Cooperative Development Field Director

About the Organization 

The Democracy at Work Institute (DAWI) is a national nonprofit dedicated to expanding democratic employee ownership as a strategy for racial and economic equity. We work to increase access to business ownership for workers and communities historically excluded, particularly immigrant, low-income, and workers of color through business transitions and cooperative development.

DAWI partners with practitioners, policymakers, and ecosystem leaders across the country to build the field of employee ownership and ensure it is accessible, effective, and scalable. 

About the Job: Cooperative Development Field Director

Cooperative Development Field Director leads DAWI’s national work to build the capacity, skills, and coordination of the cooperative development sector. This role is responsible for strengthening the national ecosystem of organizations and practitioners that support employee ownership and cooperative development, including cooperative business developers, technical assistance providers, capital partners, public-sector business service providers, and ecosystem stakeholders.

The role advances practitioner competency, ecosystem coordination, and field infrastructure needed to scale employee ownership through business transitions and cooperative development. This includes developing training, tools, standards, and learning pathways that strengthen cooperative business development practice nationally. And convening stakeholders, strengthening connections across local, regional, and national ecosystems to improve coordination and increase impact.

This role works across DAWI’s core initiatives (including Unlocking Capital for Business Ownership, Innovation for Better Livelihoods, and Equitable Ecosystem Development) to strengthen the field as a whole.

As the employee ownership field enters a critical period of growth, this role sits at the center of that momentum, helping to coordinate partners, strengthen practitioner capacity, and improve the effectiveness of employee ownership efforts nationwide.

This is not a direct, one-on-one business advisory role. Instead, this position focuses on building the systems, skills, and partnerships that enable cooperative business developers and service provider organizations to deliver high-quality support to worker-owned businesses at scale. The role is a perfect fit for a leader who excels at building systems, developing others, and aligning diverse partners to scale impact across a national field. 

Success in this role is defined by stronger field capacity, enhanced practitioner training and competency in cooperative business development, improved ecosystem coordination, and increased scale and effectiveness of business transitions and cooperative development nationally.

Job Responsibilities

1. National Cooperative Developer Training & Engagement (60%)

Lead DAWI’s strategy to build a strong, skilled, and coordinated national field of cooperative business developers.

• Design and implement a national strategy for practitioner skill-building (for cooperative  startup + business transitions).
• Develop and deliver training, curricula, and learning pathways for business service providers (e.g., business service providers, business ecosystem partners, practicing coop developers and new entrants from nonprofit and worker centers).
• Create and maintain practical tools and resources to support high-quality cooperative development.
• Identify competency gaps across the field and design targeted training interventions
• Support peer learning and knowledge exchange across practitioners (e.g., working groups, communities of practice).
• Partner with internal teams to integrate and scale training delivery.

Lead the evolution of the Workers to Owners Collaborative 

• Lead the repositioning of the Workers to Owners Collaborative (W2O) as a streamlined component of DAWI’s broader field-building strategy.
• Clarify W2O’s purpose, scope, and value as a platform for practitioner engagement, training input, and knowledge-sharing.
• Right-size W2O activities with a focus on high-value contributions such as advancing field standards, developing tools, skills-sharing, and advancing emerging field needs.
• Position W2O as a contributor to the broader cooperative development ecosystem, ensuring it strengthens the field rather than operating independently as a standalone program.

2. Ecosystem Building & Partnerships (20%)

Advance place-based ecosystems that support employee ownership.

• Work across DAWI’s core initiatives (Unlocking Capital for Business Ownership, Innovation for Better Livelihoods, and Equitable Ecosystem Development) to strengthen the field as a whole and to build a coordinated and accessible local service provider system.
• Connect and align business developers, capital providers, and public-sector partners. 
• Facilitate coordination across national and local stakeholders.
• Design and support local strategies to increase deal flow and successful business transitions.

3. Systems & Infrastructure (10%)

Develop and implement minimum viable systems that support coordination and scaling.

• Define and implement a right-sized data framework for tracking field activity and trends using our Salesforce Database.
• Support the development and use of BecomingEmployeeOwned.org as an intake, referral, and visibility tool.
• Produce field-facing outputs (lender guides, trend briefs, toolkits, case studies).

4. Organizational Leadership & Strategy (5%)

• Contribute to DAWI’s broader program strategy and cross-team alignment.
• Collaborate with data, communications, and program teams to integrate learning and storytelling.
• Represent DAWI in national conversations on business transitions and employee ownership.

5. Earned Revenue & Strategic Engagement (5%)

• Contribute to DAWI’s mission-aligned earned revenue strategy through training and consulting. Ensuring revenue-generating activities complement and strengthen field partners.
  

Desired Experience 

• 4+yrs Experience working within small business, cooperative development, or business service ecosystems.
• Knowledgeable of worker cooperative development practices and business transition strategies that support conversion to employee ownerships.
• Understanding of the opportunities employee ownership creates for business preservation and ownership pathways, alongside the barriers faced by business owners navigating succession planning and business transitions particularly MWBEs, BIPOC and rural entrepreneurs, and historically underserved communities.
• Demonstrated ability to design and deliver training or capacity-building initiatives for business advisors and other diverse audiences.
• A track record of aligning diverse stakeholders (technical assistance providers, capital partners, public agencies, and community-based organizations).
• Strong facilitation and relationship-building skills, with the ability to lead through influence.
• Experience navigating ambiguity and driving clarity in complex, multi-stakeholder environments.
• Motivated by strengthening the capacity of others and building systems that enable broader impact, rather than serving as a direct service provider. 
• Energized by working at the ecosystem level and are equally comfortable convening partners, business service providers, developing tools, and shaping strategy.

Required Skills & Competencies 

Successful candidates will demonstrate strength in the following areas:

• 4+yrs Training & Capacity Building: Experience designing and delivering adult learning experiences that build skills across diverse practitioners, business advisors and organizations.
• 4+yrs Cooperative & Business Development: Knowledgeable in business development practices, employee ownership models, and worker cooperative development, including business transitions and succession planning.
• Ecosystem Strategy & Coordination: Experience working across multi-stakeholder environments (e.g., public sector, nonprofits, business advisors, capital providers) to improve coordination and outcomes
• Project Design & Execution: Ability to translate strategy into practical tools, trainings, and initiatives that produce tangible results
• Equity-Centered Practice: Experience working with and supporting communities historically excluded from business ownership, and applying an equity lens to program and ecosystem design
• Relational Leadership & Facilitation: Ability to build trust, align diverse stakeholders, and lead through influence across sectors and geographies
• Adaptive Leadership in Ambiguity: Comfort navigating evolving priorities, shaping new initiatives, and driving clarity in complex environments
• Able and willing to travel regularly to represent DAWI at conferences, trainings and stakeholder gatherings, with travel expected throughout five or more months out of the year

About DAWI 

The Democracy at Work Institute is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit think-and-do tank that expands worker

cooperatives and other employee-owned forms to communities locked out of good jobs and business ownership opportunities. We do research and advocacy; training, consulting, and education; field-building and convening; tool and model development; and impact measurement. We build fieldwide capacity to ensure that further growth in the worker cooperative movement reaches low-income people, people of color, and recent immigrants. In all our work, as well as internal operations, we strive to embody our organizational values of Integrity, Equity, Innovation, Collaboration, and Human-Centeredness. We are affiliated with our sister organization, the US Federation of Worker Cooperatives. All programs integrate USFWC member input. All staffers are expected to help build organizational capacity and processes. In turn, DAWI commits to building all staff members’ professional development and leadership skills. We love our work, and we work hard, but we also strive for work-life balance. Full-time staff are eligible for membership in the organization after 1 year of employment. Members are eligible to serve on the board of directors and participate in the strategic guidance of the organization. 

Schedule and Location

This is a full-time exempt position. We are a 4-day workweek workplace, open Monday to Thursday. We are a remote organization with a physical office in New York, which allows us to have staff all over the country, and to create flexible working hours. 

Compensation and Benefits

The salary range for this position is $88,500-$98,500, depending on experience.  We also offer a comprehensive benefits package, including 100% employer paid medical, dental, and vision coverage for employees, participation in a 403(b) plan, a Flexible Spending Account, generous paid time-off, 1 week paid time off in the summer and in the winter, and a flexible work environment with opportunities for professional development. Long-term employees are eligible for paid sabbatical leave.

Supervision: This position reports to the Deputy Director.

Notice About the Application Process and How to Apply: 

• To apply, please submit your resume and cover letter through our careers page: https://democracyatworkinstitute.bamboohr.com/careers/25 
  
• Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. The priority deadline is July 13, 2026, and early submission is strongly encouraged.
• Interviews are expected to begin in early August. Candidates should anticipate up to two rounds of interviews, including a work assignment or skills-based exercise as part of the selection process.

• The anticipated start date for the successful candidate is September 2026. Finalists should be available to attend DAWI's staff retreat, which will be held in person in conjunction with the National Worker Cooperative Conference in Boston, Massachusetts, from September 23–26, 2026.

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. We are an anti-racist organization that centers racial equity in our values, programs, and vision. 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, co-worker, vendor, client, or customer of DAWI.