Deputy Director, Inner City Capital Connections
Initiative for a Compeititive Inner City
Job Description
Organization Overview:
The Initiative for a Competitive Inner City (ICIC) is a national not-for-profit organization founded in 1994 by Harvard Business School professor Michael Porter to drive inclusive economic prosperity in under-resourced communities through innovative research and programs to create jobs, income, and wealth for local residents. Informed by our research, ICIC has developed and supported highly effective initiatives for underserved businesses to meet entrepreneurs’ most pressing needs. At ICIC, you will work with talented, creative, and committed professionals in a collaborative culture dedicated to excellence and innovation.
Program Overview:
Launched by ICIC in 2005, the Inner City Capital Connections (ICCC) program addresses the unique challenges faced by business owners in under-resourced communities by providing them with critical education and access to capital. This transformative program works with the owners of small- and medium-sized businesses, with a focus on supporting BIPOC-, women-, veteran-, and immigrant-owned businesses. Participants accepted into the program complete 40 hours of education and coaching spread over 3-6 months. The ICCC program is currently offered in 10 to 15 cities or regions annually, and, like all ICIC programs, it is tuition free.
The ICCC Department is comprised of 11 employees who work collaboratively to recruit participants, process applications, and deliver the program's four components: the opening seminar, digital learning, one-on-one coaching, and our annual conference. To support these efforts, team members contribute to one of the program’s six sub-teams: Data, Communications, Webinars, Digital Learning, Coaching, and the Annual Conference. Our bilingual Spanish-speaking team members allow us to offer a Latinx cohort in Spanish, helping to expand the reach of the program.
Position Summary:
The ICCC Deputy Director reports to the ICCC Program Director, supporting with the management of the ICCC program. This remote role encompasses various responsibilities including participant recruitment efforts across several markets in the U.S. and Canada, planning in-person and virtual events, and overseeing general program operations/logistics. The ICCC Deputy Director works in collaboration with the ICCC Program Director to cultivate and enhance relationships with sponsors and local ecosystem partners, refine Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to optimize recruitment processes, contribute to the development of new program initiatives, and manage event logistics. Additionally, the ICCC Deputy Director supervises the Program Coordinators, oversees the management of 3 sub teams, and serves as the manager lead for 50% of the ICCC Cohorts.
Duties and Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:
Program Management (40%)
- Serve as the Manager Lead for the Communications, Digital Learning and Webinars sub-teams, developing high level strategic goals and provide support and guidance to each Team Lead in delivering and executing those goals and objectives;
- Support the ICCC Program Director with fostering and managing external program partnerships required to deliver program elements. This includes actively engaging partners to speak on panels, participate in conferences, and provide coaching to program participants.
- Collaborate with the ICCC Program Director to develop, implement, and refine program SOPs, streamlining internal processes and effectively managing junior staff members’ workloads. This includes optimizing the team’s use of Salesforce to enhance operational efficiency;
- Act as the primary point of contact for ICCC’s educational partners (professors, speakers, panelists), which includes coordinating ICCC educational sessions, providing regular follow-up, and delivering feedback, etc.;
- Execute and deliver special programming (in-person and virtually), including coordinating speakers, promoting the initiatives to program participants and alumni, etc;
- Work alongside other ICIC departments on cross-departmental projects, program recruitment, and reporting to funders.
Cohort Management & Recruitment (40%)
- Serve as the Manager Lead for 50% of program cohorts alongside the ICCC Program Director, overseeing the cohort team and supporting them to ensure each cohort hits its target number of participants;
- Support the ICCC Program Director with the planning and execution of roadmapping initiatives in selected markets to re-engage local constituents and prepare for cohort recruitment;
- Support the ICCC Program Director with developing, fostering, and maintaining relationships with external stakeholders, including financial sponsors and local ecosystem members;
- Cultivate nominator relationships with ecosystem members to both nominate businesses for ICCC as well as identify potential collaboration opportunities;
- Market and promote the program at partner events;
- In collaboration with the ICCC Data team, prepare reports on program recruitment and component engagement numbers as needed;
- Research new recruitment channels and measure the effectiveness of old ones; and
- Ensure smooth execution of the Opening Seminar (delivered in-person or virtually).
Team Leadership (20%)
- Directly supervise 3-5 program coordinators. Responsible for interviewing, hiring, and training employees; planning, assigning, and directing work; appraising performance; rewarding and disciplining employees; addressing complaints and resolving problems.
- Serve as a member of ICIC’s Management Team and support ICIC’s strategic initiatives;
- Support related tasks as needed.
Qualifications:
- Bachelor’s degree is desired but may be substituted by an Associate's degree and at least 4-5 years of related work experience as mentioned below
- Must have 5 years of experience in direct supervision of a small to mid-size team.
- 5 years of program/project management experience with strong analytical and leadership skills with the ability to collect, organize, and analyze information with attention to detail and accuracy is strongly preferred.
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite required with a strong proficiency in Excel required. Proficiency in Salesforce, Alchemer, MailChimp, Canva or ArcGIS is beneficial but not required
- Strong data presentation, written, and oral communication skills
- Ability to communicate in a professional manner with external and internal stakeholders is required
- Flexibility with competing priorities and ability to manage multiple tasks and meet deadlines
- Ability to work independently while also having strong collaboration skills when necessary
- Ability to travel approximately 25-30% per year, both within the U.S. and Canada.
In addition to a passion for the work we do, candidates should have:
- A demonstrated capacity for teamwork
- Ability to think beyond the task at hand and take initiative
- Willingness to challenge and be challenged, regardless of one’s position in the organization
Salary: Salary range is 100K-110K and will be commensurate with the candidate's experience. ICIC takes into account factors such as candidate experience, skills, training, and internal team equity.
This is a full-time remote position. Our headquarters is located in Boston, MA.
ICIC is able to employ individuals in the following states: AR, CA, CO, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, KY, MA, MD, MI, NJ, NY, OR, PA, TX, and VA.
Benefits include:
- A total of 7 weeks of PTO per year to start (3 weeks vacation, 2 weeks paid holidays, 2 weeks of sick time)
- 401k Retirement Plan participation upon hire, with an employer match of up to 4% of your salary after 1 year of service.
- Health, Dental, Vision Insurance (70% paid by ICIC)
- Up to 12 weeks of paid Parental leave
- ICIC is a public service organization, making employees eligible for loan forgiveness under the federal program.
ICIC is dedicated to the goal of building a culturally diverse and inclusive organization. We are an equal opportunity employer. All aspects of employment, including the decision to hire, promote, discipline, or discharge, are based on merit, competence, performance, and business needs. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, marital status, age, national origin, ancestry, physical or mental disability, medical condition, pregnancy, genetic information, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, veteran status, or any other status protected under federal, state, or local law.
When completing the application, you will be asked the following questions:
1. Why do you want to work at ICIC?
2. Why are you interested in the Deputy Director position in the ICCC team?
3. Please share your experience managing a small to mid-size team. Please include any challenges you encountered and how you overcame them.
4. Please share an example of your experience with developing and implementing policies and procedures.
5. Is there anything else you would like us to know about your skills and experience, as they relate to this position?