Marketing and Acquisitions Specialist (Worker Co-op Conversions)

Overview

Position Summary
The Marketing and Acquisitions Specialist (Worker Co-op Conversions) identifies potential conversion projects and oversees their purchase by workers and/or other stakeholder groups (consumers or community members). This key position is within the General Development program and will serve communities in the States of Idaho, Oregon, and Washington. The position will pay special attention to helping workers take advantage of employee ownership policies created by the Washington Employee Ownership Commission.  This program facilitates the purchase of existing businesses by the workers employed at the company where the new organization is incorporated under Washington Cooperative statutes and where the worker members comprise at least 50% of the board of directors. This new position for NWCDC was created to support employee ownership laws in Washington and has substantial potential for growth. The ideal candidate will have the experience and skills necessary to expand the deal pipeline and grow the position.

The Marketing & Acquisitions Specialist will work with a dedicated team of Cooperative Development Specialists who provide direct technical assistance to community resident owners. NWCDC is a member of Worker to Owners Collaborative and CooperationWorks! Each brings important training tools to the program. Within NWCDC the General Development team has approximately 5 Cooperative Development Specialists to assist with the development and implementation of conversions.

The principal task of the Marketing & Acquisitions Specialist is the preservation of small businesses in the State of Washington with employment at the same level or better in terms of compensation and working conditions through the cooperative enterprise model.

Responsibilities

• Conduct market research and, in partnership with the Executive Director, develop a business plan for implementing market and outreach to attract potential businesses for conversion.
• Actively seek out opportunities for business owners seeking to transition out of their company and sell to either the workers or community.
• Engage sellers and workers in consideration and negotiations of a worker buyout.
• Work with workers, sellers, and funders to assess the feasibility of acquisition and operation.
• Conduct due diligence for conversions as part of placing business under contract for service with NWCDC.
• Assist the buyout committee with gaining access to capital.
• Work with the cooperative development specialists to provide support for a successful transition to cooperative ownership.
• Represent NWCDC in external activities; conferences, discussions, trainings, and other activities as deemed appropriate.
• Support fundraising, communications, partnerships, and policy efforts as needed.

Duties or Tasks Performed

• Pipeline development and reporting
• Conduct initial feasibility of businesses seeking to transition
• Marketing program to sellers, brokers, and other industry organizations
• Attendance at industry events
• Participate on General Development Team
• Feasibility analysis
• Advise on Purchase and sale negotiations
• Document, deadline, and vendor management as they related to the real estate transaction
• Grant research, writing, and relationship building in collaboration with NWCDC staff
• Securing low-interest participation capital
• Advocacy

Necessary Skill Set

1. Experience in business sales, cooperative business structure, business start-up and development, or related industries.
2. Business development/transaction expertise, including financial analysis, financing structures, and contract negotiation.
3. Entrepreneurial and organized, detail-oriented, able to plan and anticipate challenges.
4. Committed to high volume, collaborative processes, projects and organizations.
5. Understanding of and commitment to cooperative values.
6. Effective communicator who is able to connect with diverse groups.
7. Proven ability to learn quickly, process a lot of information, and apply it on the job.
8. Comfortable working remotely/independently, using Cloud document management and database apps (Microsoft Office, Slack, and Google Suite Apps).
9. Personable and all-inclusive with the ability to manage social behavior for different groups; empathetic to the social needs of others; optimistic, tolerant and generous, willing to include levity and humor when necessary to balance competing needs.
10. Team-oriented in the pursuit of solving problems and dedicated to building and maintaining a positive, preemptive and productive collaborative environment;
11. Optimistic and goal oriented, organized and systematic;
12. Strong writing skills;
13. Able to travel and work some evenings and weekends; valid driver’s license necessary;
14. Spanish language fluency a plus.

Inclusion
Following Federal law, this institution is prohibited from discrimination based on race, color, national origin, sex, or disability. NWCDC is an equal-opportunity employer and service provider.

We promote economic prosperity for all through our work with our clients, our hiring practices, and our vigorous commitment to cooperative principles. We strive daily to acknowledge and eliminate all forms of oppression. By examining bias within ourselves and our organization, we work mindfully to make our board and staff more inclusive. We actively fight against racism, classism, gender inequality, and all efforts to marginalize anyone. The nature of our work engages us directly with the working poor, the educationally disadvantaged, the elderly, immigrants, and refugees. It is our goal to see all of our clients prosper within the cooperative movement.

Compensation: DOE $62,000-$68,000 per year (salary) plus health and dental (100%), 80 hours vacation, 10 holidays, and sick pay.

 

How to Apply
Submit the following documents in PDF form to johnm@nwcdc.coop

 

• Letter of Interest
• Resume
• Reference Sheet including
  • 3 professional references
  • 1 personal reference

The position will be open until it is filled.