OVERVIEW: Ventures is a Seattle-based nonprofit that empowers aspiring entrepreneurs with limited resources and unlimited potential. We provide access to business training, capital, coaching and hands-on learning opportunities for entrepreneurs. We serve those in our community for whom traditional business development services are out of reach, with a focus on women, people of color, immigrants, and individuals with low income. Our ultimate goal is to support individuals to increase their income potential, achieve long-term financial stability, and provide for their families, and enrich their communities through small business ownership.
The purpose of this position is to oversee Ventures’ food and product incubation strategies, including training, technical assistance, revenue generation, and etc.
ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
Other duties may be assigned as needed.
Incubation Strategy (20%)
Work collaboratively with Director of Training and Special Projects to:
Identify and implement effective strategies to incubate food, product, and eventually service businesses;
Innovate and come up with creative ways to best serve the needs of food and product-based businesses;
Create cohesion between incubation programs and other Ventures programs;
Create and clarify intake and exit process for incubation services;
Ensure high quality client services in all incubation programming;
Contribute, as needed, to fundraising, grants management, marketing, and communications as it pertains to incubation;
Implement program evaluation systems (i.e. surveys, etc.) for incubation services;
Retail Business Incubation (50%)
Monitor and ensure adequate staffing and financial resources for incubation activities;
Oversee all retail store operations, including staffing, finances, procedures, display and sales, customer service, vendor relations, and etc.
Oversee Product Specialist and Retail Floor Manager(s) as they provide excellent customer service, manage sales transactions, compile monthly reports, merchandise the stores, and supervise sales staff
Ensure systems are in place to meet and increase monthly and annual revenue goals;
Create and implement systems to adhere to financial audit requirements, retail store fiscal policies, and best practices in retail store management;
Contribute to strategy discussions around the size and location of potential new stores, or around the performance of existing stores;
Oversee strategy around product-specific training and technical assistance services
Food Business Incubation (30%)
Supervise the Food Business Program Manager and other contracted staff to launch and manage the food truck, commercial kitchen, and other food-focused spaces;
Oversee the food program budget and expense/revenue tracking;
Implement food-specific training and technical assistance services
STAFF-WIDE EXPECTATIONS
All staff are expected to engage in activities that contribute to the general wellbeing of the organization. Unless specifically stated otherwise, staff should expect to:
Participate in staff meetings, workgroups and committees, etc., as well as contribute to the cleanliness and organization of the physical environment;
Attend and participate in client and volunteer events when practical;
Support fund development through activities such as attending and bringing guests to events, bringing content expertise to grant writing or donor solicitations, adhering to brand guidelines etc.;
Exhibit the Ventures core values: integrity, diversity, empowerment, community, innovation, and client-success.
SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES
As a supervisor of one or more positions, responsibilities include:
Ensuring the employee has a complete and accurate job description (set at the time of hire or promotion, when conditions change significantly, or when reviewed annually as part of the employee’s performance review);
Ensuring proper record keeping for human resources, including offer letters, timesheets, position change forms, leave requests, and new staff forms.
Interviewing, selecting, hiring, and onboarding staff into vacant positions
Monitoring supervisee morale and making efforts to facilitate a spirit of teamwork and camaraderie
Communicating performance expectations such as procedures, work schedule, etc., not detailed in the job description;
Working with the employee to set annual work plans, goals, training requirements, professional development, etc.
Ongoing monitoring of workload, progress on goals, etc.;
Providing scheduled verbal and written performance reviews as specified in the employment policies, and addressing any immediate performance issues as they arise;
Identifying conflicts that involve your supervisees and mediating with other supervisors or staff members to solve conflicts promptly.
Making and communicating decisions to lay off or fire employees based on performance, financial, or other reasons.
Per Ventures personnel policies, all job descriptions, performance evaluations, written supplemental expectations, etc., must be approved by the Executive Director (and Department Director where appropriate).
POSITION REQUIREMENTS
5-10 years of food and/or retail business management (small business ownership preferred);
3-5 years of experience supervising teams of people;
Ability to manage balanced budgets and maintain accurate financial records;
Ability to work with people from diverse backgrounds, cultures, ethnicities, income levels, and etc.
Ability to innovate and think creatively to solve challenging problems;
Entrepreneurial spirit and willingness to take risks;
Detail-oriented work style.
PHYSICAL DEMANDS/WORKING CONDITIONS: The employee must be able to operate a computer and other office equipment, speak and listen on the telephone, and accurately see and interpret columns of numbers.
Compensation: $46,000 to $50,000 per year (DOE) plus medical and dental insurance,[1] flexible spending account, 403b retirement savings account, subsidized King County Metro bus pass, 15 days paid vacation leave, 2 personal days, 12 paid sick days, and 15 paid holidays.
[1] Ventures pays 88% of employees’ medical insurance and 100% of dental insurance.
This position description generally describes the principle functions of the position and the level of knowledge and skills typically required. It does not constitute an employment agreement between the employer and the employee, and it is subject to change as the needs of the employer and the requirements of the job change.
Ventures is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Applications are considered without regard to race, age, sex, color, creed, religion, disability, national origin, marital status, mental or physical handicap, sexual orientation (heterosexuality, homosexuality, bisexuality and gender expression of identity) or any other classification protected by law.
How to apply
Please submit cover letter and resume by e-mail to Jen Chantrill, Director of Training & Special Projects: jchantrill@venturesnonprofit.org