Job Posting – Executive Director BRC SBDC

Job Title: Executive Director of the Blue Ridge Crossroads Small Business Development Center
Reports To: Blue Ridge Crossroads Economic Development Authority (BRCEDA) Board of Directors
Date: July 21, 2025
Location: Galax, Virginia

Salary: $50,000-$55,000

OPPORTUNITY:

The Blue Ridge Crossroads Economic Development Authority (BRCEDA) is currently seeking a full-time Executive Director of the Blue Ridge Crossroads Small Business Development Center.  The Executive Director will be responsible for providing leadership, guidance, and support for staff and clients of the Center, serving five counties and one independent city.

The Center operates under a Cooperative Agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) administered through George Mason University.  Center activities are performed under the leadership of the State Director and in accordance with the goals and objectives of the Virginia Small Business Development Center.

This role will provide assistance, coaching, and strategic direction for both new business startups and existing business expansions in the Blue Ridge Crossroads Region.

The Executive Director will be responsible for overseeing the following tasks:

 

OPERATIONS:

• Support and execute programs and services that meet the requirements of the local funding partners and economic development departments, the Virginia SBDC Network, and the US Small Business Administration (SBA).
• Contribute to the development, implementation, and updating organizational goals and objectives to ensure all are accomplished in a timely and thorough manner.
• Identify and support grant applications that are relevant to entrepreneurship and business development to support the SBDC’s continued operations and growth.
• Initiate co-sponsorship of programs with private businesses, economic development organizations, and other government entities.
• Support the management of the Blue Ridge Crossroads Economic Development Authority’s Board of Directors which is comprised of funders and community stakeholders.
• Document client advising and training activities in a timely, accurate, and comprehensive manner.  Collect and transmit consolidated client data. Maintain adequate client files as per Virginia SBDC Network Lead Office and SBA guidelines.
• General oversight of team members.

 

PROGRAM

• Coordinate with regional and local economic development departments and work to achieve goals as set forth in their respective strategic plans.
• Counsel prospective and existing small business owners/managers and coordinate delivery of services throughout the service region.
• Analyze situations, make recommendations, and educate clients with regard to all aspects of small business ownership including planning and executing the plan, market feasibility, financial viability, operations management, and legal structures, to name a few topics.
• Maintain an appropriate level and mix of clients as noted by annual deliverables and strategic plan objectives identified by the VSBDC state office staff.
• Develop and/or coordinate the delivery of high-quality, business training programs that are responsive to the needs of the business community served in collaboration with community members and technical experts.
• Determine topics, agendas, instructors, instructional materials, location, time, and secure other resources as required.
• Provide support for SBDC/SBA required annual site visits.
• Provide reports as required by Virginia SBDC and the service area.
• Attend the annual ASBDC Training Conference, quarterly meetings, and weekly conference calls.
• Creation of annual budget for SBDC.
• Track and submission of reimbursement requests for SBA funds spent in accordance with SBDC/SBA guidelines and requirements.

OUTREACH

• Coordinate media and publicity initiatives, including social media.
• Meet regularly with the BRCEDA Board of Directors and other partner groups to discuss impact of current business service programs, and future collaborations.
• Support the maintenance of information on websites.
• Maintain relationships and resources in government/public and private business sectors to assist SBDC clients.
• Provide presentations and briefings to City Council, County Boards of Supervisors, Economic Development Authorities, Chamber of Commerce Boards, and other local economic development and professional organizations.
• Contribute articles on small business topics to local print media and online websites.
• Establish and maintain relationships with local media partners, reporters, and editors, and give presentations as requested/required.

ADDITIONAL POSITION REQUIREMENTS:

• Bachelor’s degree is preferred in business administration, marketing, and/or management.  Relevant experience can substitute for the educational requirement.
• Extensive background in small business consulting, mentoring, and/or counseling: minimum of 5 years is preferred.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills required.
• Proven leadership and an understanding of issues that impact small business owners.
• Ability to provide business advice to starting or developing companies.
• Comfortable working collaboratively while advancing multiple projects simultaneously.
• Strong desire to learn and ability to research to identify resources and solutions.
• Reliable self-transportation to rural regional locations to meet with clients (mileage is reimbursed).
• Experience supervising professional and administrative staff.
• Flexibility in working hours to fulfill travel and event requirements.

 

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Experience influencing strategy within an organization; ability to sell ideas and visions.
• Experience in owning, growing, and managing a small business.

LEADERSHIP SKILLS:

• Ability to quickly establish rapport with a wide range of people.
• Demonstrated experience driving business growth through innovation.
• An entrepreneurial mindset; able and interested to pursue new business opportunities.
• Customer-service oriented (listening professionally and efficiently responding to customers).
• Excellent management skills and the ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• A team player who favors collaborative approaches when working with internal and external partners.

COMMUNICATION SKILLS:

• Able to work collaboratively with diverse leaders, communicate strategies across all levels of the organization, and build consensus around key initiatives and projects.
• Ability to communicate from a customer perspective, across diverse groups of customers.
• Possesses exceptional organizational, interpersonal and communication skills, both oral and written; able to articulate ideas to both technical and non-technical audiences.
• Possesses exceptional business acumen, analytical and problem-solving abilities.
• Comfortable with ambiguity; can handle the unexpected with flexibility