Cooperative Developer

POSITION DESCRIPTION: COOPERATIVE DEVELOPER

Reports To: Cooperative Developer Co-Director Pay Rate: $63,000- $65,000 Annually
Status: Full-Time Position Location: Denver Metro Area
Work Environment: Hybrid of work from home and office, must be based in the Denver Metro Area.

At Center for Community Wealth (CCW), we are creating an inclusive economy that works for all. We’re a startup, worker-self directed nonprofit that promotes inclusive economic development opportunities that center the talents and capacities of impacted and vulnerable Metro Denver residents, entrepreneurs and workers, while leveraging the economic power of anchor institutions to create an economy that works for everyone.

As the Cooperative Developer, you will be a critical member of a visionary team working to develop more inclusive models of ownership with diverse workers, entrepreneurs and residents.

More about CCW
CCW envisions self-determined communities, free from racism and rooted in economic democracy, dignity, and joy. Our work is driven by our commitment to the values of Economic justice, Solidarity, and Sovereignty. Our mission is to transform economic systems to close the racial wealth gap. We seek to foster collective power by advancing community and employee ownership, leveraging the economic engines of anchor institutions, and strengthening small businesses in historically excluded communities.​​

Internally, we operate as a worker self-directed nonprofit, which means that employees who opt in to self-direction have rights and responsibilities beyond typical nonprofit workers, including establishing the internal policies, strategic direction and financial priorities of our organization. In the day-to-day, we celebrate small wins, we create collectively, we practice empathy, and we embody love and respect. Our team’s internal values include Innovation, Building for the Future, Human-Centered Growth, Results, and Accountability.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER ~ COMMITTED TO A DIVERSE WORKPLACE

The Center for Community Wealth is an aggressive advocate of affirmative action and welcomes applications from everyone, particularly from people of color; women; LGBTQ people; immigrants or refugees; people with disabilities; and people from low- or moderate-income backgrounds.

The Objectives You’re Here to Meet

• Expand the capacity of Denver Metro workers, entrepreneurs, community members, and residents to participate in and develop worker cooperatives.
• Offer holistic support to Black, Latino/a/e, Indigenous, and Immigrant cooperative entrepreneurs throughout the stages of the co-op development process, including business and financial modeling, pro formas, break-even analysis, raising capital, marketing, and coordination and referrals to service providers,  etc.
• Increase connection and access to non-extractive financing for worker-owned businesses.

How You’ll Meet Those Objectives 

Cooperative Training (20%). 

• Design and facilitate cooperative business trainings
• Conduct outreach, training, and coaching sessions for co-ops and allies on business financials, loan readiness, and our approach to non-extractive financing
• Build upon a foundation of CCW educational materials and experience, adapt, improve, and deploy educational training programs for cooperatives that allow them to navigate unfolding market conditions, compete effectively, and grow their businesses
• Contribute to the recruitment and marketing for cooperative program offerings

Technical Assistance and Access to Capital (50%)

• Support emerging cooperatives entering the Worker-Owned Cooperative Academy (WOCA) through the financial and business planning aspects of the Discovery and Readiness phase, conducting market research, creating break-even analysis, and generating feasibility analysis and reports to validate their business ideas and living wage potential
• Provide financial-focused technical assistance to participants and graduates of WOCA to support successful business launches, chiefly focused on financial modeling and pro forma creation, business plan development, capital raising plan, marketing, coordination and referrals to service providers,  etc.
  Support financial modeling and business planning for businesses converting to worker cooperatives.
• Develop and launch the Back Office Service program, providing sliding scale fee-for-service to early stage cooperatives in target areas (for instance, accounting, customer service, sales, and marketing) that lead to increased revenue
• Oversee contractors and overall operations of Back Office Service program, managing revenue and costs and continually adapting to ensure quality, effectiveness, and sustainability
• Support cooperatives in preparing loan applications and investment offerings and coordinate with  CDFIs and local and national investors to develop financial products that set worker-owners up for long-term financial success and sustainability
• Build relationships with partner organizations and community members to collaboratively achieve results
  Provide technical assistance to special cooperative development projects as assigned

Program Support (10%)

• Engage cooperatives in 1:1s, listening sessions, and steering committees to understand how our programs—particularly the Back Office Service program—can be most relevant to their business needs
• Optimize and continually improve CCWs co-op development process and strategic approach so that it achieves CCW’s mission and embodies CCW’s values
• Keep diligent records in our technical assistance, programming, lending, and evaluation systems.

Organizational Support (10%)

• Identify operational issues that need attention and facilitate solutions
• Support with movement-building campaigns, including presentations on Community Wealth Building principles

Other Duties as Assigned (10%)

What We’re Looking For

• You love diving into details. Whether you come with a background in small business consulting, small business start-up, cooperatives, cooperative development, or some combination, you are eager to learn, to meet entrepreneurs where they are at, and to seek creative solutions to entrepreneurial problems, including business modeling, ownership structures, accounting systems, marketing campaigns and more.
• You see the system, too. In addition to business skills, you have a deep and demonstrated commitment to racial and economic justice. You understand how we might respond to systems of oppression through community wealth building and asset-based methodologies. You may have experience with grassroots community organizing or labor organizing for social change.
• You’re adept at communicating and translating information. You delight in working with people from diverse class, racial, ethnic and linguistic backgrounds, practicing empathy and respect. You code-switch and use your multilingual skills (ideally Spanish, Amharic, Vietnamese, Arabic or Somali) to ensure that entrepreneurs have full access to information and resources that can help them succeed. You’re confident in communication, whether presenting one-on-one, drafting social media posts, or planning and facilitating group workshops or community meetings.
• You’re committed not just to ideas but to outcomes. You’re a self-starter, driven to achieve and exceed goals and objectives. You have the capacity to complete multiple, sometimes competing deadlines. Your commitment to quality adds value to everyone you work with. You learn and adapt as you go and recognize when an approach or tool is not working.
• You’re excited to practice horizontal management with our team. You don’t stop with pointing out how things can be better; you roll up your sleeves and take steps to improve and influence the world around you. You value contributing to the process and co-creation. You’re committed to growing and helping others grow through collaborative thinking and doing, kind feedback, occasional vulnerability and gratitude. You are open to learning and developing new ways of running a nonprofit.

This Job Requires 

• Willingness to work occasional irregular hours, including nights/weekends
• Intermediate computer skills, including Microsoft Word, Excel, Gmail, and Google Suite, and willingness to learn new platforms
• Car and valid driver’s license (mileage reimbursed)

How We Invest in You 

• Compensation: We offer competitive compensation ranging from $65,000 for this role. We practice open accounting at CCW, which means that all team members have access to salary information and program expenses.
• Benefits: We offer health insurance, dental and vision and cover at least 90% of the premium. For employees who elect a High
• Deductible Health Plan, CCW contributes at least $1,440 per year toward your Health Savings Account. After a one-year vesting period, you are eligible for CCW’s 401(K). CCW matches your first 3% of 401(K) contributions, and matches half of your next 2% of contributions, for up to a 4% match.
• Voluntary Supplemental Benefits: Employees can opt in to supplemental life insurance (AD&D), supplemental disability, critical illness insurance, hospital indemnity, accident insurance, legal insurance, identity and fraud protection, pet insurance,
• Transit Reimbursement Account and a Flexible Spending Account.
• Cell Phone: CCW reimburses your cell phone expenses, up to $60 per month.
• Flexible Officing: This position is based in Denver and some in-person time is required. CCW has designated office space for you to use, but we also support our staff in working from home.
• Holidays & Vacation Time: All employees are paid for 10 holidays as well as the week between Christmas and New Year’s Day.  In addition to these holidays, you earn 1 vacation day per month as a new employee (12 days/year). After 1 full year, you earn 1.25 days per month (15 days/year). After four years, you earn 1.67 days per month (20 days/year).
• Sick Time: You earn 4 hours per month (48 hours per year) for absences due to personal sickness, medical appointments, sickness or medical appointments of immediate family members, bereavement and grief related to the loss of a loved one, or personal emergencies that cannot be handled outside of work hours.

How to Apply

To apply, send a resume and, instead of a cover letter, please answer the following questions in no more than one page:

• What approach do you take in providing technical assistance, particularly to entrepreneurs from different cultures and backgrounds?
• Share an example of a time your work had a positive impact on a client’s business growth or sustainability.
• What other lived experiences should CCW know about to understand how you approach this work?

Please note that for this application, we are looking for original responses that demonstrate your writing ability and do not utilize AI or large language models. Submit all application materials via email to hr@communitywealth.org with the subject “Cooperative Developer.”

Applications received by 11:59 pm MDT on October 5th, 2025 will be reviewed. Finalist candidates will be asked to participate in a second interview and to submit three professional references. We will review applications and offer interviews to qualified applicants until the position is filled.