Now Hiring! Executive Director of Women’s Business Center

📍 Location: Wehle School of Business
🕒 Schedule: M-F Business Hours, some evenings and weekends required for programs and events

💰 Pay: $65,000-$75,000 annually, commensurate with experience
📄 Position Type: Full Time – 37.5 Hours per week

Why Join Canisius University

Canisius University serves approximately 2,500 undergraduate and graduate students.  As a Catholic and Jesuit University, Canisius has its foundation in the fundamental values of academic excellence, leadership, faith and social justice. Canisius is committed to educating and preparing men and women to become leaders in their professions and their communities, and in service to humanity. The University is an equal opportunity employer committed to recruiting, supporting, and fostering a diverse community of outstanding faculty, staff, and students.

What We Offer:

✅ Salary: $65,000-$75,000* annually, commensurate with experience

✅ Comprehensive Insurance Benefits – Health, Dental, Vision, Life and Long-Term Disability available the first of the month after the employee’s date of hire
✅ 403(b) with Company Contribution – Plan for your future with confidence – contribution from the university is available after one year of employment
✅ Paid Time Off – Includes vacation time, personal time, sick time, and paid holidays
✅ Tuition Benefits – Available for full-time employees and their qualified dependents

*Please note that the compensation information is a good faith estimate of the base pay for this position. The selected candidate’s compensation package for this position will be provided during the interview process.

Your Role as Executive Director of Women’s Business Center

The Women’s Business Center at Canisius University serves hundreds of clients a year in launching or growing women-owned businesses and has been responsible for generating millions of dollars in gross revenue for the local community. The WBC is a non-profit that focuses on the Empowerment, Education, Engagement, and Support of women-owned businesses so leading the center requires a unique individual who can envision the big picture, plan for the future, and prioritize collaboration with multiple partner organizations.

Reporting to the Dean of the Wehle School of Business, this highly visible role drives revenue growth and provides strategic direction and thought leadership to advance the mission of the Center. The ED develops strategies for delivering impactful programs to clients at all stages of business development and growth, evaluates the efficacy of the current program portfolio and leads the development of new offerings. They also oversee a small team and manage relationships with the WBC Advisory Board members.

Additionally, the ED develops and ensures the execution of the Center’s business plan, programming, fundraising, marketing, sales and PR efforts.

This is a grant-funded, salaried, full-time, exempt position. The schedule is Monday-Friday with some evenings and weekends required for programs and events. As a grant-funded position, its continuation is dependent on the ongoing availability of grant funds and other external revenue sources.

Key Responsibilities:

🔹 Strategic Leadership

• Lead short-term and long-term strategic planning efforts.
• Develop and ensure the delivery of high-quality, impactful, training and development programs that address the current and/or future needs of women entrepreneurs and support the WBC’s overall strategic goals.
• Delegate execution of program strategy to appropriate team members.
• Serve as an advocate of small business development and women’s entrepreneurship in the WNY community.
• Develop and execute sales strategy to drive the WBC’s long-term financial sustainability.
• Oversee recruitment and retention of the staff, program facilitators, and consultants.
• Coordinate and participate in Advisory Board meetings.
• Participate in all necessary funders calls and meetings.
• Regularly engage in opportunities to enhance own professional growth and development.

🔹 Strategic Partnerships

• Build partnerships:
  • With potential clients, donors, advisors, resource partners, and similarly mission-oriented organizations to enhance program success and expand the network of resources to which clients have access
  • With private industry including banks, local businesses, chambers, and service clubs
  • Across the national and statewide Women’s Business Centers’ network

🔹 Programming

• Oversee implementation of programming strategy to ensure alignment with strategic plan:
  • Create annual program calendar
  • Ensure facilitators’ skillsets support programming needs
  • Assess program facilitators to ensure delivery, expertise, information is having desired impact
• Determine and implement measures of success and ensure metrics being tracked and reviewed:
  • Review metrics on quarterly basis with relevant Advisory Board committees and/or members
• Develop and execute process to assess client readiness for program(s)
• Maintain up-to-date client files and other program documentation in accordance with SBA and WBC guidelines and ensure all administrative policies are followed

🔹 Fund Development

• Ensure sustainability and growth for the Center with multiple sources of funding
• Develop program plans to ensure grant obligations are met and impact realized
• Keep required records of programs as delineated by guidelines
• File reports with SBA and other funders as required

🔹 Financial

• Create Center’s annual budget and maintain all grant budgets
• Oversee and approve WBC budget and expenditures and ensure all activities fall within budget parameters
• Maintain baseline financial acumen

🔹 Communication / Marketing

• Maintain ongoing communication with stakeholders including Canisius University, funders, WBC team, Advisory Board, clients, facilitators, and consultants
• Seek out opportunities to enhance the WBC’s public image:
  • Request local media highlight the WBC, its clients, or any person or event related to the WBC
• Support marketing efforts by ensuring data-driven program information and client success stories are provided to all necessary parties:
  • Marketing consultant
  • Advisory Board marketing committee
  • Marketing intern

What You Need to Succeed:

✔ Qualifications:

Required:

• Bachelor’s in business management, entrepreneurship, or related field
• 5+ years experience in a leadership role
• Mission-driven
• Proven record of creating and successfully implementing strategic priorities
• Strong business acumen including understanding the life cycle of a business
• Highly collaborative inside and outside the organization
• Prioritizes relationship management
• Strong work ethic
• Excellent communicator
• Current with commonly used software, video conferencing, collaboration technology

Preferred:

• Bachelor’s in nonprofit management
• Firsthand entrepreneurship experience
• Grant Management
• CNP credential
• Must be eligible to work in the United States

Important Information:

🚨 Canisius University participates in E-Verify to confirm employment authorization. The E-Verify process is completed alongside the Form I-9 on or before your first day of work. For more details, visit www.uscis.gov] and search "E-Verify."

📢 Apply Today!

To apply, go to https://www.canisius.edu/about-canisius/employment-canisius. The review of applications begins immediately and will continue until the position is filled. Please include your cover letter, resume and three references with their contact information, with your application.

The Office of Human Resources at Canisius University utilizes an online recruitment management system.

Individuals who need reasonable accommodation under the ADA in order to participate in the search process should contact the office of human resources at (716) 888-2240.

Canisius University, a Catholic and Jesuit University, has as its foundation the fundamental values of academic excellence, leadership, faith and social justice. Canisius is committed to educating and preparing men and women to become leaders in their professions and their communities, and in service to humanity. The university is an equal opportunity employer committed to recruiting, supporting, and fostering a diverse community of outstanding faculty, staff and students.

Take the next step in your career with Canisius University—where excellence meets opportunity.