Part-Time Co-op Developer

Job Description:

Part-Time Co-op Developer

Role Responsibilities: Cooperative Development Technical Assistance (45%), nonextractive loan management (45%), and some shared administrative and nonprofit fundraising (10%)

Time Commitment: This is a salaried exempt part-time position (18 hours per week). There is a candidacy period of one year with the potential of this position becoming permanent.

Compensation: Starting salary at $34,031 per year/18 hours per week.

Summary of benefits: $400/month ICHRA allocation; access to disability, dental, and vision insurance; $50/month cell phone or internet reimbursement; access to a pooled fund to support technology needs and professional development; paid holidays; and paid time off

Location: Majority remote; supply your own computer and phone

Note: This position is majority remote right now, with the option of working from our Center City co-working space. PACA has a mix of remote and in-person events to attend. Candidates must live in the Greater Philadelphia region or be willing to relocate here.

Application Process: Applications will be accepted and reviewed on a rolling basis until position is filled.

Anticipated Start Date: August/September 2025

About PACA

Guided by the principles of the international cooperative movement, the Philadelphia Area Cooperative Alliance’s (PACA) works to support and build the Philadelphia cooperative economy as a strategy for equitable wealth-building, community control, and moving towards a just economy. Our main work is our high-touch technical assistance program which works to support cooperatives, at all stages of their cycle, with everything from budgeting, business planning, by-laws writing, decision-making and governance modeling, conflict resolution and culture building, and more. PACA is a Lending Peer with Seed Commons Community Wealth Cooperative. Through this partnership we make loans to Philly co-ops and build hands-on relationships with the cooperative through their loan duration. Lastly, PACA does community education around cooperatives and policy and advocacy work to support co-ops’ needs. PACA engages in this work while centering an equitable approach to co-op development for racial and economic justice.

Overview of role and purpose, audience:

The Co-op Developer’s main purpose is to work with other PACA Co-op Developers to support marginalized communities in developing cooperatives towards building economic democracy. This position will fulfill work within our General Technical Assistance and our Loan Fund programs; supporting our cooperatives directly with workshops, facilitated meetings, resource building, loan writing, and other needs.

Responsibilities

#1 Cooperative Technical Assistance

PACA provides Technical Assistance (TA) to members and other Philly-area groups. Internal training will be provided on PACA’s core offerings. Our partners in this work are: The City of Philadelphia, for the General Technical Assistance Program, and Seed Commons Community Wealth Cooperative for our lending work.

Primary duties of the Co-op Developer include:

• Participate in the collective management of our intake processes (technical assistance, lending, and membership)
• Loan generation and management
• Conduct intake and respond to inquiries about new co-op creation, conversions to cooperatives, cooperative expansion, and other technical assistance requests
• Provide high-touch technical assistance to start-up and operating co-op businesses and track engagements to monitor progress and fulfill reporting requirements
• Technical Assistance can look like: start-up road map, business plan development, organizational operations, cooperative governance and culture, formalization of a legal entity; financial education, including: financial planning, pro formas, and understanding of financial reports.
• Optional: Lead public education workshops on cooperatives

Staff Collective:

PACA has a Board of Directors majority composed of our member cooperatives. PACA also works on a Staff Collective model. Together these work to build worker self-direction and reflect and guide our goals and cooperative values more deeply. In onboarding a staff member, we find inspiration in cooperatives’ candidacy period for members. If hired, this position has the potential to become permanent. The first year of employment will be considered a candidacy period to ensure that PACA and the new staff member are good fits with one another. The decision about future employment will be discussed at the end of one year. If the position continues past a year, the staff member will be eligible to join the PACA General Circle (voting body with Staff + Board) as a full voting member. As a member of this cooperative space, the Co-op Developer will be expected to participate leaderfully in the overall management of the organization as a full member of the Staff Collective and General Circle (they will take on some collectively shared administrative and fundraising responsibilities during their candidacy period). Some responsibilities include:

• Attend Staff Collective meetings and staff retreats
• Attend General Circle Meetings (Board of Directors and Staff)
• Participate in collective fundraising efforts, annual participatory budgeting, administrative duties, and other core organization-sustaining activities
• Maintain understanding of PACA finances and responsibilities

Desired Qualifications/Experience

Candidates for the Co-op Developer will have:

• Strong alignment with the mission, vision and values of PACA and supporting marginalized communities towards building economic justice
• Interest/background in community development and/or adult learning/workforce development
• Understanding of the cooperative business model, previous experience with cooperative development or worker-ownership is highly desired
• Experience with social group work including curriculum development, meeting facilitation and coordination, democratic decision-making, member orientation, and mediation
• Strong organizational, interpersonal and communication skills; demonstrated experience of written and oral presentation skills
• Sincere commitment to democratic collaboration and cooperation, with experience working in cooperatives and across multiple groups (staff, board members, volunteers, donors, program participants, and other supporters)

Preferred Qualifications/Experience:

• 2-3 years experience providing business technical assistance in the cooperative, for-profit, and/or non-profit sector
• Strong grasp of business finance, and experience sharing financial knowledge with others
• Strong knowledge of current small business, economic development and workforce development programs, players and providers in the Philadelphia area
• Bilingual Spanish-English speakers preferred