NetWork Kansas
POSITION DESCRIPTION
TITLE: Product Manager/Senior Product Manager/Manager (depending on the person hired), NE Region, Entrepreneurship (E-) Community Engagement
Current Employee: To Be Hired Q1 FY 2024
STATUS: Full-Time
REPORTS TO: Janet Miller
PAY RANGE: Annual salary TBD, with NetWork Kansas benefits package
REVISION DATE: July 2023
POSITION: The Product Manager/Senior Product Manager/Manager, Rural Entrepreneurship reports directly to Janet Miller.
Assets Under Management: Direct oversight of a region-specific E-Community loan fund, approximately $500,000.
Personnel Under Management: N/A
Key Responsibilities: Working under the direction of the Director, E-Community Engagement, this role requires frequent travel (and occasional overnight) in order to be a collaborative and active leader for each local E-Community leadership team and financial review board, to advance the NetWork Kansas vision of being recognized as a national leader, with general objectives as follows:
a) Proactively direct and manage the activities (meetings, E-Community loan fund, integration of all NetWork Kansas loan fund options, programmatic choices, other local and regional initiatives including engagement of the community foundation regarding impact investing, etc…) of an assigned number of E-Communities in a way that advances the buildout of their entrepreneurial ecosystem and can be tangibly and anecdotally illustrated as impactful and transformational.
b) Participate in the decision regarding loan fund repayment, sustainability and setting of each year’s allocations, and then provide oversight of the assigned regional allocation in a manner that best utilizes the available resources, aligns with the E-Community mission, and ensures diversity and inclusivity.
c) Determine and strive towards a revenue goal for the region to increase loan dollars and/or offset budget commitment, inclusive of grants, sponsorship, interest income and other strategic methods.
d) Indirect involvement with the State Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI). SSBCI 2.0 is an estimated $70 million program separated into $42 million of loans and $28 million of equity investment. The indirect involvement is related to the generation of deal flow, metrics follow up, technical assistance, or general marketing of SSBCI loans and/or equity investments starting in 2022.
RESPONSIBILITIES: The responsibilities include but are not limited to the following:
- Working under the direction of Janet Miller to direct the entrepreneurial activities of selected E-Communities in the state. This role is expected to be a collaborative, consensus building leader for the E-Community team, to advance the NetWork Kansas vision of being recognized as a national leader. Responsibilities associated with this process include:
- Participate in the discussion with the President and E-Community staff to determine the most effective manner to regionalize the E-Communities, to allow for optimum travel, engagement, and time.
- Be the primary point person for a selected number of E-Communities and have direct and accountable responsibility for their growth and progress in the area of entrepreneurship-led economic development;
- Generally recognizing that various methods of interaction are required (face- to-face, phone, email, zoom), coordinate and play an active role in the directly assigned E-Communities, including but not limited to leadership team meetings, financial review board meetings, board certified programs, pilot programs and other initiatives being planned or implemented;
- Have strong working knowledge of, and proactively assist the E-Communities with utilization of, all NetWork Kansas loan programs, including but not limited to: Kansas Community Investment Fund, Empower, Restart Kansas, COVID Relief EDA Revolving Loan Fund, Kansas Healthy Food Initiative, various GrowKS funds and GrowKS equity funds, and any additional loan or investment programs that are developed to serve to small businesses of Kansas;Work strategically with the E-Communities to develop an authentic growth approach to removing the barriers city to city and regionally. This may look like Regional Retreats and/or similar initiatives;
- Manage the regional loan fund, programmatic fund and regional discretionary fund plans for a selected number of E-Communities, including but not limited to items such as: monitoring loan portfolio status, usage vs. plan, revenue vs. expenses, account balance, past-due payments and ensure integration and education of all NetWork Kansas statewide loan programs;
- Work with the VP of Budget & Administration to have early knowledge of past-due clients and initiate communication with the E-Community and administering organization so the agreed upon process for collection and assistance can be initiated;
- Collaborate, execute and implement with the Director, E-Community Partnership and the Product Manager, E-Community Programs, to ensure that the NetWork Kansas Board Certified Programs and Pilot Programs are utilized efficiently and effectively;
- Engage with NetWork Kansas staff and/or strategic partners to develop and implement a plan for identified revenue-generating initiatives and opportunities, such as Board Certified Program sponsorship, YEC naming rights, and/or grants;
- Assist NetWork Kansas Staff with marketing, including but not limited to: the development of content for communications materials, including web content, brochures, blogs, email bulletins, newsletter articles, and news releases;
- Perform activities related to the NetWork Kansas overall communication plan including public speaking, attending economic developers’ conferences as needed, and meetings with strategic partners.
EDUCATION/EXPERIENCE/SKILLS/ATTRIBUTES: The candidate will be a college graduate and/or have either educational or work experience related to entrepreneurship.
- If a college graduate, a minimum three years of experience in public sector, entrepreneurship, economic development and/or community development. If not a college graduate, a minimum six years of experience in public sector, entrepreneurship, economic development and/or community development.
- Understanding of, experience with and a passion for, the entrepreneurial and economic development process in rural communities.
- Experience working with Kansas resource partners, particularly economic development organizations, small business development centers, certified development companies and regional foundations.
- Successful experience managing a budget.
- Strong sense of initiative and self-motivation and ability to work independently and as part of a team.
- Strong public speaking and communications skills.
- Willingness to travel frequently, occasional overnight required.
- Integrity, high ethical standards, and a record of treating others with respect and dignity.
Please send a cover letter and resume to Janet Miller: [email protected]
