Central California Small Business Development Center Regional Director

About the role

The Regional Director serves as the chief executive officer of the Central California Small Business Development Center (SBDC) Network, providing strategic leadership, operational oversight, and fiscal management for one of California's federally funded Small Business Development Center (SBDC) networks. As the senior leadership official for a regional network of organizations delivering entrepreneurial services, the Regional Director oversees a complex grant-funded program serving entrepreneurs and small businesses across fourteen Central California counties through multiple service centers and specialty programs.

The Regional Director is responsible for the successful administration of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) Cooperative Agreement and all associated federal, state, university, and partner requirements. The position ensures achievement of program performance goals, compliance with grant and regulatory requirements, and effective stewardship of network resources.

The Regional Director manages an annual budget of approximately $4 million, allocating funding to regional service centers and specialty programs, maintaining expenditure controls, and ensuring compliance with applicable federal, state, and university policies and regulations.

The Regional Director establishes the strategic vision and direction for the Network, oversees communications, marketing, outreach, and constituent engagement programs, and develops initiatives that promote entrepreneurship, business growth, and regional economic development.

The position cultivates and maintains collaborative relationships with entrepreneurs, small businesses, funding partners, host institutions, economic development organizations, elected officials, and other key stakeholders throughout Central California.

Serving as the University's principal liaison to the U.S. Small Business Administration, GO-Biz, host institutions, and funding partners, the Regional Director acts as the primary point of contact with the SBA District and Program Offices and represents the Network on matters of strategy, performance, compliance, and funding.

The Regional Director also serves as the primary spokesperson for the Central California SBDC Network, providing strategic communications guidance to senior leadership and promoting the Network's mission, programs, and impact across the region.

This position plays a critical role in advancing economic development by ensuring the delivery of high-quality entrepreneurial services, fostering regional partnerships, and supporting the growth and success of small businesses throughout Central California.

Responsibilities

• Strategic Leadership: Establishes and implements a long-term vision, mission, goals, and objectives aligned with the priorities of the SBA, UC Merced, CalOSBA, and SBDC accreditation standards. Leads region-wide delivery of services across fourteen Central California counties and develops strategic initiatives that strengthen entrepreneurial ecosystems, expand access to capital, innovation, government contracting, workforce development, and business growth opportunities.
• Program Administration, Compliance, and Performance Management: Directs all activities necessary to administer the SBA Cooperative Agreement and associated federal, state, university, and program requirements. Ensures compliance with SBA terms, federal grant regulations, California state requirements, accreditation standards, performance metrics, and University policies. Develops systems and processes to monitor network activities, assess program effectiveness, and ensure achievement of annual performance goals, including client advising, business starts, capital infusion, sales growth, job creation, government contracting, and training outcomes. Oversees the timely preparation and submission of all required reports, budgets, grant proposals, financial documentation, program narratives, performance reports, and sponsor requests for information.
• Fiscal Management and Resource Development: Provides executive oversight of approximately $4 million in federal, state, local, and matching funds. Secures and maintains funding from the U.S. Small Business Administration, the State of California, host colleges and universities, local governments, corporate sponsors, and community partners. Responsible for budget development, contract administration, fiscal monitoring, financial forecasting, risk management, internal controls, and compliance with sponsor requirements. Allocates resources across regional service centers and specialty programs, maintains effective expenditure controls, ensures responsible stewardship of public funds, and maximizes service delivery to Central California small businesses.
• Network Leadership and Organizational Development: Provides leadership and management for the Central California SBDC Network, including supervision of Lead Center staff and Center Directors throughout the fourteen-county service area. Develops and maintains an organizational structure that supports effective service delivery and achievement of strategic objectives. Builds a culture of collaboration, innovation, accountability, continuous improvement, professional development, and excellence in client service. Responsible for talent recruitment, training, coaching, mentoring, succession planning, performance management, and organizational development initiatives that strengthen network capacity and effectiveness.
• Partnership Development, Advocacy, and External Relations: Develops and maintains productive partnerships with the SBA, CalOSBA, UC Merced leadership, community colleges, universities, economic development organizations, chambers of commerce, financial institutions, local governments, elected officials, community organizations, and other stakeholders. Serves as the University's principal liaison with the SBA District and Program Offices, funding agencies, host institutions, and strategic partners. Advocates for the Central California SBDC Network at the regional, state, and national levels, including engagement with stakeholders in Sacramento and Washington, D.C., to advance the interests of small businesses and entrepreneurship throughout the region.
• Communications, Marketing, and Public Engagement: Serves as the primary spokesperson for the Central California SBDC Network and provides strategic communications guidance to senior leadership. Oversees network marketing, communications, outreach, and constituent engagement activities to increase awareness and utilization of SBDC services among entrepreneurs and small businesses throughout Central California. Collaborates with university communications, media relations, and external partners to develop communication strategies, coordinate public announcements, prepare news releases, manage media inquiries, organize public events and press engagements, and promote the impact of the Network's programs and services.

Qualifications

• Minimum Requirements:
• Bachelor's degree from an accredited university in Business Administration, Public Administration, Economics, Management, Finance, or a closely related field, or equivalent experience/training.
• Advanced degree from an accredited university in Business Administration, Public Administration, Economics, Management, Finance, or a closely related field (preferred).
• Five years of progressively responsible leadership experience involving one or more of the following: small business ownership, small business consulting, economic development, commercial lending, business finance, entrepreneurship, grant administration, and government-funded programs (required).
• Ten (10) years of progressively responsible leadership experience involving one or more of the following: small business ownership, small business consulting, economic development, commercial lending, business finance, entrepreneurship, grant administration, and government-funded programs (preferred).
• Experience managing complex budgets and multiple funding sources.
• Experience supervising professional staff.
• Experience developing strategic partnerships.
• Experience working with performance metrics and accountability systems.
• Leadership experience within a Small Business Development Center, Women's Business Center, APEX Accelerator, Manufacturing Extension Partnership, or comparable business assistance organization (preferred).
• Experience administering SBA Cooperative Agreements or other federal grants (preferred).
• Knowledge of SBDC Accreditation Standards (preferred).
• Experience working within higher education (preferred).
• Experience leading geographically dispersed organizations (preferred).
• Additional Competencies:
• Advanced knowledge of small business development, entrepreneurial ecosystems, economic development, SBA programs, higher education organizations, and the strategic goals, priorities, and operations of complex public-sector institutions.
• Demonstrated ability to provide strategic leadership with the highest level of discretion, integrity, and confidentiality.