Program Manager

Are you a builder? Come join us!

Builders Avenue creates resources for builders as a community, giving them the confidence to achieve meaningful progress.

We see our board, team, funders, community partners and the clients we serve as co-builders with us. Our work is inspired by all builders!

To the builders;

Your passion to create a better future cannot be ignored,

Where the world sees obstacles, you see potential,

You are creating hope and opportunity for your community,

You are building a better future for yourself and your family,

We see you, we hear you, and we are here to build with you.

Builders Avenue

Builders Avenue aspires to reduce the racial wealth gap by helping BIPOC construction firms develop the financial health of their business through intensive one-on-one coaching and back office support. Builders Avenue meets BIPOC builders where they are by providing highly customized and personalized services through intentional listening in safe spaces. We uniquely understand their challenges because we are builders, too.

We have created a marketplace where we match contractors and service providers of color based on extensive assessment. We offer accounting, bookkeeping and estimation services to BIPOC construction firms, developing their financial health and confidence to better plan, manage, and fund their growth through intensive one-on-one training and implementation of best practices.

Builders Avenue is amidst an exciting phase of organizational development, recognized as a sector leader with innovative programming focused on strengthening the financial health of diverse construction businesses. In this phase, we seek to build our Program team to continue delivering impactful support to participating entrepreneurs while serving a growing community. Our strategy is shifting toward creating the next generation of back office talent by training entry-level staff of the businesses we serve, and developing community-owned assets that sustainably foster community wealth.

Gain experience working at a mission-driven, nimble organization as it transitions from start-up to sustainability phase. Take on significant responsibility and autonomy for key expertise areas, shaping the vision and development of our enterprise. Participate in the collective effort among community stakeholders, including local nonprofits, business owners, and government agencies to develop an inclusive economy for Chicago.

The Position

The Program Manager will report to the Chief Operating Officer (COO) and work in close collaboration with our Chief Strategy and Development Officer and external partners including community nonprofits, philanthropic partners, and our service providers.

Approximately 80% of the Program Manager’s time and effort will be spent on day-to-day delivery of Builders Avenue core programming, working directly with participating construction entrepreneurs to understand their business goals and challenges, co-creating personalized action plans to overcome barriers, and coordinating with our network of professional service providers (e.g., BIPOC accountants, estimators, and other subject matter experts) to deliver one-on-one training, mentorship, and support to implement a holistic set of business best practices. Developing working relationships with each participant over a number of months, the Program Manager will serve as relationship manager, helping participants navigate the resources available through Builders Avenue and our partners, ensuring follow-ups by all parties, encouraging participants to stay engaged, enabling them to better plan, manage and fund their growth.

The remaining 20% of the Program Manager’s time and effort will be in a strategic capacity, advising Builders Avenue in the evolution of our model, including client journey design, service offerings and methods of impact measurement. The Program Manager will assist with regular reporting of deliverables and impact to internal and external stakeholders, including the Builders Avenue staff, Board of Directors, and philanthropic partners.

Key Duties to include:

• • Recruitment of diverse construction entrepreneurs, including attending community workshops and info sessions, to present high-level introduction of the program.
  • Assessment through discovery conversations with prospective program participants to understand their needs and determine fit for the program.
  • Intake and onboarding of admitted participants, including in-depth conversations about their business goals and barriers, explain program benefits, and encourage next steps.
  • Conduct Financial Health Assessment for participants exploring root causes of business instability. Co-create custom action plans to address barriers for business growth.
  • Coordinate schedules, introductions and training sessions between individual participants and service providers such as accountants and construction cost estimators.
  • Meet with participants and service providers one-on-one to collect feedback.
  • Support recruitment, training and managing of back office associates. Associates will be supporting participating businesses in entry-level tasks.
  • Work with partners to co-design workshop programming to offer holistic support for contractors.
  • Coordinate in-house trainings for contractors and back office staff/associates including, but not limited to, project management and financial systems for construction business owners.
  • Collect output and outcome data, including hours of instruction, action items completed, growth in economic indicators and improvements in Financial Health.
  • Collaborate with Builders Avenue team and partners to create success story materials for social media, impact reporting, and uplifting of participants.
  • Work with the Builders Avenue team to reflect on program and design improvements.
  • Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

An ideal candidate will have some or all of the following experiences:

• • Embrace a “Servant Leadership” style, focused on deep listening to client needs and seek to create solutions that empower the client toward long-term growth. Experience may be demonstrated through social services, nonprofits or traditional customer service/sales roles.
  • Eager to work at a small, nimble organization, comfort with ambiguity, rapid change and evolving roles.
  • An ability to work independently while collaborating with a remote team and a wide variety of partners and stakeholders across diverse functions.
  • 5+ years experience supporting underserved entrepreneurs through a nonprofit, business support organization, economic development or community organization.
  • Familiarity with construction, real estate development, or contract procurement.
  • Familiarity with entrepreneurial and business concepts such as business planning, financial management, small business lending.
  • Familiarity with the landscape of Chicago neighborhoods, business support organizations and resources available to entrepreneurs.

Values

As important as the qualifications listed above, we seek team members who embrace our identity as “builders” (entrepreneurial, risk-taking, focused on outcomes) and share our organization’s core values:

• • Representation: We aspire to represent the community we serve through our board, executive leadership, partnerships and staff.
  • Boldness: We are not scared to be the first and/or the new. We lead with bold transparency in our work.
  • Ownership: We believe sustained impact is created through a culture of ownership across all stakeholders.
  • Empathy over Scale: We emphasize the “how” over “how many.” We create a client experience rooted in empathy.
  • Learn and grow: We regularly pause and reflect. We convert setbacks into opportunities to learn and grow.

Commitment: This is a full-time position based in Chicago, Illinois. This is a hybrid role; the vast majority of work can be performed remotely, with 1-3 in-person meetings or events throughout Chicagoland expected in a typical month.

Pay and Benefits

Salary based on experience and ability to take on increasing levels of responsibility, with opportunities for advancement. We offer health insurance and employer-matched Simple IRA retirement benefits for full time employees.

We offer health insurance and employer-matched Simple IRA retirement benefits for full time employees.