Business Consultant

Position: Business Consultant

Supervisor: Senior Business Consultant

FLSA Status: Permanent, Full Time Exempt

Location:70% Virtual Office 30% In-person/on-site (Meetings with team and clients will be required based on business needs)

*Must be in Twin Cities area*

Department: Business Consulting

Salary: $70,000 – $75,000 per year

Organization Summary:

WomenVenture is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with a mission to empower women to achieve their economic goals by building profitable and sustainable businesses that transform communities. We execute on this mission through providing clients access to business capital, coaching, and community. Our core values are to make meaningful change, to engage with empathy, and to persist boldly, and we seek out candidates who exemplify these characteristics.

Position Summary:

The Business Consultant is a core member of WomenVenture’s business consulting & technical assistance (TA) function and provides high-quality, one-on-one TA to startup and established small business owners. This role helps clients become lender-ready, successfully access capital, and remain financially strong after funding. The Business Consultant supports clients before, during, and after the lending process and works in close partnership with the Lending Team. This position does not underwrite loans or make lending decisions. Instead, the Business Consultant focuses on client preparation, education, and post-loan support to ensure an equitable and positive lending experience. Candidates with experience serving as both a business lender and a technical assistance provider are strongly encouraged to apply.

As a CDFI serving underserved communities, this role requires strong cultural competency, excellent customer service, and the ability to provide effective TA to clients across diverse cultures, ages, genders, geographies, and levels of financial knowledge.

WomenVenture serves clients across Minnesota, western Wisconsin, and parts of North Dakota. This role involves frequent virtual client consultations and occasional travel outside the metro area.

Core Duties:

One-on-One Technical Assistance (Primary Function)

• Provide individualized consulting focused on financial health, capital readiness, and long-term business sustainability.
• Manage a portfolio of clients at varying stages of business and capital readiness.
• Conduct financial and operational assessments and develop clear, actionable improvement plans.
• Deliver TA virtually or in person based on client needs.
• Provide trauma-informed, trust-based TA with a strong emphasis on excellent customer service and communication.
• Refer clients to appropriate internal programs and external partners (bookkeeping, legal, insurance, marketing, procurement, etc.) and coordinate warm handoffs as needed.

Capital Readiness & Lending Support (Non-Underwriting)

• Prepare clients for capital applications by strengthening financial statements, projections, business plans, and documentation.
• Translate lending and underwriting requirements into clear, client-friendly guidance.
• Identify readiness gaps and coach clients toward improvement.
• Work in direct partnership with the Lending Team to support smooth client handoffs and alignment.
• Maintain clear boundaries between client advocacy and lending decisions.

Post-Loan Support

• Provide continued TA to funded clients to support loan compliance, cash flow management, debt servicing, and effective use of capital.
• Help clients understand financial signals and proactively address challenges.
• Support clients whose loans are delinquent to help get them back on track.

Collaboration & Organizational Support

• Collaborate closely with Lending, Training, and other teams to align client support and improve outcomes.
• Provide feedback to improve client experience, consulting processes, and lending workflows.
• Attend and contribute to department, program, and all-staff meetings.
• Support WomenVenture initiatives and organizational priorities as needed.

Training & Program Support

• Support workshops, cohort courses, and training programs by contributing subject-matter expertise or facilitation support.
• This role supports—rather than leads—program and training design.

Grant, Data & Administrative Responsibilities

• Fulfill grant and contract requirements related to business consulting services.
• Track client engagement, outcomes, and consulting hours.
• Contribute to grant reporting, evaluation, and compliance.
• Maintain accurate client records and documentation.

Other duties, tasks, and responsibilities that may be assigned at any time

Confidentiality

This position requires access to confidential client financial information. Strict confidentiality must be maintained. Completion of SBA Form 1081 is required.

Required Skills & Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree in business, finance, or equivalent experience.
• 2+ years of experience providing one-on-one technical assistance, business consulting, or financial coaching to small business owners.
• Background in business finance and small business lending/credit analysis (or underwriting-adjacent roles), including strong experience analyzing P&L statements, cash flow, and balance sheets.
• Ability to manage multiple clients, priorities, and timelines.
• Strong collaboration skills, especially working closely with lending staff.
• Ability to explain complex financial concepts clearly and accessibly, with proficiency in QuickBooks Online and related small business financial tools.
• High level of commitment to issues of gender equality and the social mission of the agency.
• Excellent customer service skills and cultural competencies and ability to collaborate across diverse perspectives, ideas, and people with diverse backgrounds.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite, with the ability to learn and adapt to proprietary industry software products.

Preferred Skills & Experience:

• 4+ years of experience working in small business finance, lending, technical assistance, or a CDFI or other mission-driven lending or economic development organization.
• Direct business lending experience, such as serving as a loan officer, credit analyst, or in a lending-adjacent role.
• Experience combining business lending and technical assistance, such as providing one-on-one TA while working in a loan officer, portfolio management, or pre /post loan support role.
• Experience supporting underserved or historically excluded entrepreneurs.
• Experience supporting training programs, workshops, or cohort-based learning.
• Bilingual or multilingual.

Application Procedure

Interested candidates should submit their applications using the link provided and will be contacted via email for next steps.

Benefits

WomenVenture takes great pride in providing exceptional benefits to our staff. Employees are eligible for 18 paid holidays and 18 PTO days starting their first year. The WomenVenture office is also closed annually between the holidays of Christmas Day and New Years Day. Staff have this paid time off work and it is not counted towards staff’s PTO. WomenVenture offers medical, dental, vision, short term disability, long term disability, and life insurance. WomenVenture offers a paid paternity leave, health savings account, flexible spending account, pre-tax transportation, and an employee assistance program. Employees can also participate in a retirement plan with an employer match.

Work Environment/Physical Demands

While performing the duties of this position, the employee is frequently required to sit for extended periods and may be required to stand for an extended period. The employee may occasionally move items weighing up to 25 pounds. Reasonable accommodation will be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the position.

This position description is intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by people assigned to this position. It is not intended to be an entire list of all activities, tasks, and skills required of people in the position.

WomenVenture is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.