What are the responsibilities and job description for the Relationship Manager position at Southland Development Authority?
About the Southland Development Authority
The Southland Development Authority (SDA) is a non-profit business organization designed to grow the economy of Cook County’s South Suburbs through investment in industry, workforce, housing, and communities. It serves as a one-stop shop and growth catalyst by connecting businesses, residents, investors, developers, and others to resources and opportunity throughout the region.
Position Overview
The Southland Development Authority (SDA) is seeking a Relationship Manager (RM) to serve within our Business Growth Services (BGS) unit; it is a full-time 1099 contractor role (without benefits). The RM is responsible for helping small business owners achieve their business goals. RMs work 1:1 with business owners to advise them, connect them to resources, and educate them to support and accelerate their growth. The qualified candidate will report to the BGS Director.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities
Brand ambassador:
● Knowledgeable about SDA, it’s vision, mission and programs
● Knowledgeable about assigned industry sector
● Conduct outreach to key stakeholders – municipalities, businesses and business organizations, etc.
● Engage in professional development
Client Management
● Manage our portfolio of business clients, deepening existing relationships and delivering a consistently excellent client experience
● Build an in-depth understanding of our client’s business, needs, and priorities, sufficient enough to recommend strategies and/or connect them with the right resources/programs/services
● Provide direct BGS 1:1 advisory services to develop strategies that grow our clients’ businesses; optimizes their operations, and builds their capabilities
Business development:
● Develop strategies to grow the business pipeline of clients – i.e., SDA key targets sectors
● Develop and maintain a pipeline of leads and convert them to clients
● Develop, manage, and market special programs including cohort, webinars, training, and outreach events
● Identify and develop new partnership opportunities
Outreach / Engagement
● Build our client pipeline – develop strategies to acquire new business relationships and deepen existing ones
● Develop strategic partnerships that support Southland business ecosystem development, client pipeline growth, and increase existing and new client engagement
● Develop and design of programming to grow client pipeline and total number of client engagements
● Actively recruit clients to participate in programs (e.g., webinars, on-site events, cohort programs, etc.)
● Identify external resources, partners, consultants, organizations that can provide value to Southland businesses
Data management / Customer Relationship Management (CRM) work includes:
● Create and maintain client records in various reporting platforms – e.g., Salesforce, etc.
● Ensure records are accurate, comprehensive and up-to-date
● Respond to funder requests for data as requested
● Collect testimonials from clients and create monthly success stories demonstrating impact
● Develop and collect relevant surveys and report data
● Collect economic impact data throughout the year
Qualifications and Skills
● Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration, Finance, Marketing, or related field
● Minimum of 3-5 years working with small business owners in a consulting or advisory role (e.g., banking, sales, finance, marketing)
● Excellent communication skills
● Ability to work independently and on a team
● Strong commitment to serving underserved communities
● Ability to use digital tools like Salesforce, Canva, Google Business Suite
● Flexible to meet clients at their place of business when needed
● Ability to manage projects and see them through to completion
● Prior experience owning and/or operating a business is a plus
● Strong familiarity with the South Suburbs of Chicago is a plus
Job Type: 1099 Contractor (no benefits)
Location: Hybrid in Tinley Park, IL
Salary: $70,000.00-$75,000.00 commensurate with experience
Report to: Business Growth Services (BGS) Director
Salary : $70,000 - $75,000