RRC Business Developer

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Website Democracy At Work Institute

Democracy at Work Institute (DAWI) seeks an experienced, self-directed and collaborative person to join the staff of our dynamic national nonprofit organization. Our core work is supporting the expansion of democratic employee ownership of business as a strategy for racial, gender and economic equity.

DAWI’s Rapid Response Cooperative (RRC) Development Initiative creates replicable, out-of-the-box worker-owned businesses that provide a pathway to work for people with barriers to employment. DAWI partners with organizations and higher education institutions to develop cooperatives for their students and members who seek to work as consultants through an LLC cooperative entity. This professional staffing agency, named “Radiate Consulting Cooperative,” creates a vehicle for talented early-career professionals to find steady work in the field of their choice,to market their services, negotiate contracts, and access back-office services. DAWI has developed and vetted the intellectual property and processes to create multiple RRCs around the country. We are currently replicating this model with several different partners across the country, including community-based organizations, educational institutions and city governments.

About the Role
This is a new position on our Rapid Response Cooperative (RRC) Development team. It is a one-year full-time contract with the option (but no requirement) to grow, pending funding availability.  The Business Developer will work closely with the RRC team, our institutional partners and interns, to coordinate and plan projects, conduct research, accomplish project goals and produce grant deliverables. They will play a central role on the team, by leading the research and development phase for new RRC projects, assisting with the development of new cooperatives and supporting the growth of the various Radiate entities.

Job Duties

The major duties and responsibilities of the role are as follows:

Project Management – 10%

  • Manage the project plans and timelines of two startup RRCs
  • Coordinate with the partner organizations on the development of each RRC.
  • Manage consultants conducting feasibility studies.
  • Report back on progress and issues that arise to the RRC team regularly.
  • Track details of the development process, problem-solving along the way.

Business Development – 65%

  • Support setting up and maintaining operations for new and growing cooperatives.
  • Support startup and post launch RRCs with governance and management.
  • Coordinate with the RRC Sales team member to establish sales strategy, goals, and implementation plan for each cooperative. Support sales and client acquisition for new coops.
  • Support with mentoring and coaching the member-administrators of the multiple Radiate Cooperatives.
  • Support members with client and contract management.

Training and Professional Development – 10%

  • Coordinate and conduct training sessions for Radiate members.
  • Co-facilitate and co-present trainings, when appropriate, on various topics (i.e. meeting facilitation, consulting skills, customer service, negotiation, etc)
  • Support with facilitation at member meetings

Team Coordination and Organizational Participation – 15%

  • Attend weekly 1:1 check ins
  • Attend bi-weekly team meetings
  • Attend Radiate member meetings
  • Attend partner check-in meetings
  • Project management and admin tasks

Experience, Skills and Qualities We Seek

We are seeking someone with strong business planning and project management skills, excellent proactive communication habits, and experience working with various partners (educational institutions, cooperative members, non profit organizations, technical assistance providers, trainers, vendors). Required for this job:

  • Business formation: Experience starting at least one organization (non-profit, for-profit, or cooperative organization), including planning, set up and support for operations, management and governance structures.
  • Project management – Experience assigning team roles and responsibilities, tracking tasks and goals. Facility with project management software and/or systems.
  • Sales development – Experience developing a sales strategy/plan, building a book of business and generating revenue for a new business or organization.
  • Education: Training curricula development and facilitation skills. Knowledge and experience with popular education methodology is a plus.
  • Feasibility studies: Experience conducting feasibility research, including designing written surveys, conducting interviews, and analyzing data.
  • Leadership development: Experience with individual and group coaching and empowerment.
  • Experience managing partner relationships, multi-stakeholder projects, or other complex collaborative initiatives is a plus.
  • Strong organizational skills: ability to manage multiple projects at once, stay organized, communicate effectively with the team, and be accountable to the team and partners for deliverables. Strong task-tracking and 100% follow-through on deadlines: able to set priorities, establish realistic deadlines and meet them consistently.
  • Strong written and oral communication skills across all mediums. Marketing skills or experience are a plus.
  • Full competence with basic office tools: Microsoft Office Suite, GSuite, online project management systems, remote file systems, online/remote meeting tools. We use Slack and Zoom for most communication.
  • Remote work: you like to work independently and can prioritize and execute day to day tasks, with self-management systems in place.
  • We value emotional intelligence, kindness, and sense of humor. Diplomacy, judgment and discretion are important in this position.
  • Familiarity with immigrants rights organizing, first-generation college student and Dreamer communities, recent graduates.

About DAWI

DAWI is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit movement-based think-and-do tank that expands the promise of cooperative business ownership to communities most directly affected by economic, social, and racial inequality. We do research and advocacy; we develop tools and new models; we train worker-owners and developers; and we convene communities of practice to ensure that further growth in the worker cooperative movement reaches low-income people, BIPOC communities and recent immigrants. We are affiliated with the US Federation of Worker Cooperatives, the national grassroots membership organization.

  • Values: In all our work, as well as internal operations, DAWI strives to embody our organizational values of Excellence, Equity, Entrepreneurialism, Collaboration, and Human-Centeredness.
  • Flexible, remote work: Having staff and contractors all over the country requires and allows us to create flexible working hours and locations. All staff and contractors are expected to be able and willing to learn and help improve the technological tools for remote working.
  • Strong team: We are a high-functioning, close-knit staff, and we want to work with a skilled and reliable colleague.
  • Growth potential: This is a contract in a maturing organization, and is key to our sustainability as we grow. The contract has potential to grow as the organization grows.
  • Stable organization: DAWI has a diversified revenue stream, multi-year funding, and a commitment to building an annual reserve that creates stability for our growing organization. Our annual budget for 2021 is just over $3 million, and our average staff tenure is over 5 years.

Schedule and Location
This is a full-time position. This position can be structured as a contractor or employee, to be negotiated according to duties and needs. We are a remote organization with offices in Oakland and New York. This allows us to have staff all over the country, and to create flexible working hours and locations. All staff and contractors are expected to be able and willing to learn and help improve the technological tools for remote working.

Compensation and Benefits
The range salary for this position is $55,000-70,000 and may be adjusted depending on experience. DAWI offers medical, dental and vision benefits; generous paid time off; and 4013b plan.

How to Apply
Email a cover letter, resume, and two references to hiring@institute.coop. Subject Line: RRC Business Developer

Deadline to apply: July 21, 2021

Notice of Non­discrimination
Democracy at Work Institute (DAWI) is committed to a multi-racial and class-diverse staff that reflects the future of worker cooperatives. Women, people of color and others who may be underrepresented at senior levels of the nonprofit workforce are strongly encouraged to apply. DAWI is committed to equal opportunity for all persons without regard to sex, age, race, color, religion, creed, national origin, marital status, disability, or sexual orientation, and any other class of individuals protected from discrimination under state or federal law. It is the policy of DAWI to comply with all federal, state, and local laws and regulations regarding equal opportunity. In keeping with that policy, DAWI is committed to maintaining a work environment that is free of unlawful discrimination and harassment. Accordingly, DAWI will not tolerate unlawful discrimination against or harassment of any of our employees or others present at our facilities by anyone, including any supervisor, co­worker, vendor, client, or customer of DAWI.

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