Business Development Officer

_On behalf of Sarnia-Lambton Business Development Corporation (SLBDC), The WorkPlace is recruiting for a_ **Business Development Officer**_

**About Community Futures Lambton**

The Sarnia-Lambton Business Development Corporation, operating as Community Futures Lambton, is a member of the Community Futures network of offices in Canada. Community Futures Lambton is an independent, non-profit organization consisting of volunteers and staff who are committed to fostering business and economic development as well as sustainable employment within the Lambton county community.

The focus of Community Futures Lambton is to build economic and entrepreneurial capacity through a service offering menu that includes:

- The provision of business loans to new and existing businesses of up to $300,000 as well as access to other complementary financing (Southern Ontario Fund for Investment and Innovation (SOFII);
- The offer of business coaching, counselling and mentoring services to businesses at all points in their lifecycle and to refer them to appropriate community professionals where and as appropriate;
- The leadership and support of community economic development (CED) projects and activities.

Community Futures Lambton is funded by the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev). Funding is provisional upon the achievement of specific annual Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) that are articulated as part of a Contribution Agreement between Fed Dev and our office. Since 1988, Community Futures Lambton has written nearly 900 loans in support of Lambton County businesses totalling nearly $50 million. Through this support, Community Futures Lambton has enabled borrowers to leverage an additional $70 million from other sources. As a result, more than 10,000 jobs have been created to date in Lambton County. To date, Community Futures Lambton has a portfolio of just over $8 million in loans currently out in the local community with a little over $3 million available to lend. Community Futures Lambton is led and governed by a 9-member volunteer Board of Directors consisting of entrepreneurs and professionals from the Lambton County business community. It is staffed by four (4) highly qualified and professional employees. The entire Community Futures Lambton team has a passion for business and community development.
- If you are passionate about talking to, working with, and facilitating the success of entrepreneurs of every sort, we urge you to read on. We are looking for a perennially positive, highly motivated individual who derives a great deal of satisfaction from facilitating the success of others. This individual will be a stellar communicator with a proven track record of success working intuitively as both a team player and a team builder but will also thrive on taking ownership of a project and working independently to achieve agreed goals for it. We are a small, hard-working team whose members thrive on creative thinking and innovative problem-solving_

**Qualifications**
- **Primary**:_
- Post-secondary degree/diploma in business, commerce, finance or the equivalent is preferred
- Three to five years’ experience providing business advice and/or business counselling or the equivalent
- Practical knowledge of the needs of businesses, the services available to them locally, and legislation affecting them
- The proven ability to time manage and prioritize tasks effectively
- High degree of written and financial literacy complemented by exceptional verbal and written communication skills and extraordinary attention to detail
- Ability to convey complex information, ideas and direction to audiences with varying degrees of business experience
- Experience and a high degree of confidence in public speaking and in-person networking in business settings.
- High functioning in situations which call for in-the-moment critical thinking and problem solving
- Demonstrable experience in cultivating referrals and in marketing products/service in a performance-based environment an asset
- Service driven with a passion for working with, supporting and developing people
- Holder of a valid drivers’ license with daily access to a reliable vehicle and the ability to work flexible hours if/as required.
- **Secondary**_
- General accounting and financial knowledge with three to five years’ experience in business loan portfolio management or the equivalent would be a significant asset
- Practical knowledge with regard to reading/understanding basic financial documents (Financial Statements, Balance Sheets, Cashflow Statements and the like) would also be a valuable asset

**Key Accountabilities**
- The incumbent to this position will work closely with the Business Loan Officer in support of Community Futures Lambton clients. While the primary responsibilities of this position are focused on business coaching, counselling and mentoring services, there is an expectation that the incumbent is sufficiently convers