Description

Background:

Mercy Corps NW conducts regular small business training for entrepreneurs out of our Portland and SW Washington offices. The Portland office serves over 1,000 entrepreneurs annually. Small business education is an integral part of our Economic Development programming.

Purpose / Project Description:

The Small Business Finance (Spanish) consultant will support Mercy Corps Northwest program participants by leading one-on-one (1:1) consulting sessions on business finance topics. Consulting sessions will be conducted in Spanish and include a 50-minute virtual one-on-one with a program participant and 10 minutes of wrap up for notes for a total of 60 minutes per session. Business finance topics covered in one-on-one consultation sessions will be driven by the needs of the participant and may include:

How to prepare a business budget Creating business financial projections Understanding how to determine the business break-even point Issues to consider when making a major financial decision Identifying loan and grant opportunities Other general business finance questions

Consultant Objectives:

Build student’s knowledge, comprehension, and technical skill of small business finance. Provide tools, resources and processes students need to meet their business finance goals. Provide a positive and inspirational learning environment that reduces anxiety and stress around business financial topics.

Consultant Activities:

The Consultant will:

Provide one-on-one business finance consulting in SpanishDirect participants to various outside resources, as neededCollaborate with MCNW staff to manage relationships with participantsTrack client attendance and provide brief notes to MCNWWork with MCNW staff to coordinate any necessary one-on-one scheduling LogisticsCommunicate challenges, insights, and lessons learned to MCNW staffTrain and consult with staff in other languages, when agreed upon

Consultant Deliverables:

The Consultant will:

Attend up to 1 Train-the-Trainer workshop during onboarding Conduct up to 50 One-on-one small business finance consulting sessions, 50-minutes each with 10 minutes for wrap up and notes (60 min total per session)

Timeframe / Schedule:

The consultant shall complete the duties described from on or about March 15, 2023, to December 31, 2023, for Mercy Corps Northwest throughout the year on weekdays, evenings and weekends.

The Consultant will report to:

Women's Business Center Manager and BDS Manager

The Consultant will work closely with:

Women's Business Center Manager, Education Coordinator, Business Development Services Program Manager, and MCNW Business Development Services team.

Required Experience & Skills:

5-10 years of experience in a relevant technical fieldFluent Spanish language skills, including knowledge of technical business/finance vocabulary, native Spanish speakers strongly preferred Demonstrated experience with business financial topics Business financial coaching/advising experience preferred

Cancellations:

MCNW will inform the instructor at least 48 hours prior to the scheduled activity (course, consulting appointment) of any cancellations. Cancellations can be a result of but are not limited to lack of sufficient enrollment or no enrollment. The consultant will not be paid for any preparation if they receive the cancellation notice 48 hours in advance.

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
Achieving our mission begins with how we build our team and work together. Through our commitment to enriching our organization with people of different origins, beliefs, backgrounds, and ways of thinking, we are better able to leverage the collective power of our teams and solve the world’s most complex challenges. We strive for a culture of trust and respect, where everyone contributes their perspectives and authentic selves, reaches their potential as individuals and teams, and collaborates to do the best work of their lives.

We recognize that diversity and inclusion is a journey, and we are committed to learning, listening and evolving to become more diverse, equitable and inclusive than we are today.

Equal Employment Opportunity
We are committed to providing an environment of respect and psychological safety where equal employment opportunities are available to all. We do not engage in or tolerate discrimination on the basis of race, color, gender identity, gender expression, religion, age, sexual orientation, national or ethnic origin, disability (including HIV/AIDS status), marital status, military veteran status or any other protected group in the locations where we work.

Safeguarding & Ethics
Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts toward accountability, specifically to our stakeholders and to international standards guiding International Relief and development work, while actively engaging communities as equal partners in the Design, Monitoring and Evaluation of our field projects. Team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner and respect Local Laws, customs and MC's policies, procedures, and values at all times and in all in-country venues.