Mosaic Small Business Counselor

Job Description

IRC Background:

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) responds to the world’s worst humanitarian crises, helping to restore health, safety, education, economic wellbeing and power to people devastated by conflict and disaster. Founded in 1933 at the call of Albert Einstein, the IRC is at work in over 40 countries and 27 U.S. cities helping people to survive, reclaim control of their future and strengthen their communities.

The IRC’s Mosaic Business Program helps newly arrived refugees and other low-income individuals reach self-sufficiency by starting and scaling small businesses. The Mosaic Center then helps families move sustainably out of poverty by offering high- quality, culturally-and linguistically accessible, integrated business technical assistance, training, access to products leading to capital readiness and access to capital through IRC’s subsidiary lending arm, IRC’s Center for Economic Opportunity.

Job Overview:

Under the supervision of the Deputy Director, Economic Empowerment, the Mosaic Small Business Counselor will support the implementation of the IRC Mosaic Center. The Mosaic Center offers training, technical assistance and access to capital to help California residents start and scale small businesses.

Major Responsibilities:

- Assist in the outreach and recruitment of program participants; screen and assess interested California residents for program eligibility and participation; - Provide one-on-one business counseling and management assistance to new and existing California residents owned- businesses in all areas of business start-up and expansion; - Assist entrepreneurs to become ready for business financing through preparation of loan applications, business plans, and financial statements; - Underwrite and package loan applications, and present for review to the IRC’s CDFI; - Conduct individual case management and loan collections, including "off-site" technical assistance visits to the businesses or homes of program participants; - Proactively facilitate referrals to outside service providers as necessary to meet the diverse needs of the program participants; - Ensure that information required for program eligibility and reporting purposes is collected and that accurate records are maintained, including case files and client data entry across multiple data bases. Ensure necessary steps are taken to obtain relevant data in a timely fashion; follow-up with all clients regularly and record all contacts with case notes; - Attend regularly scheduled meetings with other IRC staff and volunteers as part of the review, evaluation and program maintenance process; - Assist in the planning and coordination of training activities and special events; - Other duties as assigned.

Key Working Relationships:

Position Reports to: Deputy Director, Economic Empowerment

Job Requirements:

- Undergraduate degree or related field; business experience in lieu of formal business education is acceptable; - At least 2 year of experience in microenterprise development or operation of a small business; - At least 2 year of experience in non-profit sector and experience with immigrant entrepreneurs is strongly preferred; - Proficiency in English and another language outside of Spanish required; Preferrable languages in Swahili (and French), Arabic, Dari; - Knowledge and experience with an array of business topics, including marketing, management, financing, and entrepreneurship; - Familiar with business software and technologies, especially low-cost online marketing strategies; - Excellent organizational skills; - Strong written and verbal communication skills, including ability to make presentations; - Ability to work independently, be a self-starter and maintain responsibility for multiple tasks.

Working Environment:

- Standard, professional office environment; - Virtual setting for many client interactions; - Offices hours are scheduled as Monday-Friday, 8:30am-5pm; evening and weekend hours as client needs arise.

COVID-19 Vaccination Requirement: In accordance with IRC’s duty to provide and maintain a workplace that is free of known hazards and our commitment to safeguard the health of our employees, clients, and communities, IRC requires new hires to furnish proof of vaccination against COVID-19 in order to be considered for any in-office or hybrid positions. All IRC US offices require full vaccination to attend any in-office functions (e.g., meetings, trainings).

Commitment to Diversity and Inclusivity: IRC is committed to building a diverse organization and a climate of inclusivity. We strongly encourage applications from candidates who can demonstrate that they can contribute to this goal.

Equal Opportunity Employer: We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, sex, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status. We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us to request accommodation.

US Benefits: We offer a comprehensive and highly competitive set of benefits. In the US, these include: 10 sick days, 10 US holidays, 20-25 paid time off days (depending on role and tenure), medical insurance starting at $145 per month, dental starting at $7 per month, and vision starting at $5 per month, FSA for healthcare, childcare, and commuter costs, a 403b retirement savings plans with up to 4.5% immediately vested matching contribution, plus a 3-7% base IRC contribution (3 year vesting), disability & life insurance, and an Employee Assistance Program which is available to our staff and their families to support counseling and care in times of crisis and mental health struggles.

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