Business Advisor - NYPA PowerUp2030

Thank you for considering a career with the Research Foundation of The City University of New York (RFCUNY).

The team at RFCUNY is made up of dedicated, talented professionals committed to providing the services that allow CUNY researchers, faculty, and staff to focus on their intellectual curiosity and scientific discoveries.

We are pleased that you are interested in exploring opportunities to join RFCUNY.

Primary Location:

LAGUARDIA C. C.

Bargaining Unit:

Yes

Program Description

NYPA PowerUp2030 is a supplier development program that prepares established small and mid-sized businesses to compete for clean energy contracts in New York State. The program is a five-year statewide partnership between the New York Power Authority (NYPA) and LaGuardia Community College, managed through the Business Services unit of the Division of Adult and Continuing Education. Statewide delivery covers four cohorts per year: two upstate and two downstate, with the upstate cohorts rotating annually across five regions (Mohawk Valley, North Country, Western New York, Southern Tier, and Capital Region) to align with NYPA's clean energy investment pipeline. Each cohort serves up to 25 participants through a ten-week hybrid program of three in-person sessions and seven virtual modules. Over the contract term, the program will serve 500 small and mid-sized businesses across New York State.

Reporting to the Educational Director, the Business Advisor, PowerUp2030, provides high-touch, individualized business advising to small businesses participating in PowerUp2030, a statewide clean energy and procurement readiness program. The Business Advisor develops an in-depth understanding of each assigned business—including its capabilities, capacity, growth goals, certifications, experience, and readiness—and helps participants translate their Strategic Renewable Growth Plans (SRGPs) into actionable strategies for pursuing clean energy and infrastructure opportunities.

A central responsibility of the role is connecting strategy to opportunity. Business Advisors actively identify and research relevant procurement opportunities, match participants with opportunities aligned with their capabilities and growth plans, and provide hands-on support to help businesses position themselves, prepare for, and pursue appropriate bids and contracting opportunities.

The Business Advisor remains closely engaged with participants throughout the program, providing individualized guidance, reinforcing program content, supporting procurement readiness, and helping participants build the knowledge, relationships, and strategies needed to compete effectively in New York's clean energy economy.

Key Responsibilities

Business Advising & SRGP Implementation

• Provide high-touch, one-on-one advising to assigned participants throughout the PowerUp2030 program.

• Develop a comprehensive understanding of each participant's business model, capabilities, capacity, certifications, past performance, financial and operational readiness, growth objectives, and potential fit within the clean energy and infrastructure sectors.

• Guide participants in developing, refining, and implementing their Strategic Renewable Growth Plans (SRGPs).

• Help participants translate program learning and SRGP strategies into concrete business development and procurement actions.

• Advise participants on business strategy, financial forecasting, operational planning, market positioning, and other readiness needs related to identified opportunities.

• Maintain regular participant engagement and provide individualized follow-up to support progress toward established business and procurement goals.

Curriculum Support

• Attend and support all program modules across upstate and downstate cohorts.

• Reinforce curriculum through practical application.

• Assist participants in translating instruction into actionable business strategies.

Opportunity Matching, Bid Pursuit & Procurement Readiness

• Proactively research and identify NYPA and other relevant clean energy, infrastructure, and supply-chain procurement opportunities appropriate for assigned businesses.

• Match participants to bid, subcontracting, teaming, and other procurement opportunities based on their capabilities, capacity, certifications, experience, geographic reach, and SRGP goals.

• Regularly review relevant procurement sources and opportunity pipelines on behalf of assigned businesses and bring appropriate opportunities to participants' attention.

• Work directly with participants to evaluate opportunities and determine whether and how the business is positioned to compete.

• Actively support and follow up with participants to move appropriate opportunities from identification to application or bid submission.

• Assist participants in developing and refining capability statements, positioning materials, and other documents needed to pursue opportunities.

• Provide guidance on solicitation requirements, procurement processes, compliance considerations, and bid readiness; connect participants with specialized procurement technical assistance when appropriate.

• Track identified opportunities, participant pursuit decisions, bid activity, and related outcomes in the program's designated systems.

• Help participants cultivate relationships with procurement representatives, prime contractors, industry partners, and other stakeholders relevant to their SRGP and growth strategy.

Participant Engagement

• Maintain consistent communication with participants.

• Monitor attendance, engagement, and progress.

• Provide direct follow-up for participants who miss live sessions.

• Support participants at risk of disengagement.

Statewide Delivery

• Travel to upstate locations across the five-region rotation for in-person sessions.

• Provide in-person advising during key program sessions for both upstate cohorts.

• Maintain continuity of support between in-person and virtual delivery.

Recruitment Support

• Support recruitment efforts in coordination with the external outreach partner.

• Participate in information sessions and candidate engagement.

• Assist in ensuring participant fit and readiness and interview potential candidates

Data Tracking and Reporting

• Maintain accurate participant records using Zoho One.

• Track participant progress and completion of deliverables.

• Contribute to program reporting and evaluation.

Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications:

Required

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Entrepreneurship, Finance, Economic Development, or a related field.

• Minimum five years of professional experience in business advising, consulting, small business development, entrepreneurship, procurement assistance, or a related field.

• Demonstrated ability to assess business capabilities, identify growth opportunities, and translate business strategy into actionable plans.

• Experience supporting businesses with financial, operational, market, or procurement-related decision-making.

• Strong research, analytical, interpersonal, and written and verbal communication skills.

• Ability to build trusted advisory relationships and develop an in-depth understanding of multiple businesses simultaneously.

• Ability and willingness to travel within New York State for designated upstate cohort activities.

Preferred

• Experience in or demonstrated knowledge of clean energy, renewable energy, construction, infrastructure, utilities, or related industries.

• Experience with government, utility, institutional, or corporate procurement and contracting.

• Experience identifying solicitations and supporting businesses through bid or proposal development.

• Knowledge of MWBE, SDVOB or other supplier-diversity programs and certification structures.

• Familiarity with New York State's small business, procurement, and economic development ecosystem.

Work Schedule and Travel

• This is a full-time, grant-funded, in-person position, through the Research Foundation of CUNY.  Some remote work may be available, subject to change. Appointments are subject to availability of funding and satisfactory performance. 

• Required travel to upstate regional venues for in-person cohort sessions (approximately six upstate trips per year).

• Flexible schedule.

About LaGuardia Community College

Founded in 1971 in Long Island City, Queens, LaGuardia Community College is one of seven community colleges of the City University of New York (CUNY). LaGuardia offers more than sixty associate degree programs and more than fifty workforce training, ESOL, GED, and pre-college programs. In 2023, LaGuardia served approximately 24,000 students. More than one-third of LaGuardia’s degree-seeking students are born outside the United States; they come from 136 countries and speak 43 heritage languages. Sixty percent are first-generation college students. 

Virtually all LaGuardia students are ethnic minorities (89 percent), 58 percent are women, 27 percent are over the age of 25. Forty-six percent of associate degree students are Hispanic. Upon graduation most students transfer to four-year colleges, typically in CUNY, to complete their baccalaureate degrees. Graduates of career programs such as Nursing, Computer Technology, and Veterinary Technology enter the workforce. LaGuardia ranked fifth among U.S. community colleges in economic mobility – moving low-income students into the middle class and beyond – in studies by Stanford University (2017) and the Brookings Institution (2020).

Please visit www.laguardia.edu to learn more.

Pay Range:

Minimum - Maximum: $70,000 - $75,000

RFCUNY Benefits
RFCUNY Employee Benefits and Accruals (link to https://www.rfcuny.org/RFWebsite)

About the Research Foundation
The Research Foundation of The City University of New York (RFCUNY) is a nonprofit educational corporation founded in 1963 to provide post-award fiscal and administrative support for CUNY’s research and sponsored programs. RFCUNY’s services allow CUNY researchers, faculty, and staff to focus on their intellectual curiosity and scientific discoveries, on projects and programs that serve our local and global communities, proposing concrete solutions to society’s most pressing challenges.
RFCUNY serves as a fiscal agent and works closely with all the CUNY campus Grants Offices to perform the core functions of post-award financial management for CUNY research projects and sponsored programs. These functions include legal assessment and signing of agreements where RFCUNY is named as a fiscal agent; setting up award accounts; preparing sub-awards and assisting PIs in monitoring the work of the recipients of sub-awards; supporting project directors with hiring and managing research project and sponsored program staff; supporting the purchasing and paying for goods and services with grant and program funds; managing financial aspects of projects including accounts receivable, financial reporting, invoicing, budget monitoring, and cost compliance with uniform guidance; ensuring that sponsor financial requirements are met; monitoring compliance with applicable project and financial management rules and laws; supporting the management of independent and external audits and financial reviews; and providing data, information, management expertise, and other supports to CUNY’s research and sponsored programs.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement
The Research Foundation of the City University of New York is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action/Americans with Disabilities Act/E-Verify Employer. It is the policy of the Research Foundation of CUNY to provide equal employment opportunities free of discrimination based on race, color, age, religion, sex, pregnancy, childbirth, national origin, disability, marital status, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, marital status, domestic violence victim status, arrest record, criminal conviction history, or any other protected characteristic under applicable law.