Regional Director, Business Development

About Futurpreneur

Futurpreneur is a national non-profit organization that empowers young, diverse entrepreneurs, ages 18-39 to start, buy or grow their businesses in Canada, by providing loans with mentorship and resources.

Founded in 1996, we have helped more than 20,000 young entrepreneurs, promoting entrepreneurship among Canadian youth as a critical pillar for diversifying the economy, generating employment opportunities, and fostering a sustainable future.

Futurpreneur is a founding member of the G20 Young Entrepreneurs’ Alliance, the Canadian member of Youth Business International and the Canadian host of Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW).

Our Purpose (why we exist): To drive inclusive Canadian prosperity by fostering the success of young entrepreneurs.

Our Mission (what we do every day to achieve our purpose): To empower diverse entrepreneurs ages 18-39 by providing loans with mentorship and resources to help them start and buy businesses that contribute to sustainable and inclusive economic prosperity, in their communities and across Canada.

Our Values (how we work – our core principles & commitments): We are mission-driven, collegial & collaborative, diverse & inclusive, and accountable & transparent.

Here’s the opportunity:

Reporting to the Vice President, Business development, the Regional Director, Business development, Alberta leads the development and implementation of regional business development plans designed to maintain and increase lead generation and participation in Futurpreneur’s financing programs for both young entrepreneurs and volunteer mentors. As part of this, you will maintain and expand on the robust community network of key strategic and community partners and influencers in the entrepreneurship ecosystem. As an established leader in your province with a strong existing network, your keen awareness of the regional market and target customer segments will enable you to actively lead your business development team, so they can achieve their business development goals, and help you build the Futurpreneur brand in the province.

You will be an active participant on the Futurpreneur Leadership Team, a decision-making body comprising key national functions and other Regional Directors. Working closely with internal teams such as Marketing & Communications, Programs and Partnerships, you will build and maintain relationships with three external stakeholder groups: our young entrepreneurs and mentors; our referral, community and strategic partners; as well as our provincial funders and partners, both corporate and government.

This is a permanent, full-time position that can be located in either Edmonton or Calgary, Alberta. The incumbent will be working on our hybrid work model (minimum 1 day in the office per week).

What you will do:

Business Development - 50%

BD Leadership

• Define clear, measurable goals for the Business development team, aligning with regional and national objectives.
• Motivate and coach team members to achieve goals through regular progress monitoring, removing roadblocks, and fostering accountability.
• Lead the development of the annual regional business plan regarding our three main client groups: Entrepreneurs, mentors and partners and where appropriate, support the VP, Business development with the annual organizational business plan.
• Spearhead day-to-day business development operations for the team, consistently tracking progress against ambitious business goals and objectives.
• Collaborate with Business development Regional Directors across the country to create a differentiated Futurpreneur client experience for prospective young entrepreneurs and mentors.
• Recognize synergies between prospective referral, community and strategic partners and Futurpreneur program offerings and execute partnerships agreements and tactical plans to benefit both parties.
• Ensure timely and accurate delivery of program offerings deliverables required by current funders.
• Collaborate closely with Regional Client Service Team Leads within your region to deliver seamless and consistent service to entrepreneur clients throughout their Futurpreneur journey.
• Participate in periodic meetings and events that include Futurpreneur’s Leadership Team.
• Review and streamline of people, process and systems to ensure service delivery model is efficient, effective and achieving intended results.

BD Manager duties - (25%-35% depending on operational needs)

• Convert entrepreneurial leads from inquiry through to application stage of our process.
• Identify and ensure rigorous follow-up on high-potential prospects via our customer relationship management system.
• Coach entrepreneurs, mentors & partners with their inquiries to help support the team.
• Champion Futurpreneur and its services through regular and assertive outreach, speaking, facilitating and participating at local events, conferences and social media presence.
• Continuously evaluate and recommend improvements on process and systems to ensure great client experience
• Serve as the primary point of contact for escalation and address any constructive feedback from entrepreneurs, mentors or partners and involve the VP, Business development or other Senior Leadership Team members as needed.

Leadership, Coaching and Team management - 30%

• Lead, motivate, manage and coach the Alberta Business development team in their daily activities and develop the team to its full potential.
• Actively support recruitment and onboarding of new team members. Develop existing team members' expertise through coaching and training, ensuring they possess the necessary skills to excel within a high-performing team.
• Conduct hiring, onboarding, performance reviews and participate in decisions to terminate employment, when required .
• Collaborate closely with the Talent and Culture team on strategic initiatives such as role profile development, performance management, staff engagement, recruitment strategies, learning and development programs, and identifying team skill gaps.
• Empower team members through ongoing coaching and guidance, helping them reach their full potential

Marketing & Community Engagement – 10%

• Leverage your deep understanding of the Alberta market and entrepreneur support ecosystem to identify Futurpreneur’s unique selling propositions and differentiators for the local market and tailor regional content and messaging for maximum impact.
• Create a Marketing plan using knowledge of the Alberta market and entrepreneur support ecosystem, by identifying Futurpreneur’s unique selling propositions and differentiators for the local market and tailoring regional content, where relevant
• Collaborate with Marketing and Communications team to identify opportunities for high-impact campaigns, activities, and distribution channels tailored to attract entrepreneurs to Futurpreneur programs.
• Track budgets and provincial/corporates agreements deliverables on a regular basis with the relevant teams.
• Lead and/or support the success of partner or provincial events as well as any other national or organizational events.

Strategic Partnerships – 10%

• Work with Partnerships team to initiate foster and cultivate relationships with Strategic partners according to our organizational business plan strategy.
• Collaborate with Partnerships and Programs team to develop and maintain key provincial government relationships, leveraging local insights and building/maintaining the right relationships.
• Identify and capitalize on new outreach opportunities within region to support revenue generation activities, collaborating with Partnerships and Programs team to execute on activities.

What you bring:

• Must have a valid driver’s license and access to a vehicle (40% of this role includes local and provincial travel).
• Relevant experience may include education with a focus on business administration, economic development, entrepreneurship or equivalent hands-on career experience.
• 5-7 years of progressive experience driving pipeline and customer experience in a sales, business development or economic development position, including 3 years leading a business development team
• Experience working in the not-for-profit, knowledge of trends within the entrepreneurial, startup, small business industry sector or social finance is an asset.
• Excellent network and knowledge of the ecosystem for the province/ region.
• Strong ability to work with senior level executives and others to drive business goals, plans and execution.
• Demonstrated experience with coaching and developing high performing teams
• Strong leadership skills with a demonstrated ability to work effectively with cross-functional teams to achieve shared outcomes, as well as with external stakeholders in a wide variety of business disciplines.
• Excellent computer skills (Microsoft Office) as well as experience with Customer Relationship management system is required.
• Social media presence and engagement is a strong asset.
• General administration experience including budget management, report writing, etc.
• Clear and confident communicator, skilled at engaging and connecting with diverse audiences.
• Collaborative and adaptable team player, bringing a proactive, solutions-focused mindset.
• Strong organizational skills, able to balance multiple priorities effectively in a dynamic hybrid work environment.
• Demonstrate curiosity and a growth mindset, embracing and championing change.
• Bilingualism in French & English (spoken & written) is an asset
• Alignment with Futurpreneur’s values and commitment to the mission/purpose of the organization
• Be a role model for Futurpreneur’s organizational culture by creating a positive impact at every touchpoint with people

HOW