Northspan is Hiring: Consultant with Business Development Focus
Position: Consultant, Business Development Focus
Status: Full Time, Exempt, Salary
Reports to: Vice President
Join our team! Northspan is seeking a C onsultant with some years of underwriting experience to draw from. We are an equal opportunity employer committed to fostering systems that provide voice and opportunity for ALL, especially for those most marginalized in our society. We strongly encourage applications from those marginalized by society and/or who are members of marginalized communities.
Northspan is based in Duluth, Minnesota and is a critical resource for businesses, organizations, and communities that need solid and dependable research services, professional technical support, and financial assistance to advance their projects.
MISSION To be expert navigators, transforming ideas into accomplishments.
CORE VALUES
- Inclusive: We facilitate intentional engagement of stakeholders and seek common solutions to community, business, and organizational challenges.
- Trustworthy: We earn the loyalty of our clients by operating ethically, reliably, confidentially, and with integrity.
- Stewards: We carefully manage the resources entrusted to us and focus on the long-term well-being of our clients and programmatic service areas.
- Adaptable: We offer a broad range of expertise which enables us to seize new opportunities and tailor our offerings to meet our clients’ needs.
- Diligent: We provide satisfaction to our clients by delivering excellent customer service and clear results.
Northspan specializes in creative thinking, enterprising strategies, and systematic approaches to help businesses, communities, regions, and organizations prosper in a global economy. Our professional staff work cooperatively with economic and community development partners to leverage resources for measurable, sustainable results. As a private, nonprofit consulting firm, we work quietly and confidentially to move projects forward on time and on budget by providing critical, gap capacity support that exceeds client expectations.
CONSULTANT DESCRIPTION
With several years of experience to draw from, the Consultant co-manages and develops skills in business, community, and organizational development consulting services. Providing a more nuanced and refined approach to services for public and private clients including units of government, non-profit organizations, lending institutions, and private businesses. Formatting, preparing, coordinating, proofreading, and editing contracts, proposals, reports, applications, and other documents.
This position will focus on Business Development and will support Northspan consulting services in the Community and Organization Development as necessary and as skillsets allow.
Business Development:
- Structure and facilitate financing for projects
- Provide expertise in packaging loan and grant applications
- Partner with communities and financial institutions to provide loan program support services
- Partner with community banks to provide Small Business Administration (SBA) 7a Loan Guaranty program services
- Provide accredited business valuation and succession planning
Community Development:
- Coordinate and facilitate critical conversations
- Assist with strategic support and gap capacity for communities and regional partnerships
- Assist with strategies for diversification, change, and sustainable growth
- Critically examine, research, and analyze opportunities and challenges
- Provide policy recommendations and process for change
Organizational Development:
- Coordinate and facilitate strategic planning processes
- Provide technical assistance for change, growth management, and development
- Provide meeting management and planning services
- Facilitate economic adjustment, crisis response, and readiness planning initiatives
- Conduct project feasibility studies and economic impact analyses
Qualifications and Skills
REQUIRED
- 5+ years of progressively responsible, relevant experience in relevant fields such as banking, underwriting, finance, business, accounting, consulting, statistics/analytics, community or economic development preferred
- Experience related to underwriting loans and/or SBA 7a’s
- Apply basic accounting principles in the interpretation of customer financial statements
- Combination of analytical, decision making, and interpersonal skills
- Ability to work as a part of a team and under minimal supervision
- Good problem-solving ability and organization skills
- Interact with public and private clients and present technical information precisely and clearly
- Good analytical, numerical, and research skills
- Microsoft Office Suite (O365) including Word, Excel, Power Point, and Outlook and video conferencing (Zoom)
- Ability to prioritize and organize a daily workload
- Must be able to meet deadlines in a fast-paced quickly changing environment
- A proactive approach to problem-solving with strong decision-making skills
- Professional level verbal and written communications skills
- Timely, detailed, and process oriented
PREFERRED
- Experience working in and with Indigenous communities, including Tribal governments, in areas of community engagement and economic development
- Advanced degree and/or Bachelor’s degree
- Odoo, Salesforce, Asana, Survey Monkey, Constant Contact, and CoSchedule, which are used in our organization
- Digital social platforms including LinkedIn, Instagram, and Facebook
- Adobe Creative Cloud Suite (including InDesign), WordPress, and/or Google Drive
Physical Demands
- This position works at a computer for long periods of time and involves standing, sitting, bending, and lifting of at le ast five pounds.
- This position is at the hub of a fast-paced organization. This position must thrive in a busy setting with frequent interruptions, have the ability to focus in a busy environment and the ability to prioritize and problem solve. Proficiency with written and spoken English language is required. This position does require access to a vehicle.
Responsibilities of All Employees
A. Mission, Vision & Values: Work cooperatively with all employees, clients and vendors to enhance our mission, vision and values. Support the mission by exhibiting professionalism, integrity and ethical behavior.
B. Communication and Teamwork: Practice positive communication and teamwork. Actively listen and follow our values in communicating with all employees, clients and vendors.
C. Policies and Procedures: Know, follow and enforce policies and procedures. Suggest improvements to procedures that would enhance efficiency and effectiveness.
D. Positive Work Environment: Build and foster positive employee attitudes and morale. Develop and promote positive co-worker relationships. Address problems between individuals directly, respectfully, honestly and with integrity.
E. Cost Controls: Control costs by using assets efficiently and effectively toward the accomplishment of company goals and mission. Help promote responsible, environmentally sustainable and cost-effective use of resources. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle is the norm.
F. Cultural Competency and Inclusiveness: Display sensitivity and responsiveness to cultural and other differences in the employee, client and vendor population. Maintain and support an inclusive work environment free from bullying, discrimination and harassment.
G. Self-Development: Improve and develop personal and professional potential. Assess personal strengths and areas for improvement. Maintain regular and reliable level of attendance necessary to perform job responsibilities.
Other duties may be assigned to this position periodically as required by company need.
TRAINING & DEVELOPMENT
- For this position we require candidates with some experience related to underwriting loans and SBA 7a’s, we can further train as needed
- Technology of Participation Facilitation Methods
- Unless already held by the chosen applicant, within the first 1-5 years, this consultant will also be supported to potentially work toward the following certifications:
- Certified Valuation Analyst (CVA) through the National Association of Certified Valuators and Analysts (NACVA) nacva.com
- Certified Exit Planning Advisor (CEPA) through the Exit Planning Institute, exit-planning-institute.org
- Certified Economic Development Finance Profession (EDFP) with the National Development Council (NDC), ndconline.org
- Certified Economic Developer (CEcD) with the International Economic Development Council (IEDC)
COMPENSATION
- Salary negotiable range $72,000 – $75,000, based on experience
- Northspan pays 85% of the health premium cost for single or family coverage
- Northspan pays 100% for your single or family dental, 100% of your short- and long-term disability, and 100% of the premium for life insurance in an amount equal to your salary
- In recognition of the diverse heritage of each employee and to support an inclusive workplace, full-time employees have seventeen (17) PTO days or 136 hours to use each year, at the employee’s discretion. PTO can be used for Earned Sick and Safe Time (ESST), mental health days, and personal day offs. Unused PTO does not carry over from year-to-year and will not be paid upon separation of employment.
- Vacation benefit accrual rate per full pay period of 4.5 hours, there are 24 pay periods a year which equals about 13.5 days (this is based on 40 hours, it is pro-rated for less than 40 hours). After your first year of employment this increases to 6 hours/pay period or 18 days/year.
- A monthly parking reimbursement of up to $80.00 per month
- A monthly cell phone reimbursement of up to $80.00 per month
- Northspan contributes 7% of your full-time annual pay to a SEP Retirement Plan
- A Wellness Benefit reimbursement of up to $400 per calendar year
APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS
Email your Resume and Letter of Interest to Northspan President & CEO, Elissa Hansen, ehansen@northspan.org . This job posting will close Sunday, August 18, 2024 at 10pm.
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