Centralized Client Intake Manager - MI-Small Business Development Center

Grand Valley State University; Allendale Charter Township (MI); Hybrid; USD 59,000 - 72,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance

Vision insurance

Dental insurance

Life insurance

Retirement contributions

Tuition waiver

Job summary

Grand Valley State University is seeking a Centralized Client Intake Manager for the MI-Small Business Development Center. This remote-first role leads a centralized team of Intake Specialists to standardize the statewide intake process and ensure efficient triage to the right consultant.

The role combines high-level systems orchestration, including AI integration and tech stack management, with daily supervision to maintain quality client experiences across all regions.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Public Administration, Organizational Leadership, or related field.
• 2–3 years of supervisory experience, managing staff and schedules.
• Experience in high-volume intake operations or professional services.
• Ability to document SOPs to ensure consistency across a team.

Responsibilities

• Direct supervision of 3–5 Intake Specialists and coordinating hiring.
• Maintain statewide standardized intake protocols and triage logic.
• Lead AI tool refinements to ensure accurate data extraction.
• Align Salesforce and other tools; manage cross-regional workflows.

Skills

Team leadership

Supervisory experience

Operational management

Process governance

Customer intake operations

Communication skills

Technical literacy

Education

Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Public Administration, Organizational Leadership

Tools

Salesforce

Google Workspace

Calendly

Slack

Job description

Centralized Client Intake Manager – MI‑Small BusinessDevelopment Center

Grand Rapids, MI (Pew Campus)

Full Time

R104970

Job Summary: Under the direction of the Michigan SBDC Lead Centerleadership, the Centralized Client Intake Manager is a criticalleadership role responsible for transforming the Michigan SBDC'sintake process from a regional "patchwork" into a high-performance,standardized statewide model. This individual will oversee acentralized team of Intake Specialists to provide a professional,consistent, and efficient "front door" for all clients. The Managerbalances high-level systems orchestration-including AI integrationand tech stack management-with daily team supervision to ensureevery client is efficiently triaged and matched with the rightconsultant based on geography and expertise. This position isgrant-funded and subject to the availability of funding.

Salary & Benefits

$65,000; commensurate withexperience

Comprehensivebenefits package including medical, vision, dental,life insurance, generous employer retirement contributions,wellness resources, and tuition waiver effective on the date ofhire.

Primary Duties

1. Team Leadership & Management

• Direct Supervision: Provide daily leadership andcoordination for a team of 3 to 5 full- or part-time IntakeSpecialists (contractors or students).
• Hiring & Onboarding: Lead the recruitment, hiring,and onboarding for the intake team.
• Training & Resource Development: Create and maintainall training materials, standardized scripts (including sorting andtriage logic), and knowledge bases.
• Performance Governance: Conduct regular quality auditsof Salesforce data entry and intake session notes to ensureadherence to statewide standardized protocols.
• Capacity Management: Manage the Intake Shift Schedule toensure 100% coverage during business hours. Work alongside regionalconsultants and regional directors to manage schedulingsystems.

2. Operational Excellence & Triage Governance

• System Ownership: Maintain the process document and theStatewide Consultant Matrix to ensure accurate client-to-consultantmatching.
• Complex Case Escalation: Act as the final authority anddecision-maker for "special case" client inquiries or systemdiscrepancies that fall outside standard operating procedures.
• Workflow Management: Directly manage intake-specificworkflows to eliminate regional variability and ensure ahigh-quality, uniform experience across all regions.
• Stakeholder Liaison: Serve as the central bridge betweenfrontline intake personnel, Regional Directors, and the Lead Centerto ensure functional alignment and transparency.

3. Tech Stack Orchestration & AI Integration

• Systems Alignment: Optimize the use of Salesforce,Google Workspace, Calendly, and Slack to identify and implement themost efficient tools for statewide scaling.
• AI Development: Lead the refinement of theIntake-specific Gems (such as Intake Session Note Summarizer) toensure high-fidelity, consultant-ready data extraction.
• Calendar Compliance: Assist with the transition toGoogle Workspace for all intake sessions and use of Calendly toprevent double-bookings.

4. Data Analysis & Fiscal Accountability

• Metric Definition & Tracking: Establish and monitormeaningful conversion benchmarks (Lead-to-Consultant) and enforceadherence to the MI SBDC's governance policy.
• Fiscal Modeling: Ensure all intake staff accurately log"Contact Time" and "Prep Time" to determine true operationalcost-per-intake for future budget planning.
• Program Evaluation: Synthesize data and performancebenchmarks into recommendations for continuous improvement for theclient intake model.

Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Education: Bachelor's degree in Business Administration,Public Administration, Organizational Leadership, or a relatedfield; or an equivalent combination of education and professionalexperience.
• Supervisory Experience: Minimum of 2-3 years ofexperience directly supervising staff, with a proven track recordof managing performance, coordinating team schedules, and fosteringa collaborative work environment.
• Operational Management: Demonstrated experience managingprofessional operations, workflows, or customer-facing intakesystems. Must show an ability to maintain high-quality servicestandards in a fast-paced environment.
• Process Orientation: Experience developing,implementing,or maintaining Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).The candidate must demonstrate an understanding of how to usedocumentation to ensure consistency across a team.
• Customer Success or Intake Operations: Minimum of 3years of experience in high-volume customer-facing scheduling andservice, where maintaining a high standard of professional "firstimpression" was critical.
• Communication: Exceptional verbal and writtencommunication skills, with a specific ability to navigate "changemanagement" conversations and build consensus among stakeholders.
• Technical Literacy: Proficiency with digitalproductivity tools (such as Google Workspace or Microsoft 365) and demonstrated ability to quickly learn and adopt new software,platforms, or database systems.

Preferred Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Matrix Management Experience: Experience managing workflows or personnel across multiple geographic regions or departments.
• Project Management: Experience moving a new program into a permanent, standardized operational model, including thedevelopment of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).
• Data & Fiscal Aptitude: Experience tracking operational metrics and labor hours to assist in budget forecasting and cost-per-unit analysis.
• Systemic Thinking (Triage Mindset): Proven ability to manage a strict project scope; specifically, the ability to distinguish between administrative/triage needs and substantive consulting or diagnosis.
• Technical Proficiency: Experience using a CRM (such as Salesforce, HubSpot, or similar) to manage data and workflows. Highproficiency in Google Workspace and automated scheduling tools is aplus (e.g., Calendly).

Working Conditions

• Flexible Work Arrangement (FWA): This position is eligible for a Flexible Work Arrangement in accordance with University policy.
• Primary Location: This role is designed as a Remote-First position to effectively manage and provide leadership across a statewide team.
• Hybrid Option: For candidates within commuting distance of a GVSU campus, the role allows two remote days per week and requires three days in the office.
• Operational Presence: The Manager is expected to maintain standard business hours (8:00 AM - 5:00 PM EST) to provide consistent leadership for the Centralized Client Intake team. Occasional travel for leadership meetings and annual conferences will be required.

About the Department/Division

• For details about Seidman College of Business, visit www.gvsu.edu/seidman.
• For details about the Unit, visit www.michigansbdc.org.

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. Must have the physical stamina to work long hours and/or more than 5 days per week. There requirements listed are representative of the knowledge, skill and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. The information contained in this job description is for compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act as amended by the ADA Amendment Act (2008), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and other applicable federal and state laws that prohibit discrimination on the basis of disability. GVSU will provide reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities upon request. See www.gvsu.edu/equalopportunity/.

TDDCallers: Call Michigan Relay Center at 711 (in State) or1-800-833-7833 (out of State).

Grand Valley State University is an Antidiscrimination/EqualOpportunity Employer, which includes providing equal opportunity for protected veterans and individuals with disabilities. University policy extends protections to additional identities.