Careers

Job Title:  Manager, Programs
Reports to:  Chamber President & CEO
FLSA Status:  Exempt
Approval Date:  July 2021

Oversees educational programming for the McLean County Chamber of Commerce membership; coordinates Resource Groups, the Ag Council Committee, and Chamber Divisions including Bloomington Normal Young Professional (BNYP) and Leadership McLean County (LMC).   

This position also helps support networking programming and featured events.  Responsibilities include program administration, planning, creation, coordination, and implementation/ execution as well as committee / division / subsidiary volunteer / board participation.  Additionally, assists with marketing, communications, and budget oversight that are critical to ensure program success through membership and community participation, sponsors satisfaction, and achieving financial goals.

The Programs Manager is an external facing position that calls for the comfortability with speaking in front of large and small groups and interacting regularly with individual members of the Chamber and community at large.

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Plan, coordinate, administer, and review all monthly educational programming (Member Eds and Town Halls) for the Chamber, as well as other assigned programs.
• Oversee, coordinate, and support the two following Chamber Divisions:
  • Bloomington Normal Young Professionals (BNYP)
  • Leadership McLean County (LMC)
• Coordinate and support the following Resource Groups and Membership Committees:
  • Small Business Roundtable (SBRT) – Resource Group
  • Solopreneurs – Resource Group
  • Manufacturers Council – Resource Group
  • Agri-Business Council – Membership Committee
• Support networking programming of the Chamber such as:
  • Business Before Hours
  • Business After Hours
  • PIVOT
  • Power Hour Lunches
• Produce plans, timelines, and budgets for all assigned programs, as well as other assigned events.
• Use and understand Chamber Master, the Chamber’s database management platform, for program registration and data collection related to each event/program and finances.
• Develop, retain, and pro-actively recruit volunteers by maintaining and sharing an up-to-date volunteer job description for event related committees.
• Manage all aspect of the divisions, resource groups, membership committees and subsidiaries assigned including communication, meetings set-up, meeting agendas, meeting minutes and other correspondence.
• Work directly with the Event Services Manager related to Ag Awareness Breakfast and Ag Awards Dinner overseen by the Agri-Business Council.
• Assist other team members with event/program logistics as necessary.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES

•  Oversee Committee / Division / Subsidiary Volunteers

EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS

• Bachelor’s degree and/or 4 years of equivalent related experience in relevant field (i.e.: business administration, human resources, marketing, education/training or another related field).
• Experience with managing leadership programs and/ or educational programming including coordination and execution.
• Experience with volunteer management and oversight.
• Experience with program budgeting and meeting financial goals for programs.
• Experience in strategic planning and implementation 

SKILLS & KNOWLEDGE REQUIRED

• Proficient in networking and customer service.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite.
• Ability to work independently and in a team environment.
• Ability to problem solve and take initiative.
• Proficient with time management and juggling multiple competing priorities.
• Strong organizational skills and detail oriented.
• Exhibit sound judgment and display willingness to make decisions.
• Possess unquestioned integrity and ethical standard.
• Display contagious energy with a positive attitude.
• Basic understanding of the budgeting concepts and fiscal oversight.
• Demonstrated ability to lead a complex initiative (requiring knowledge of management principles and practices, volunteer management, public sector operations and fiscal management).
• Proven experience in the development of successful partnerships.
• Demonstrated public relations skills and political acumen, and ability to synthesize input from a diverse variety of interests into a coherent strategic agenda.
• Strong oral and written communication skills.Able to work with internal and external contacts at all levels.

EXPECTATIONS

• Follow and exude the McLean County Chamber of Commerce Core Values.
• Understand and abide by the Chamber’s Policy Manual and Standard Operating Procedures.
• Professional/business dress is required to represent the Chamber to its members and community members in a professional manner.
• Maintain a neat and orderly workspace and common office areas.
• Maintain a working knowledge of all Chamber programs, committees, and services.
• Understand the value of membership/investment and can clearly articulate it.
• Assist with membership recruitment, engagement, and retention (as a Chamber employee.)
• Attend and assist at assigned Chamber events as needed and effectively network to encourage member conversations and retention.
• Participate actively in staff meetings, planning sessions and retreats.
• Participate actively in teambuilding events, offsite visits, civic engagement, and staff socials. 

COMMUNICATION

• Possess excellent communication skills, including verbal, written and interpersonal.
• Understand and utilize the Chamber’s style guide for all oral and written internal and external communication.
• Review regularly Chamber social media and sponsored websites for updates and accuracy.
• Follow the Chamber actively on social media.
• Maintain a current LinkedIn Account to be used on the “staff” page of the website.
• Communicate consistently and exchange information with team members, effectively and with correct information.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS & WORK ENVIRONMENT

Physical Demands:    

• While performing the duties of this job, the employee must be able to remain in a stationary position for extended periods of time and be able to move about inside the office to access office equipment/storage.  
• Operate a computer/PC and other office productivity equipment, such as a calculator, copy machine, printers and must have the ability to use hands to handle, control or feel objects or controls and reach with hands and arms.
• Able to lift to 10 pounds and occasionally move objects up to 40 pounds.
• Occasionally climb stairs, bend, squat, kneel, crouch, and reach above shoulders to access materials and/or documentation.
• Specific vision abilities required by the job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus to compare and distinguish accounting and administrative data.
• Hearing ability to perceive the nature of sounds at a normal speaking level with or without correction.  Ability to receive detailed information through oral communication and to make discriminations in sound.

Work Environment: 

• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly working in a typical interior/office work environment.
• This position involves extended work hours including early morning and evening meetings/events.
• The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.

TRAVEL

This position requires day travel within Bloomington/Normal and McLean County. May require travel which could include overnight stays. Must possess and maintain a valid driver’s license with access to reliable transportation.

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