Co-op / Organization:
Nickel City Housing Co-op
Location:
Buffalo, NY
Type of Organization:
Housing
Brief Description of Organization:
Nickel City Housing Cooperative was founded in 2001 with the mission of fixing up vacant properties in Buffalo to provide affordable and cooperative housing. We are all members of North American Students of Cooperation (NASCO) and our homes are leased to us by NASCO Properties, making us unique here in Buffalo because we have the support and assistance from a national network of housing co-ops.
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The Worker Cooperative Development Center will focus its efforts on leveraging existing assets and relationships to foster a community of worker cooperatives in Buffalo, NY. The Center will provide a structured training program for each worker cooperative selected through an RFP process including ongoing access to a comprehensive range of supports and services. The Center will also provide general education about worker cooperatives and an accessible resource library for any interested community members and start-up or existing businesses.
Website:
http://nickelcitycoop.org/
Number of Members:
24
Number of Staff:
9
Dress Code:
Business Casual; Casual
Internship Position Title:
Worker Cooperative Development Center Administrative Consultant
Internship Position Duties:
An initiative of members of Nickel City Housing Cooperative and the broader solidarity economy movement in Buffalo, NY, the Worker Cooperative Development Center is seeking an administrative consultant to assist its Steering Committee through a three- or six-month planning phase beginning on 5/18/2015 and ending with the successful launch of the Center on or around 11/1/2015. The administrative consultant will report directly to the program consultant, who will in turn report directly to the Steering Committee. The administrative consultant would be responsible for the following:
Administrative
- Create and publish curriculum with input and oversight from the Program Manager
- Create and publish RFP process for potential worker cooperative start-ups with input and oversight from the Program Manager
- Produce a detailed business plan for the incubator (including financial projections, space requirements, job descriptions, detailed timeline for incubation curriculum, etc.)
- Include sustainability plan in the business plan with input from the Program Manager
- Develop marketing materials with Program Manager’s approval
- Schedule meetings for themselves as well as meetings for Program Manager and the Steering Committee
- Maintain milestones/timeline for the 6-8 month planning process
- Notetaking, publishing meeting minutes, creating task lists, accountability
The applicant can choose to make this a 6-month internship at 10 hr/wk or a 3-month internship at 15-20 hr/wk.
***For the very ambitious applicant, this 15-20 hr/wk position could be combined with our other internship posting, "Nickel City Housing Cooperative Policy Improvement Coordinator," another 15-20 hr/wk position, which includes room and board at Nickel City Housing Cooperative.
Position Training:
The Administrative Consultant will be expected to come with basic knowledge of worker cooperative businesses and cooperative principles, but the Worker Cooperative Development Center Steering Committee will provide training in the Center's proposed model for worker cooperative business incubation, as well as overview research on Buffalo, NY's economy, demographics, and the unique opportunities for worker cooperative development in our region.
Skills Development & Learning:
The Administrative Consultant will leave with excellent business/strategic planning and program development skills, both through the deliverables that will be produced, and also through work with Steering Committee members that have extensive experience in these areas. The Administrative Consultant will also learn what it's like to have fun in a self-directed yet challenging atmosphere. Building the new solidarity economy is not easy, but it is rewarding!
Other details of working conditions:
If the applicant chooses to apply for both of our open positions, they will also receive room/board at Nickel City Housing Coop.
Compensation ($):
$13/hr. Compensation set at hourly rate above the current living wage of $12.85 as determined by the City of Buffalo.
Is Room Included?:
No
Working Hours:
Flexible, part-time hours, i.e. between 9am and 1pm or 11am and 4pm Monday-Friday.
Total Hours of Work Per Week:
15-20