Director of the Stevens Center

Job Title:

Full or Part Time:

Hours:

Exempt:

Supervisory Org:

Job Description:

JOB SUMMARY:  The Director is the chief staff leader and working manager of the SCFB, responsible for the Center's performance, financial sustainability, member and sponsor relationships, membership and sponsorship growth, educational programming process, governance support, and day-to-day management. The role combines strategic leadership with hands-on execution in a lean two-person staff model. The Director manages the process for delivering relevant family-business education but is not expected to be the Center's primary subject-matter expert.

We may also consider part-time candidates, depending on experience, availability, qualifications, and business needs

ESSENTIAL DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Lead the Center's annual priorities, operating plan, staff work, and day-to-day management in alignment with the Executive Council and SVSU.
• Maintain focus on SCFB's core mission: member value, education, networking, membership and sponsorship sustainability, and responsible operations.
• Supervise the Program & Operations Coordinator and personally resolve issues requiring judgment, relationships, or organizational accountability.
• Serve as principal staff liaison to the Executive Council, its Chair, the Dean, and appropriate SVSU units; prepare agendas, reports, and recommendations and implement committee decisions.
• Be familiar with and adhere to all SVSU policies, procedures, systems, required trainings, and other university-wide mandates and expectations.
• Serve as the primary staff relationship manager for member companies and sponsor firms, with regular contact to understand needs, reinforce value, and identify retention risks.
• Lead member and sponsor retention, recruitment, referrals, prospect cultivation, and relationship-sensitive follow-up.
• Welcome new members and sponsors and monitor membership and sponsorship results, recommending changes in outreach, benefits, or pricing when warranted.
• Lead development of the annual educational program calendar with the Program Committee and other stakeholders; gather member input and identify relevant topics and speakers.
• Evaluate and recommend speakers and program formats, approve or negotiate major program commitments within budget and SVSU procedures, and ensure programs deliver strong educational and networking value.
• Serve as principal host and relationship lead at major events while the Coordinator manages event operations.
• Develop and manage the annual budget, revenue forecast, membership and sponsorship revenue, event costs, and overall financial sustainability.
• Provide regular financial and operating reports to the Executive Council and identify risks or corrective actions early.
• Use a concise performance dashboard focused on membership, retention, sponsorship, attendance, satisfaction, and budget performance; discontinue or limit activities that do not materially support SCFB priorities.
• Set direction for major member, sponsor, prospect, and event communications and ensure the website and routine communications remain accurate and useful.
• Represent SCFB in the regional business community and maintain appropriate relationships with chambers, economic-development organizations, professional associations, and other partners.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

SUPERVISION RECEIVED:

General supervision is received from Dean of the Carmona College of Business, with governance oversight by the SCFB Executive Council.

SUPERVISION EXERCISED:

Functional supervision is exercised over the Program & Operations Coordinator and temporary/student staff as assigned

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor's degree in an appropriate discipline.
• Demonstrated experience in organizational leadership, association/nonprofit management, membership or business development, community relations, university outreach, or a comparable relationship-intensive environment.
• Demonstrated ability to build relationships with business owners, senior leaders, volunteers, community partners, and institutional stakeholders.
• Experience managing budgets, projects, priorities, and multiple deadlines.
• Excellent leadership, communication, judgment, problem-solving, customer-service, and follow-through skills.
• Ability to work effectively as a hands-on manager in a small-staff environment and to learn CRM, email, registration, survey, and university systems.
• Ability to work a flexible schedule, including occasional early-morning or evening events.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite and ability to learn new software quickly.
• Experience and ability to positively interact with all members of the campus community
• Ability to perform the essential duties of the position with or without accommodations.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Experience leading a membership-based association, nonprofit, chamber, economic-development organization, university outreach unit, professional society, or similar organization.
• Successful record of member, client, donor, sponsor, or business-development retention and growth.
• Experience working with volunteer boards or executive committees.
• Familiarity with the Great Lakes Bay Region/Mid-Michigan business community and family-owned business issues; deep family-business expertise is not required at entry.

WORKING ENVIRONMENT & EMPLOYMENT CONDITIONS:

• Duties are generally performed in office, meeting, and event settings; some local travel and schedule flexibility may be required.
• The work schedule may vary, depending on Center operations demands.  For example, events and meetings often require working outside of SVSU's typical 8 am to 4:30 pm workday.
• All work associated with this role must be performed within the state of Michigan.

Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States at the time of hire and throughout their employment. The university does not provide employment visa sponsorship now or in the future for this job classification.  Since SVSU does not participate in E-Verify, candidates for employment are not eligible for STEM OPT extensions.

The above reflects the general details considered necessary to describe the essential functions of the job. It shall not be construed as an exhaustive statement of duties, responsibilities, or requirements that may be inherent in the job.  It is not intended to limit or in any way modify the right of any supervisor to assign, direct, and control the work of employees under his/her supervision.  The use of a particular expression or illustration describing duties shall not be held to exclude other duties not mentioned that are of similar kind or level of difficulty.

About SVSU:

Saginaw Valley State University is a comprehensive university with more than 100 programs of study for its roughly 7,000 students. Located on a suburban campus in Michigan’s Great Lakes Bay Region, SVSU is committed to a supportive and empowering environment for students, faculty and staff. SVSU was recognized as a “Great College to Work For” for 9 consecutive years (2016-2024).

SVSU emphasizes undergraduate teaching and learning, and community-based research. SVSU earned the Community Engagement classification from the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, a distinction achieved by only 7 percent of U.S. colleges and universities. By their senior year, 84 percent of students have engaged with community employers and agencies in internships, field placements or some other component of their academic preparation.

SVSU is establishing itself as a leader in STEAM education for the Great Lakes Bay Region, partnering with businesses, foundations and school districts to improve students’ performance in math, science and the arts at the middle school, high school and university levels.  SVSU is constructing the first university research facility on Lake Huron to improve public health and the economy in the Saginaw Bay watershed.
 
More than 70 percent of SVSU freshmen live on campus in student housing that has been rated No. 1 among public universities in the U.S. (2018-2025). SVSU fields 20 varsity sports at the NCAA Division II level. The average class size is 23 students. For more information, please visit our website, http://www.svsu.edu.