APEX Counselor and Trainer – Mid State

Position Summary

The APEX Counselor/Trainer is a staff member of EMDC’s Maine APEX Accelerator, connecting businesses to government agencies and other government contractors. This position will provide counseling, training, and technical assistance to clients, advising them how to identify potential contracting opportunities and obtain contracts with federal agencies, state, and local governments, as well as large prime government contractors.

This is a position for high energy, self-starters that genuinely enjoy teaching and working with people and businesses. It does not require experience in government contracting. It does require a sharp mind, a willingness to learn new things and a strong desire to help others. We train and advise businesses and help them to grow and succeed in the government marketplace.

Specific responsibilities include one-on-one counseling and training tailored to business client’s individual needs. This position requires strong client counseling skills and the ability to build professional relationships. While experience in the government contracting marketplace is highly valued, we welcome candidates with experience working with small business clients in a legal, financial, or educational setting who possess a strong interest and aptitude for learning government contracting regulations and procedures and then teaching them to business clients. You must genuinely enjoy talking with and helping people to be successful in this role.

Essential Functions

• Build relationships with businesses and guide them through the process of finding, bidding, and performing on government contracts and subcontracts and assessing their capacity/suitability for government contracting through individualized counseling and ongoing communication
• Assist business with: government registrations and certifications related to selling to the government; interpretation of regulations; finding opportunities; marketing to government buyers; proposal development; post-award activities and more
• Develop and deliver presentations, workshops and webinars on specific topics of interest in government procurement
• Develop and maintain relationships with federal, state, and local government agencies and prime contractors, as well as with other business resource providers throughout the region
• Research and keep up to date on relevant contracting opportunities, process or regulatory changes, procurement systems, and multiple award schedules as required
• Keep detailed and accurate records of counseling activities and client progress
• Conduct professional activities in accordance with the highest standards of ethics and integrity and avoid any real or perceived conflicts of interest
• Attend area and regional business functions put on by Chambers of Commerce, professional associations, and other organizations to promote and increase awareness of EMDC and Maine APEX services
• Other duties as assigned

Job Requirements

This person must demonstrate professionalism, have high energy, be enthusiastic, be highly motivated, value teamwork, have the ability to self-manage, and have problem-solving skills.

Core Competencies

• Training/Instruction: Conducts training or provides guidance in a one-on-one setting in person, via phone, or virtually and able to develop and facilitate training webinars or in-person workshops to small groups.
• Customer Focus: Builds customer confidence, is committed to increasing customer satisfaction, sets achievable customer expectations, assumes responsibility for solving customer problems, ensures commitments to customers are met, solicits opinions and ideas from customers, responds to internal customers.
• Planning: Develops realistic plans, sets goals, aligns plans with company goals, plans for and manages resources, creates contingency plans, coordinates events, cooperates with others.
• Teamwork: Meets all team deadlines and responsibilities, schedules appointments, listens to others and values opinions, helps team leader to meet goals, welcomes newcomers and promotes a team atmosphere.
• Communication: Communicates well both verbally and in writing, creates accurate and punctual reports, delivers presentations, shares information and ideas with others, has good listening skills.
• Computer skills: Skilled in the use of computers and online communications, adapts to new technology, learns new programs quickly, uses computers to improve productivity.

Education/Experience

Bachelor’s degree (any discipline) and two years or more of training or advising individuals/businesses or experience working with small business clients in a legal, financial, or educational setting. This is a training and counseling position so those skills will be weighed heavily. One year of experience as an APEX Counselor may be substituted for the general business counseling experience.

Preferred but not required: Three years or more of Federal government contracting or training experience, either within government, private industry, or an APEX Accelerator.

Working Conditions

General business hours are 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday, though exempt positions will typically require work to be performed outside general business hours. This is a hybrid position in which the employee will work from a remote home office as well as from professional office environments. This position is based in Brunswick, Maine and serves clients in Kennebec, Knox, Lincoln, Sagadahoc, and Somerset Counties. A laptop will be provided. Home internet required with download speed of 25 Mbps or higher desired. The employee must travel to different locations and must be able to provide own transportation. Occasional out of state travel will be required in order to attend conferences and trainings.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit and talk or listen, and regularly required to use a keyboard for typing. The employee is often required to stand and walk. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 20 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision and ability to adjust focus.

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Disclaimer: Nothing in this job description restricts management’s right to assign or reassign duties and responsibilities to this job at any time.

Eastern Maine Development Corporation is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran status, or any other status protected by law.