Posting number: EDA_SBDC-NE-CustSup_7/24/26
Department: Office of Economic Development and International Trade
Job classification: NON-CLASSIFIED
Posting type: Open
Categories: Economic Development, Customer Service
SummaryThe Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT) fosters a positive business climate and encourages quality economic development through the support of local and regional economic development activities across the state. A comprehensive slate of programs within OEDIT’s divisions work together to offer economic development services for all Colorado businesses – new and expanding, traditional and emerging, small and large. The service offerings include retention programs to ensure continued competitiveness of Colorado’s economic base and job training to keep Colorado’s workforce the best in the nation.
As a U. S. Small Business Administration (SBA) Resource Partner, the Colorado Small Business Development Center (SBDC) empowers entrepreneurs and business owners to successfully navigate their full business lifecycle—from launch through growth to exit—by delivering business advising and other technical assistance (e.g., training) as well as connecting them to community resources. The Colorado SBDC consists of a network of 14 Service Centers across the state hosted by institutes of higher education, city and county governments, economic development agencies, chambers of commerce, and incubators.
The East Colorado SBDC is one of the 14 service centers and supports 20 counties in the eastern half of the state divided into Northeast and Southeast regions:
Northeast Region: Adams (partial), Arapahoe (partial), Cheyenne, Elbert, Kit Carson, Lincoln, Logan, Morgan, Phillips, Sedgwick, Washington, Weld, and Yuma.
Southeast Region: Baca, Bent, Crowley, Kiowa, Las Animas, Otero, and Prowers
This position will work under the East Colorado SBDC, but will provide limited customer and administrative support to additional service centers, to include:
North Metro SBDC hosted by Front Range Community College (serving Adams and Broomfield counties)
San Luis Valley SBDC hosted by Adams State University (serving Alamosa, Conejos, Costilla, Mineral, Rio Grande, and Saguache counties)
Position Overview
This fully remote position offers full-time employment as an exempt, at-will State of Colorado Employee. This position is term limited through December 31, 2027, with the potential for continuation based on available grant funding.
The East Colorado SBDC Customer Support Specialist (Specialist) will manage small business client intake and advising assignments, answer client and general inquiries, assist with maintaining Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) accessibility compliance of digital materials, attend networking and community events, and provide general administrative support. Additionally, the Specialist will provide business advising for clients as needed and as time allows.
Key Duties and Responsibilities:
Client & Customer Support:
Manage incoming advising requests, analyzing client’s needs documented in organization CRM (Salesforce) and matching them to an appropriate training opportunity and/or advisor.
Manage the general email, phone, and voicemail systems, fielding general questions, concerns, and inquiries from clients, stakeholders, and community members, and directing to other staff or resources.
Conduct regular weekly reviews of advising requests and conduct timely secondary outreach and client follow-up.
Manage Spanish-speaking client support and engagement efforts.
Accessibility Management:
Support Center staff by managing adherence to ADA accessibility requirements (training provided).
Work collaboratively with the Marketing and Communications Coordinator to remediate digital materials including PDFs, slide decks, email templates, and other assets to ensure accessibility.
Conduct regular reviews of contractor and staff adherence to accessibility requirements, and assist with training support to improve compliance.
Administrative Support:
Assist with scheduling and coordinating meetings and appointments.
Prepare and distribute internal communications, agendas, meeting notes, and memos.
Maintain and update organization databases and filing systems.
Assist in creating and preparing presentations, documents, and spreadsheets.
Refine and implement standard operating policies and procedures to ensure efficiency and compliance.
Collaborate with cross-functional teams to ensure alignment with organizational and network goals and objectives.
Event Planning and Coordination Support:
Assist in organizing and coordinating events, such as meetings, workshops, and conferences. Assist with necessary logistics, including venue selection, catering, and audiovisual equipment.
Coordinate attendee registration, troubleshooting technical issues and providing support as needed.
Assist with internal event calendar updates, ensuring staff, advisor, and speaker knowledge of and access to event details and materials.
Small Business Advising
Provide expert 1:1 advice and guidance to small business clients, addressing their specific challenges and opportunities
This may involve conducting thorough assessments of businesses, identifying areas for improvement, and developing customized action plans to help clients achieve their goals
Work closely with the SBDC service center and network to ensure seamless service delivery and collaboration
Community Engagement:
Represent the organization at networking events, conferences, and community gatherings across the 20-county region to build relationships and promote the organization's brand and program.
Engage with Spanish-speaking communities to enhance organizational visibility and outreach.
Collaborate with external partners and stakeholders to identify potential partnership opportunities and enhance the organization's visibility.
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.
QualificationsQualifications, 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.
Proven experience in customer and administrative support
Fluent in English and Spanish, both oral and written language
Excellent written and verbal communication skills
Proficiency in contact management systems (Salesforce), and operational software's (Google Workspace, Microsoft Office)
Experience in digital ADA accessibility management preferred, with opportunities for training and professional development provided
Experience in providing technical assistance to small business owners, with previous SBDC experience preferred
Experience managing projects from concept to delivery and meeting fixed deadlines, with previous project management experience preferred.
Ability to effectively work in a fast-paced, dynamic environment; prioritize and support multiple projects and/or work tasks/initiatives; and apply effective problem-solving skills.
Ability to effectively communicate with all stakeholders (e.g., staff members, clients, vendors) and provide a high-level of customer service as well as apply conflict resolution.
Must be detail oriented and possess exceptional organizational skills, with demonstrated time management and analytical abilities.
Must be honest, trustworthy, and demonstrate a high degree of integrity and ethical behavior.
Must be a self-motivated team player who is a creative and strategic thinker, with previous change management experience preferred.
Ability to represent the Colorado SBDC in presentations and at events.
Outstanding customer service skills, including maintaining a positive attitude, actively listening to needs, and calmly responding to requests.
Must be a creative and strategic thinker with effective oral and written communication.
Ability to work at a home office and/or an identified office space in the service area, with the flexibility to travel across the region and state as needed.
Must be a full-time resident of Colorado. Residence within the service area preferred.
Competencies
Strategic Communication: Effectively persuades and influences others; clearly articulates key points in writing and speech; practices active listening.
Teamwork: Builds and supports effective teams; encourages a spirit of participation and belonging; enhances group cohesiveness by emphasizing team objectives and reinforcing cooperation.
Problem Solving and Adaptability: Identifies and defines a problem; gathers and analyzes information; determines potential solutions and decides on course of action(s); accountable for and learns from decisions; responds to new information and/or situation and adapts to updated priorities and/or requirements.
Relationship Management: Builds collaborative relationships and effectively manages relationships within OEDIT, with the SBDC network (includes SBDC Service Center Directors and staff statewide), and with external community partners.
Education / Experience
1+ year of experience in customer or administrative support, supporting small businesses, and/or working within an SBDC
Associate’s degree in a relevant field preferred (e.g. business, communications). Related occupational experience or a combination of education and relevant experience will substitute for the degree requirement on a year-for-year basis.
Experience with training, operations, project management, change management, process improvement, customer management, and/or establishing internal controls
Proven experience in business advising, preferably in a small business or entrepreneurial environment OR experience owning, operating, or managing a small business.
Demonstrated acumen and excitement to work at the convergence of public sectors at the local, state, and federal levels supporting private sector businesses
Salary Range: $52,000 - $60,000 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
Application
Your application must provide sufficient detail about your background and experience to allow the screening panel to properly assess your experience in the required elements, including your experience and achievements.
Due to the large volume of resumes we receive, we do not acknowledge receipt of each application and are unable to give status updates. If a strong match is found between your qualifications and the requirements of the position, a member of the recruiting staff will contact you to further discuss the career opportunity.