Senior Manager, Colorado SBDC Partnerships and Marketing

The Colorado Small Business Development Center (SBDC) Network delivers professional, high quality, individualized business advising and technical assistance to existing small businesses and pre-venture entrepreneurs across Colorado. The Colorado SBDC Network provides problem solving assistance to help small businesses achieve their goals, including growth, innovation, improved operations, access to capital, and success. The Colorado SBDC Network combines federal (U.S. Small Business Administration [SBA]), state, and local resources with those of educational systems and the private sector to meet the specialized and complex needs of the small business community.

The Colorado SBDC Network is a division of the Colorado Office of Economic Development & International Trade (OEDIT). Colorado OEDIT was created to foster a positive business climate that encourages quality economic development through financial and technical assistance provided in support of local and regional economic development activities throughout Colorado.

NOTE: This posting is open only to individuals on a promotional list of the listed department. The posting is for transparency purposes only to comply with the Equal Pay for Equal Work Act. Applications from individuals not on the department promotional list will not be accepted.

The Senior Manager, Colorado SBDC, Partnerships and Marketing is responsible for elevating the Colorado SBDC brand, securing the diverse funding streams necessary to sustain operations, and building a robust ecosystem of community partners. Reporting to the Colorado SBDC State Director, this role ensures the Colorado SBDC Network has the financial resources, partner support, and public visibility to effectively serve Colorado's small business owners and entrepreneurs long term. The candidate will manage a small team and work with Colorado SBDC Network staff, OEDIT's Business Support Division, and OEDIT's Marketing & Communications team to create a unified brand voice that maximizes resource awareness, align center outreach with statewide economic development goals, and secure essential public-private funding. Through marketing and partnership building, this position will connect business owners impacted by COVID-19 with no- or low-cost Colorado SBDC and OEDIT resources to aid in recovery and resiliency.

The position offers full-time employment as an exempt, at-will State of Colorado Employee with an anticipated duration through June 2027, with the possibility of extension based on available funding.

Key Duties and Responsibilities:

Strategic Partnerships & Outreach

• Ecosystem Integration: Cultivate and maintain high-level relationships with chambers of commerce, Economic Development Corporations/Commissions (EDCs), and the financial sector to align municipal leaders and private partners in driving network investment.

• Resource Alignment: Identify and vet "in-kind resource partners" (e.g., CPAs, lawyers, marketing firms) to provide pro bono or discounted services to Colorado SBDC clients.

• Stakeholder Liaison: Support the State Director in stewarding high-stakes relationships with legislative, community, and host stakeholders while representing the brand at key industry conferences and community forums.

Fundraising & Revenue Development

• Cash Match Procurement: Secure "cash match" funds required by the SBA and State grants through corporate sponsorships and private donations.

• Sponsorship Programs: Partner with the State Director to strategize statewide sponsorship programs-from value proposition design and market positioning to high-level negotiations and closing.

• Reporting & Compliance: Lead the statewide reporting framework for Colorado SBDC funding. Drive Salesforce CRM adoption across the network to ensure donor data accuracy and transparency.

• Impact Marketing: Develop and execute a strategic storytelling framework to convey Colorado SBDC impact through visually engaging reports and multi-channel marketing collateral.

Marketing & Brand Management

• Content Strategy: Oversee a high-impact content strategy, managing the production of success stories and reports that quantify the Colorado SBDC's economic ROI and social impact.

• Digital Presence: Optimize the statewide digital ecosystem, leveraging the Colorado SBDC website and social channels to accelerate client acquisition, drive workshop enrollment, and enhance user engagement.

• Public Relations: Partner with the OEDIT Marketing and Communications team to amplify the Colorado SBDC brand, ensuring strategic alignment on press releases, media inquiries, and high-level visibility initiatives.

• Strategic Market Positioning: Lead the market positioning of core value propositions-advising, training, and resource connections-to ensure consistent brand awareness across all Colorado regions.

• Brand Identity & Visual Communication: Oversee visual brand integrity through proficiency in Canva and Adobe Creative Cloud (InDesign, Photoshop), ensuring a high-quality, professional aesthetic across all collateral.

Digital Media Management

• Infrastructure & Platform Management: Direct website content strategy and platform optimization, with a preference for Drupal or comparable enterprise-level CMS environments.

• Digital Accessibility: Ensure organizational compliance with digital accessibility standards, overseeing the creation of inclusive content that meets or exceeds statewide requirements.

• Performance Marketing & Analytics: Leverage SEO strategies and Google Analytics to drive data-informed decision-making and monitor KPIs to optimize digital reach.

• Social Media Strategy: Spearhead multi-channel strategies across Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn, focusing on community growth and brand authority.

Disclaimer: This posting provides a high-level job definition. It is not intended to provide a comprehensive or exclusive list of job duties. As such, job duties and/or responsibilities within the context of this job posting may change at the discretion of the employee's direct supervisor.

Qualifications, Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skills, and abilities preferred.

• Demonstrated experience in developing and telling the story of a brand

• Experience with website content management, preferably on the Drupal platform

• Understanding of digital accessibility and experience in creating accessible content

• Basic understanding of SEO/Google analytics, or willingness to learn

• Comfortable using Canva or software within Adobe Creative Cloud including InDesign and Photoshop

• Experience managing business social media accounts on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

• Leading and/or managing projects from concept to delivery, with previous project management experience preferable

• Outstanding customer service skills, including maintaining a positive attitude, actively listening to needs, and calmly responding to requests

• Comfortable working in a fast-paced, dynamic environment, able to prioritize multiple initiatives

• Must be a creative and strategic thinker with effective oral and written communication

• Proven exceptional grammar and editing skills

• Ability to do detailed work

• Self-motivated team player who can problem solve, with previous change management experience preferable

• Ability to work a hybrid schedule in downtown Denver and remotely

Competencies

• Strategic Communication: Effectively persuades and influences others; clearly articulates key points in writing and speech; practices active listening.

• Team Leadership: Builds and supports effective teams; encourages participation and belonging; enhances group cohesiveness through shared objectives.

• Creative Thinking: Thinks independently and creatively regarding digital marketing and content development while adhering to regulatory and policy guidance (e.g., accessibility legislation, federal grant regulations).

• Relationship Management: Builds collaborative relationships within OEDIT, the Colorado SBDC Network, and with external community partners.

Education / Experience

• Expertise: Deep knowledge of long-range strategic planning, fundraising, community/economic development, and public administration.

• Proven Ability: Documented success working with sponsors, community leaders, and political stakeholders to advance entrepreneurship.

• Communication Mastery: Superior oral and written skills with a record of tailoring complex narratives for legislative bodies and media outlets.

• Governance: Understanding of state and local governance; ability to operate effectively in a complex public-service environment with limited resources.

• Operational Leadership: Experience in strategic project leadership, process optimization, and driving organizational change.

• Education: B.A. preferred in marketing, communications, public relations, or a related field; relevant professional experience will be considered as an alternative.

Salary Range: $82,000 - $90,000 Annually

This position is considered non-classified, which means the position is not part of the Colorado State Personnel System. Therefore, the individual appointed to this position is considered at-will, and is not covered by the State Personnel Rules or the State Classification System. However, this position does come with the same benefits (retirement, insurance, etc.) as every other State employee, and with the same opportunities, pride and passion that comes with working for the great State of Colorado. Even though employment is at-will, non-classified positions have protections against discrimination and retaliation in state and federal employment laws. "At-will" employment means that either the employee or the State may terminate the employment relationship at any time for any reason or no reason, with or without notice or cause, as long as no federal or state law is violated.

A wide salary range is posted for this position and any job offer is based upon a salary analysis to comply with the Colorado Equal Pay for Equal Work Act. The salary analysis considers relevant experience, education, certifications, and state seniority as compared to others doing substantially similar work. While all offers are compliant with the Colorado Equal Pay for Equal Work Act, there is no guarantee an offer will be at the top of the posted range based on the salary analysis.

Benefits

The State of Colorado/Office of the Governor offers generous benefits to full-time employees including:

• Annual leave accrued at 13.33 hours per month

• Sick leave accrued at 6.66 hours a month

• 11 paid holidays per year

• Medical plans - choice of Cigna or Kaiser; several plan options (including High Deductible Health Plan with HSA); most plans offered with significant state contribution towards premium

• Dental and vision plans

• Flexible spending accounts

• State-paid life insurance policy of $50,000

• Choice of 2 retirement plans (defined contribution or defined benefit) with generous state contribution

• Optional 401(k) and 457 plans for additional retirement savings

• State-paid short-term disability coverage

• Additional optional life and disability plans

• Access to the Colorado State Employee Assistance Program

• Membership opportunity with the Credit Union of Colorado

• RTD (transit) EcoPass

• Training and professional development

To learn more about State of Colorado benefits, please visit: https://www.colorado.gov/dhr/benefits

Equity, Diversity and Inclusion

The State of Colorado believes that equity, diversity, and inclusion drive our success, and we encourage candidates from all identities, backgrounds, and abilities to apply. The State of Colorado is an equal opportunity employer committed to building inclusive, innovative work environments with employees who reflect our communities and enthusiastically serve them. Therefore, in all aspects of the employment process, we provide employment opportunities to all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, pregnancy, medical condition related to pregnancy, creed, ancestry, national origin, marital status, genetic information, or military status (with preference given to military veterans), or any other protected status in accordance with applicable law.

To learn more about the "State of Colorado For All", visit our Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion website.

ADAAA Accommodations

The Office of the Governor is committed to the full inclusion of all qualified individuals. As part of this commitment, our agency will assist individuals who have a disability with any reasonable accommodation requests related to employment, including completing the application process, interviewing, completing any pre-employment testing, participating in the employee selection process, and/or to perform essential job functions where the requested accommodation does not impose an undue hardship. If you have a disability and require reasonable accommodation to ensure you have a positive experience applying or interviewing for this position, please direct your inquiries to our ADAAA Staffing Coordinator, the Director of Human Resources: jennifer.salvatore@state.co.us