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Job Summary
- Under general supervision of the Chief Executive Officer of the Don Ryan Center for Innovation (DRCI), the Business Engagement Manager plans, coordinates, and implements entrepreneurial programs and business engagement initiatives that support startups, small businesses, and innovation-driven economic development. This position serves as a primary liaison between DRCI and the business community, entrepreneurs, mentors, and strategic partners, ensuring effective program delivery and strong engagement across the regional innovation ecosystem.
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Essential Job Functions
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- Leads and supports innovators enrolled in DRCI STARTUP and GROWTH Programs through structured guidance and ongoing engagement.
- Assistsentrepreneurs with strategic planning, organizational development, hiring, and operational processes.
- Provides guidance and coaching related tofinancial management, budgeting, and resource planning.
- Coaches and advises business owners on marketing strategies, customer development, and business development activities.
- Works concurrently with multiple startup and growth-stage companies at varying stages of development to support business progress and scalability.
- Coordinates and manages DRCI entrepreneurial programs, workshops, cohorts, and related initiatives.
- Supports participating entrepreneurs and small businesses by connecting them with mentors, resources, and service providers.
- Assistswith program planning, scheduling,logistics, and on-site coordination at The HUB & COVE.
- Monitors program participation, outcomes, and performance metrics using CRM systems and reporting tools.
- Assistswith evaluation and continuous improvement of programs to align with DRCI’s strategicobjectives.
- Builds andmaintainseffective working relationships with entrepreneurs, startups, small businesses, mentors, investors, and ecosystem partners.
- Serves as a liaison between DRCI and public, private, nonprofit, and academic organizations supporting entrepreneurship and economic development.
- Actively recruits participants for DRCI programs and initiatives.
- RepresentsDRCI at meetings, events, and community functions as assigned.
- Assistswith planning and execution of networking events, workshops, pitch events, and educational sessions.
- Collaborates with leadership and marketing support to promote programs, events, and initiatives.
- Assistswith preparation of presentations, reports, and communications for stakeholders, partners, and funders.
- Provides program-related reports, data, and updates to DRCI leadership.
- Assistswith grant reporting, data collection, and compliance activities asrequired.
- Attends meetings andprovides staffsupport to boards, committees, or advisory groups when assigned.
- Performs other dutiesas assigned.
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Qualifications
- Education and Experience:
Bachelor’s degree in business, economics, communications, public administration, economic development, or a related field; and five (5) years of experience in program coordination, business engagement, economic development, entrepreneurship support, or related work. An equivalent combination of education, training, and experience may be considered.Preferred:Experience working with an innovation center, incubator, accelerator, chamber of commerce, or economic development organization.Experience coordinating workshops, events, or educational programs.Familiarity with startup ecosystems and mentor-based programming.Licenses or Certifications:
Valid South Carolina driver’s license.
Special Requirements:
Must pass a drug screen.Knowledge,Skillsand Abilities:
- Knowledge of Bluffton’s mission and goals.
- Knowledge of entrepreneurship, startups, and small business development.
- Knowledge of economic development principles and community-based programming.
- Skill in preparing and analyzing written or computer data.
- Skill in strong written and verbal communication, including public speaking and presentations.
- Skill in standard office software, databases, and CRM systems.
- Ability to plan, organize, and manage multiple programs and projects simultaneously.
- Ability toestablishand maintain effective working relationships with internal staff and external partners.
- Ability to collect, track, and report program data and performance metrics.
- Ability to work independently and collaboratively in a team environment.
- Ability to engendera positive and collaborative attitude.
- Ability to manage and coordinate multiple disparate projects, clients, timelines, and goals in a fast-paced environment.
- Ability toobservegeneral surroundings and activities.
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Physical Demands & Work Environment
- The work is sedentary work and requires exerting up to25pounds of force occasionally and negligible amount of force constantly to move objects. In addition, positions in this classification typically require balancing, climbing, crawling, crouching, feeling, grasping, handling, perceiving sounds at normal speaking levels, discriminating among sounds, kneeling, lifting, manual dexterity, mental acuity, pulling, pushing, reaching, repetitive motion, speaking, standing, stooping, expressing ideas by the spoken word, shouting to be heard above ambient noise, visual acuity to analyze data/work with color or depth perception/determine accuracy or observe facilities/operate motor vehicles or equipment/inspect defects or fabricate parts, and walking.
Duties are performed primarily ina moderately noisy business office with copy machines, telephones, and/or computer printers along with some light foot traffic.
- The Town of Bluffton has the right to revise this job description at any time. This
description does not represent in any way a contract of employment.
The Town of Bluffton commits to a policy of equal employment opportunity for applicants and employees, complying with local, state and federal laws. The Town’s policy is to employ qualified persons without discrimination regarding race, creed, color, religion, age, sex, country of national origin, marital status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, political affiliation, ethnicity, or status in any other group protected by federal/state/local law. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
