Job Title: Cooperative Business Launch Lead
Location: Chicago, Illinois
Organization: Village of Leaders Thriving in Solidarity

Role Overview

We are seeking someone who wants to apply their professional skills toward building an economy that prioritizes people and the planet. This role is for someone highly capable and resourceful who is ready to use their experience in service of building businesses grounded in different values—creating dignified jobs and ownership opportunities for people who have historically been excluded from economic opportunity, particularly formerly incarcerated women and others facing significant barriers.

You will work alongside the co-owners of two start-up worker cooperatives—one in food manufacturing and one in property management—as they bring their businesses to life. These businesses are part of a broader effort to build a cooperative and solidarity economy in Chicago, rooted in shared ownership and community wealth-building.

This role is best understood as a launch partner and collaborator. The worker-owners are the founders, and your role is to contribute your skills in a way that strengthens their ability to lead over time. These businesses are governed democratically, and you will participate as a contributor and advisor within that process.

We are looking for someone who is grounded, adaptable, and comfortable working in an environment where learning goes both ways. You will be sharing knowledge while also learning from people whose experiences may be very different from your own. This work requires patience, humility, and a strong commitment to shared ownership.

The central goal of this role is to support these businesses in reaching a level of stability where they can sustain themselves and provide living-wage income to their worker-owners.

Key responsibilities

The person in this role will work alongside the worker-owners and a team of fellow advisors to move forward the core work of launching and stabilizing the businesses. This includes:

  • Helping the businesses break into the market and generate real revenue by building pipelines, developing partnerships, closing deals, and navigating procurement and contracting processes

  • Shaping and executing go-to-market strategies by developing pricing, positioning, contract structures, and customer acquisition approaches that align with what the business can realistically deliver

  • Standing up core operations by creating workflows, delivery systems, vendor relationships, and day-to-day practices that enable consistent and reliable execution

  • Establishing quality and reliability by setting clear standards, building feedback loops, and supporting continuous improvement over time

  • Supporting financial and strategic decision-making by contributing to budgets, projections, and an understanding of costs and overall sustainability

  • Teaching and supporting worker-owners to take on these functions over time by sharing skills, building usable systems, and supporting the transition to worker-led operations

Qualifications

We recognize that strong candidates may come from many different backgrounds and encourage you to apply even if you don’t meet every qualification.

  • Experience helping launch or grow a business, program, or new initiative from idea through execution, ideally with a team

  • Ability to operate in early-stage environments where systems are still being built and many things are still being figured out

  • Deep experience in at least one core business area (e.g., business development, sales, partnerships, operations, or product development), with a working understanding of how these functions connect across the business

  • Demonstrated ability to generate revenue by turning relationships and opportunities into contracts, customers, or partnerships

  • Ability to move between strategy and hands-on execution, including rolling up your sleeves to solve practical operational challenges

  • Experience building systems from scratch and improving them over time

  • High level of technical proficiency across multiple platforms, with the ability to quickly learn new tools and design systems (not just use them)

  • Strong relationship-building skills and the ability to collaborate with people from a wide range of professional and life backgrounds

  • Comfort teaching and sharing knowledge while also learning from others

  • Ability to share expertise without dominating decision-making, and comfort working in environments where authority is shared rather than centralized

  • Grounded, low ego, and committed to shared ownership and collective leadership

  • Commitment to economic justice and genuine interest in worker ownership, cooperative businesses, or community-based economic development

Compensation & Benefits

  • Salary range of $95,000–$105,000, depending on experience

  • Health, dental, and vision insurance

  • Unlimited paid time off, with most team members taking approximately 4–5 weeks per year

  • 35-hour work week with a flexible schedule. This role requires a significant amount of in-person time in Chicago, working closely with worker-owners and partners. While there is flexibility in how work is structured, consistent on-the-ground presence is essential.

We recognize that this role may not be competitive with some private-sector salaries. We are looking for candidates who are excited to apply their skills in service of building a more just and democratic economy, and who are motivated by both the work and its long-term impact.

How to Apply

Please submit a single PDF to info@voltschi.org with the subject line: Launch Lead Application – [your full name]. Your PDF should include your resume and either a cover letter or a link to a 2–4 minute recorded video. If you choose to submit a video, please include the link in your PDF.

Please apply by May 20, 2026 to be considered in the first round of applications.

We often receive applications that sound very similar, especially with the increasing use of AI tools. We are looking for thoughtful, specific responses that reflect your genuine interest in this role, your relevant experience, and your commitment to shared ownership and cooperative values. We encourage you to go beyond general statements of alignment and help us understand how your background and perspective connect to this work.