Lead BRIDGE Advisor

The Maryland Technology Development Corporation d/b/a TEDCO is an organization established by the Maryland General Assembly in 1998, to help early-stage technology and life sciences companies throughout the state of Maryland grow and thrive. TEDCO helps establish connections, identifies funding, and provides support to help identify and cultivate new businesses. TEDCO brings innovation to market.

The Mid-Atlantic Technical Assistance BRIDGE Program, part of TEDCO’s broader mission, is designed to empower socially and economically disadvantaged individual (SEDI)-owned businesses and Very Small Businesses (VSBs) by offering comprehensive Legal, Accounting, and Financial (LAF) Technical Assistance (TA) across Maryland, Delaware, the District of Columbia, and Virginia. TEDCO is seeking a Lead BRIDGE Advisor.

Position Summary

This role is essential to the success of TEDCO’s BRIDGE Program. The Lead BRIDGE Advisor will engage directly with business owners to assess their business needs, guide them through TEDCO’s Investment and Scale Readiness framework, and connect them with the appropriate resources within the Mid-Atlantic ecosystem and beyond. This role requires strategic thinkers with a deep understanding of business development and the ability to foster relationships with diverse stakeholders. The Lead BRIDGE Advisor will play a pivotal role in ensuring businesses are prepared to secure the funding and support they need to thrive and will manage/supervise two additional advisors.

This is a grant-funded position. Funding expires after 3 years and there is no guarantee of funding beyond year 3 of the program.

Essential Job Duties and Responsibilities

Primary Responsibilities (80%):

• Provide general management of the BRIDGE Program (15%):
  • Set clear performance expectations, conduct regular check-ins, and deliver constructive feedback to support the success and growth of the BRIDGE Program, including coordination with TEDCO’s Venture Development group and BRIDGE Advisors supported by the BRIDGE Program.
  • Balance workloads to ensure high-quality completion of deliverables.
• Assessment and Individualized Roadmaps (25%):
  • Conduct comprehensive Investment and Scale Readiness Assessments for businesses entering the BRIDGE Program.
  • Evaluate businesses on the 16-point framework developed by TEDCO, which covers financial literacy, credit repair, legal advisory services, and other critical aspects of business development.
  • Develop detailed, individualized roadmaps tailored to each business’s unique needs, outlining the path to achieving investment readiness and scale.
  • Ensure roadmaps are aligned with available resources and opportunities within the TEDCO ecosystem and the broader Mid-Atlantic region.
• Continuous Engagement and Support (25%):
  • Maintain regular communication with business owners to track progress against their individualized roadmaps.
  • Provide ongoing mentorship and support, adapting individualized roadmap as necessary to address emerging challenges or opportunities.
  • Facilitate access to targeted LAF services, ensuring business owners receive the support they need at the right time.
  • Monitor and report on the outcomes of engagements, ensuring that businesses are making progress toward their goals.
• Ecosystem Connectivity (15%):
  • Act as a connector between businesses and the broader TA ecosystem, including local Small Business Development Centers (SBDCs), Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs), and others.
  • Leverage TEDCO’s network to introduce businesses to additional resources, such as the BRIDGE Proposal Lab, Loaned Executives, and Back-Office-in-a-Box programs.

General and Administrative Responsibilities (20%):

• Reporting and Documentation (15%):

• Maintain detailed records of all assessments, roadmaps, and engagements in TEDCO’s Salesforce platform and generate monthly reports.

• • Attend and report at internal meetings and TEDCO events.           
  • Maintain transparency and regular communication with stakeholders through detailed reports and presentations.
  • Support the Vice President of Federal Programs in strategic initiatives and daily operations.
  • Complete other duties that may be assigned.

• Strategic Responsibilities (5%):
• Work collaboratively with TEDCO teams to refine and implement strategic growth plans for all managed programs.
• Promote synergy throughout TEDCO to maximize impact and resources.

Qualifications

• A bachelor’s degree in business administration, finance, or a related field, with a minimum of seven (7) years of experience in business consulting, entrepreneurship, or economic development.
• Demonstrated expertise in business assessment, strategic planning, and resource allocation, with a focus on underserved communities.
• Proven experience in managing relationships with small businesses and understanding their unique challenges, particularly in accessing capital and scaling operations.
• Strong organizational and communication skills, with the ability to manage multiple tasks and stakeholders simultaneously.
• Familiarity with TEDCO’s mission and the Mid-Atlantic region’s entrepreneurial ecosystem is preferred.
• Experience using Salesforce or similar CRM platforms and proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite is a plus.

Work Environment and Physical Demands

• This role operates in a hybrid work environment, with flexibility between office and remote work.
• Occasional travel within the Mid-Atlantic region may be required for meetings, events, and site visits.

Upon request, TEDCO will make reasonable accommodations so that applicants and employees may meet the essential job functions, provided doing so does not present an undue hardship as defined by the EEOC.

TEDCO is an equal employment opportunity employer. Decisions around hiring, promotions, transfers, professional development and training and other aspects of the employment relationship are made without regard to race, ethnicity, color, religious beliefs, marital status, sexual orientation, gender expression, gender identity, age, disability or any other characteristic protected by law.

Salary : $115,000