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Business Assistance Manager


About the Role

Fair Food Network is seeking a Business Assistance Manager for our Fair Food Impact Investment Initiative, which includes our participation in the Michigan Good Food Fund [1] (MGFF). The ideal candidate is a professional who brings demonstrated experience providing high-touch business assistance and relationship management to small businesses. Through direct support as well as coordinating other consultants, experts, advisors, tools, and resources, the Business Assistance Manager will build capacity of food enterprises resulting in a portfolio of projects that ultimately receive investment. This work aims to promote racial and social equity, job creation, healthy food access, and economic development. This expected start of this position is in January 2021.

Key Responsibilities

  • Manage all inquiry/relationship data over time on an internal platform, ensuring relevant data is captured and up to date. Develop custom reports on performance and impact as needed.
  • Work closely with the team in vetting new inquiries to determine mission fit and identifying business assistance needs that best positions enterprises for success and prepares them for investment.
  • Deliver effective 1:1 business assistance to support an enterprise, pre and post investment. This includes providing direct assistance, engaging and managing other TA providers/consultants, meeting with food entrepreneurs regularly, monitoring progress, ensuring timely delivery of business assistance services that meets objectives and deliverables, and reporting on results.
  • Participate in the development of broad-reach business assistance offerings such as seminars, workshops, and trainings, which includes idea generation, target audience identification, and research.
  • Manage the logistics of broad-reach events including planning meetings, outreach, venues, catering, invitations, schedules, or speakers.
  • Provide program support on workplans, project schedules, meetings, email, and telephone communications.
  • Participate in organizational and team meetings regularly, as well as conference calls, and events/conferences as needed.
  • Assist in the development of status reports, funder reports, and other materials relevant to the programs.

What You’ll Need

  • An understanding of the barriers and opportunities involved in business ownership and the nuances of equitable food access, capital access, and can work within FFN’s mission.
  • Be integrated in or have knowledge and sensitivity to effectively working in and supporting underserved communities including historical context, discernment of relationships and power dynamics, and an awareness of social, racial, and ethnic equity.
  • Demonstrated experience providing coaching and assistance to entrepreneurs throughout their development stage including business model development, business planning, financial planning, and market success. Experience with business finances or small business lending is a plus.
  • Demonstrated skills and resourcefulness in building relationships, particularly with a wide range of people from diverse cultural, social, racial, and ethnic backgrounds.
  • Exceptional communication and writing skills and can easily adapt to the audience with politeness, diplomacy, and responsiveness with a friendly, customer service-oriented approach.
  • Impeccable organization with strong project management skills and can produce polished work, manage processes, and handle multiple priorities.
  • Technology proficiency, particularly with Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Outlook, as well as other online tools and data platforms.
  • Ability to be self-motivated and can easily work independently as well part of a close-knit team.
  • Ability to travel statewide on a regular basis (when COVID restrictions are removed).

Compensation & Benefits

This position is based in Michigan. The Business Assistance Manager will report to Fair Food Network’s Program Director, Jean Chorazyczewski. Salary is competitive and commensurate with experience.

Competitive, comprehensive benefits package will include full health benefits, a 401K match, family leave, an open PTO policy, and professional development opportunities.

How to Apply

Please submit your resume and complete a brief set of questions via the application here. [2] Candidates are able to display interest on an ongoing basis, we will begin reviewing applications on November 23, 2020.

If you have any questions about the role, please feel free to email us at jobs@fairfoodnetwork.org. We look forward to getting to know you!

 

Fair Food Network’s commitment to diversity includes the recognition that our mission is best advanced by contributions of people of diverse backgrounds, beliefs, and culture. Recruiting and mentoring staff to create an inclusive organization that reflects the diverse communities that we serve is a priority, and we encourage applicants of all ages, cultures, races, colors, religions, national or regional origins, disability status, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran status or other status protected by law.


  1. http://migoodfoodfund.org/
  2. https://fair-food-network.hiringthing.com/job/219922/business-assistance-manager

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