Associate Director, Small Business and Corporate Education

Overview

The salary range for this position is $6,833.33 - $7,500.00 per month depending upon qualifications and is non-negotiable.

Established in 1943, the mission of the SDSU Research Foundation (SDSURF) is to support the research objectives of San Diego State University by helping faculty and staff find, obtain, and administer funding for their research and sponsored programs. SDSU achieved its strategic plan goal of becoming an R1, premier public research university in early 2025, furthering discoveries, interventions, and solutions that improve communities and change the world. SDSURF provides the full life cycle of grant services to faculty and staff to further their important work.

Our vision is to foster a culture of creativity and collaboration with integrity and respect for individuals that results in the delivery of superior service to support the university’s
strategic aspirations.

Our core values

Service

We are a service organization that strives to provide superior support to the university community to achieve SDSU’s goals; we are committed to being professionally competent by setting high standards and working hard to achieve results; and we continually seek to improve our skills and capabilities by valuing education and professional development.

Collaboration

We seek to actively engage with our stakeholders and employees to identify issues and design solutions, build strong relationships grounded in trust, openness, and inclusion, and achieve the best results by taking pride in the accomplishments of our colleagues.

Innovation

We work towards inspired solutions to improve and adapt to emerging opportunities and challenges, creative ways to streamline and enhance our delivery of services through resourceful and proactive problem solving and strategic use of technology and reduction of obstacles.

Respect

We promote a culture where every individual is valued and treated with dignity; we honor open-mindedness toward different viewpoints and ideas and have a genuine appreciation for varied backgrounds, experiences, and ways of thinking.

Integrity

We are committed to act with the highest ethical standards, with honesty, integrity, and transparency, provide consistent and accurate information and value and respect all individuals.

FUNCTION OF THE UNIT

San Diego State University Career Services is an award-winning, outcomes-focused career center known for innovation, strategic partnerships, and a forward-thinking approach to success and achievement. Operating at the intersection of higher education, business, industry, and economic mobility, Career Services leads public and privately affiliated programs that support professionals, business owners, and employers across the region.

Through its Small Business Development Center (SBDC) initiatives, SDSU supports aspiring business owners, pre-venture concepts, start-ups, and established businesses from formation through growth, sustainability, and expansion. The program emphasizes measurable outcomes, including business formation, revenue growth, access to capital, job creation, and contracting opportunities.

Through advising, technical assistance, training, data-informed strategies, and regional partnerships, SDSU helps businesses overcome barriers, pursue opportunities, and contribute to economic competitiveness, innovation, and opportunity throughout San Diego and Imperial Counties.

PURPOSE OF THE POSITION

The Associate Director, Small Business & Corporate Education provides strategic and operational leadership for SDSU’s Small Business Development Center (SBDC), corporate education initiatives, and related business programs. Reporting to the Executive Director of SDSU Career Services, the position oversees business advising, technical assistance, education, training, referrals, program delivery, and outcome tracking while ensuring performance against contractual and funding requirements.

The Associate Director develops cross-organizational partnerships, referral protocols, service standards, shared programming, and performance systems to meet small business needs. The position works closely with SDSU Career Services, ZIP Launchpad, Technology Transfer Center, Global Campus, Academic Affairs, the SBDC lead center, sister centers, and other partners to connect businesses with appropriate university and community resources.

Key SBDC focus areas include supporting innovative businesses, advancing job creation, and strengthening support for student-led businesses and student entrepreneurship. The Associate Director is accountable for program quality, compliance, partnerships, and measurable outcomes such as business formation, revenue growth, access to capital, contracting activity, and job creation.

The Associate Director will help establish SDSU as an active partner within the SBDC network serving San Diego and Imperial Counties, identify opportunities to expand the university’s presence, pursue new business development and grant funding opportunities, and align existing and emerging initiatives with university goals and priorities. Through campus and community partnerships, this work will strengthen entrepreneurial career pathways and create new opportunities for education, business growth, workforce development, and economic mobility.

Responsibilities

SPECIFIC DUTIES

• Program Development and Service Coordination: 30%
• Design, launch, maintain, and continually improve service models, including intake, needs assessment, referral, service planning, advising workflows, training calendars, and service pathways, ensuring programming aligns with Lead SBDC Center priorities, SBDC network requirements, and SDSU goals and priorities.
• Develop and maintain the operating infrastructure for programming, including scheduling systems, documentation practices, marketing and communications, and mobile or community-based service delivery across San Diego and Imperial Counties.
• Integrate technology, digital tools, and emerging technologies into service delivery, outreach, and engagement strategies to continuously connect with the business community, expand access to resources, and improve the effectiveness and scalability of programming.
• Coordinate program development with relevant SDSU units and external partners to ensure services support institutional priorities, small business needs, student and alumni opportunities, and entrepreneurial career pathways.
• Document policies, procedures, curriculum, service standards, and tracking tools to promote consistency, compliance, continuity, and sustained institutional knowledge.
• Training, Advising and Corporate Education: 25%
• Provide direct, individualized business advising to SBDC clients, helping pre-venture and established businesses assess needs, address challenges, identify opportunities, and develop strategies that support business formation, growth, sustainability, and measurable economic outcomes.
• Develop and deliver workshops, seminars, training programs, and other educational offerings responsive to small business needs, SBDC priorities, emerging industry trends, and areas of professional expertise.
• Coordinate advising and training activities across consultants, subject-matter experts, campus partners, and external professionals to ensure clients receive relevant, high-quality technical assistance and education.
• Serve as a coordinator for corporate education activities, working with Global Campus, Academic Affairs, Career Services, and other SDSU units to connect businesses and professionals with existing university programs, certificates, training, and continuing education opportunities.
• Identify opportunities to develop or expand business-facing services based on employer needs, market trends, emerging technologies, workforce priorities, and opportunities to strengthen entrepreneurial career pathways.
• Consultant Network Leadership and Management: 15%
• Assess consultant and subject-matter expertise needs across t