COOPERATIVE DEVELOPER

Us Federation Of Worker Cooperatives; Denver (CO); On-site; USD 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

Center for Community Wealth (CCW) is seeking a Cooperative Developer to join our Metro Denver team. You will help create more inclusive worker-owned models and provide bilingual technical assistance to Black, Latino/a/e, Indigenous, and immigrant cooperative entrepreneurs.

You will lead the academy for startup worker cooperatives, develop curricula, coordinate trainings, and manage the Thinkific LMS to drive high engagement and sustainable growth. Collaboration across CCW programs is essential.

Qualifications

• Experience delivering technical assistance to diverse communities.
• Experience in cooperative development or community economic development.
• Ability to manage learning platforms and curriculum development.

Responsibilities

• Lead the delivery and iteration of cooperative development programs and trainings.
• Guide startup and existing worker co-ops through planning, formation, and governance.
• Provide bilingual technical assistance to co-op entrepreneurs at all stages.
• Manage end-to-end LMS administration (Thinkific), including user enrollment and progress tracking.
• Develop and implement templates, guides, and toolkits for co-ops.
• Collaborate with the Co-op Development Team on program design and outreach.
• Cultivate relationships with local small business support networks to expand opportunities.

Skills

Bilingual English/Spanish

Program management

Curriculum development

Tools

Thinkific

Job description

At Center for Community Wealth (CCW), we are creating an inclusive economy that works for all. We’re a 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 strive to 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

CCW is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to building an inclusive workplace. We welcome applicants with a broad range of backgrounds, experiences, identities, and perspectives, including individuals whose communities have historically been underrepresented or excluded from economic opportunity. Employment decisions are based on job-related qualifications and organizational needs without regard to any characteristic protected by applicable law.

The Objectives You’re Here to Meet

• Provide Culturally Responsive Technical Assistance: Deliver high-quality, bilingual (English and Spanish) technical assistance to Black, Latino/a/e, Indigenous, and Immigrant cooperative entrepreneurs. Support will span the full co-op development spectrum—from group formation and readiness to business planning, launch, and ongoing operations.
• Plan, Manage and Deliver Cooperative Business Programming: Plan, manage and execute comprehensive programming and training that supports worker cooperatives throughout every stage of the business lifecycle. This includes academy-style learning, interactive workshops, webinars, business coaching, customized consulting, and coordination of back office services initiative.
• Cultivate a Strong Cooperative Ecosystem: Contribute to the growth of a robust cooperative economy by equipping worker-owners with the knowledge and tools needed to build and sustain businesses that offer living wages, dignity, and democratic workplaces.

How You’ll Meet Those Objectives

Technical Assistance (40%)

• Lead the delivery and iteration of our academy for startup worker cooperatives. Manage all aspects of curriculum development, event logistics, outreach, participant engagement, and post-program support.
• Guide worker co-op founding teams through early-stage development, including building group cohesion, learning business concepts, developing comprehensive business plans, completing legal formation and registration, and ensuring groups have break-even analyses and start-up budgets to launch their cooperative businesses successfully.
• Provide ongoing training and technical assistance to existing co-ops and worker-owners to strengthen operations, refine business strategy, enhance governance practices, and support sustainability and growth utilizing coaching methods, a learning management system (Thinkific), .
• Iterate and standardized templates, guides, worksheets and toolkits that support co-ops in creating feasibility studies, business planning, membership models, market research, capital strategies, and member recruitment.
• 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.
• Deliver culturally relevant, bilingual (English and Spanish) one-on-one technical assistance to worker co-op entrepreneurs at all stages of development.
• Manage end-to-end LMS administration in Thinkific, including content updates, user enrollment, and learner progress tracking to drive high engagement and completion rates.

Program Management (40%)

• Collaborate with the Co-op Development Team and Technical
• Assistance working group on strategic program design, special projects, and community engagement to recruit and market cooperative offerings.
• Cultivate relationships across Metro Denver’s small business support landscape to connect cooperatives with resources, visibility, and opportunities that build collective power.
• Manage the end-to-end development process for startup and established cooperatives—from early-stage discovery and readiness through academy participation, business launch, and ongoing growth support.
• Develop and manage scopes of work and implementation plans tailored to each cooperative’s needs, maintaining consistent follow-up and progress monitoring.
• Drive planning, budgeting, implementation, evaluation, and overall management for assigned program areas, including specialized offerings like the Back Office Service program,
• Worker Owned Cooperative Academy, and TA LAB to ensure financial viability and service quality.
• Direct business development contractors, subject matter experts, and support staff to effectively deliver specialized assistance.
• Maintain diligent records across technical assistance, programming and evaluation to support deliverable tracking and grant reporting.
• Conduct program evaluations measuring cooperative revenue growth, member leadership development, and organizational progress toward building an inclusive economy.
• Utilize evaluation insights and strategic reflection to continuously optimize CCW’s co-op development processes, ensuring alignment with CCW’s mission and values.

Organizational Support (10%)

• Maintain appropriate organizational data and record-keeping systems
• Identify operational issues that need attention and facilitate solutions that support the entire organization
• Support with movement-building campaigns, including fundraising and presentations on Community Wealth Building practices and principles

Other Duties as Assigned (10%)