to serve the community.

WORKING RELATIONSHIPS

• Actively engage and collaborate with staff of PACE BDC, community partners, consultants and other PACE departments, consultants, speakers, interns, and volunteers
• Provide clients direct counseling, one-on-one mentoring, loan packaging, access to contracts, refer to credit/loan counselor
  

MAJOR RESPONSIBILITIES & DUTIES

Program Implementation:

• Outreach and Recruitment
  • Manage and improve current tracking client information and data management system
  • Report client enrollment, case notes, and supporting documents in Salesforce CRM on an ongoing basis
  • Improve the tracking and reporting clients’ data and interfacing clients with micro-team mentors
  • Establish appropriate community partnerships to increase enrollment and completion goals
  • Fulfill and exceed enrollment and completion goals of contracts through effective outreach and recruitment
• Training & Technical Assistance
  • Update and create training curriculums as needed by the Department
  • Conduct entrepreneur, microenterprise, and other business-related workshops
• Business Counseling and Business Enrollment
  • Direct outreach, via strategic partners, attending events, conduct workshop to recruit business owners and entrepreneurs
  • Providing one-on-one business counseling
  • Assist clients apply for DBA, EIN, sellers’ permit, business license, and any other required license/permits.
  • Conduct regular business assessment using successful screening tool
  • Collect clients’ facts and documents to complete business enrollment
  • Refer potential loan clients to loan counselor
  • Support loan counselor in loan packing
  • Keep informed about PACE Finance Corporation loan products and other lending partners’ products and assist clients with loan preparation and submitting complete applications
  • Other duties assigned
• Loan and Loan Packaging
  • Provide assessment of micro/small business loan needs
  • Collect clients’ application, facts, financial data, and all other supporting documents
  • Fill out loan application forms, prepare underwriting summary and financial forecast, and package loan
  • Make presentation on clients’ loan file to the loan committee
  • Assist in loan closing

• Procurement (Contract)
  • Establish and integrate into procurement community such as LAX, LA Port, MTA, LAUSD
  • Conduct workshop at Procurement event on access to capitals
  • Provide Certification workshop on WBE, SBE, DBE, and or 8 a Certification
  • Assist business to get contract with Lead Contractor or Contract providers
• Sustainability
  • Build and maintain constructive relationship with funders
  • Keep informed of the state and data collection for microenterprise fields and the clients in Los Angeles
  • Monitor and assist in funding application for microenterprise and related programs

Strategic and funding duties

• Participate in the strategic planning to develop, market, and deliver PACE BDC and Microloans programs
• Create and distribute materials to help market the BDC and Microloan programs
• Collaborate with counselors to evaluate the Microloan products and BDC services
• Initiate and build constructive relationship with community partners to perform outreach for BDC
• Monitor and attend needed trainings and conference locally and nationally as assigned
  

QUALIFICATIONS, EXPERIENCES AND SKILLS

Education and Experience

• At least one year of work experience in providing technical assistance and training to start-up entrepreneurs, small businesses and/or microenterprises
• Bachelor's degree in business administration, finance, and marketing and other related field preferred and/or minimum of 3 years of working experience in business development
• Work experience in family business, self-owned business or for-profit companies desirable
• Work experience in underwriting loans or loan packaging desirable
• Work experience in assisting small business in market access or procurement highly desirable

Skills and Abilities

• Proficiency in Microsoft Office, with experience using Word, Excel, Social Media and online Marketing
• Experience working with database and client relation management (CRM) software
• Excellent, proven interpersonal, public speaking and written communications skills
• Demonstrated ability to work in a proactively diverse and inclusive organization
• Ability to work with low-income individuals and diverse group of multi-background
• Ability to make public presentation in a clear, concise, and convincing manner
• Excellent organizational and management skills
• Excellent knowledge of local businesses and resources
• Demonstrated ability to multi-task and work in a fast-paced office setting.
• Proven ability to cope with conflicts, stress and crisis situations.
• Effective problem-solving and mediation skills.
• Demonstrated ability to share skills and knowledge with others
• Bi-lingual skills highly desirable.
  

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS

• Must have a valid Driver’s License, adequate automobile insurance coverage and an automobile in working condition; local travel may be required.
• Must pass a pre-employment physical examination including drug and alcohol screening.
• COVID vaccination required; must have two-dose series of Pfizer or Moderna or a single-dose of Johnson & Johnson. Those that need a medical or religious exemption must reach out separately.
  

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit; use hands to finger, handle, or feel and talk or hear. The employee is frequently required to reach with hands and arms and stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl. The employee is occasionally required to stand and walk. The employee must be able to lift and/or move up to 25 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, color vision and ability to adjust focus.