The Center on Finance, Law & Policy (CFLP) at the University of Michigan is an interdisciplinary research center that draws together faculty, staff, and students from several U-M schools and colleges to work on a broad range of research projects focused on creating a financial system that is safer, fairer, and better harnessed to the real economy. We are looking for an accomplished community builder to serve as the program manager for our largest program, the Detroit Neighborhood Entrepreneurs Project (DNEP). You will help match businesses with engaged learning courses and programs at the University, serve on the leadership team for our Summer Internship program and our Community Tech Worker program with Jefferson East, Inc., and participate in fundraising activities, including grant reporting.

The Detroit Neighborhood Entrepreneurs Project (DNEP) is a six year old initiative that links local Detroit business owners with faculty, staff, and students from the Law School, the Ross School of Business, the Stamps School of Art & Design, the Ford School of Public Policy, the School of Information, and the College of Engineering to teach students and to help business’ overcome their financial, legal, design, operational, marketing, and technological challenges. You will be based at the U-M Detroit Center, but will work from Jefferson East, Inc.’s Resource Hub once per week. You will travel to CFLP’s office at the Ford School of Public Policy on the Ann Arbor campus approximately once per week during the academic year and four times per week during the 10 week summer internship program. You will report to the Center on Finance, Law & Policy’s assistant director at the Ford School of Public Policy, but will also take direction from core DNEP faculty who provide strategic oversight of the program.

Why Work at Michigan?

In addition to a career filled with purpose and opportunity, The University of Michigan offers a comprehensive benefits package to help you stay well, protect yourself and your family and plan for a secure future. Benefits include:

• Generous time off

• A retirement plan that provides two-for-one matching contributions with immediate vesting

• Many choices for comprehensive health insurance

• Life insurance

• Long-term disability coverage

• Flexible spending accounts for healthcare and dependent care expenses

• Paid parental leave

Responsibilities*

• Cultivate authentic and mutually beneficial partnerships with Detroit small business owners, business service organizations, community development financial institutions (CDFIs), city and state officials, and U-M faculty and staff to support DNEP’s dual mandate of providing meaningful learning experiences for U-M students and holistic services to Detroit business owners.

• Facilitate and place 100+ projects per year with DNEP faculty who teach engaged learning courses. This involves recruiting referrals from our Detroit partners, interviewing hundreds of small business owners each year, and shepherding entrepreneurs to the courses that best suit their needs and faculty’s learning goals for students, or referring them to other resources where appropriate.

• Manage administrative activities associated with DNEP courses by, among other things, making presentations to U-M students about DNEP and Detroit’s entrepreneurship ecosystem, coordinating DEI activities, and scheduling meetings and coordinating programmatic needs between DNEP faculty, students, and staff.

• Have primary responsibility for tracking business owners’ key performance indicators, and ensuring grant reporting deadlines and project milestones.

• Strategize with leaders in Detroit’s small business support ecosystem on the best ways to modify existing programming, coordinate services, and/or create new opportunities to support economic development in Detroit neighborhoods.

• Mentor students and provide key administrative and programmatic support for our summer internship program.

• Assist the CFLP assistant director and CFLP faculty directors with grant writing and other fundraising tasks.

• Represent DNEP at public functions, workshops, and other events.

Required Qualifications*

• Bachelor’s degree or an equivalent combination of education and experience and a comprehensive understanding of entrepreneurship and the obstacles facing minority entrepreneurs (preferably in Detroit).

• 3+ years of experience in a position focused on supporting small businesses, or as the manager or owner of a small business.

• Detailed knowledge of Detroit neighborhoods, with experience working in the City of Detroit.

• Experience independently managing multiple projects, working with diverse constituencies, and coordinating across multidisciplinary stakeholders.

• Strong written and verbal communication skills; a persuasive and passionate communicator with excellent interpersonal and multidisciplinary project skills.

• Familiarity and experience working with Excel.