Website Guilded
Guilded is a freelancer-owned platform cooperative that aggregates resources to build financial and social stability for freelancers. Through Guilded, freelancers are able to receive administrative support, access to a guaranteed payment pool and a suite of worker benefits traditionally reserved for employees.
As an initiative of the USFWC (US Federation of Worker Cooperatives), Guilded was incorporated in 2020. The USFWC is a national grassroots membership organization for worker cooperatives and other democratic workplaces whose mission is to build a thriving cooperative movement of stable, empowering jobs through worker-ownership. We represent 350 member workplaces (and growing) comprising over10,000 workers across the country. We support our members by advancing worker-owned, -managed, and -governed workplaces through cooperative education, organizing, advocacy, and development.
The Outreach Coordinator joins at an exciting time for the USFWC and for Guilded. Guilded is gearing up for a national launch as it organizes the freelance labor sector, with special focus in art and creative freelancers. Guilded aims to engage such contingent and temporary workers using cooperative models in order to access the type of benefits traditionally tied to a social contract stemming from formal employment status. Guilded’s supportive services address root economic disparities that disproportionately impact low-income and Black and Indigenous members, and other members of color, using financial solidarity to deliver better conditions for a multi-racial independent workforce.
The Outreach Coordinator is responsible for overseeing recruitment, retention, and engagement of Guilded users and members; while enhancing accessibility of Guilded’s member services and benefits. The Outreach Coordinator participates in the development and maintenance of high-value benefits; provides access to quality training, education and cooperative resources; and supports a nationally coordinated network of freelance-members and allies. Most importantly, the Outreach Coordinator executes a highly-targeted recruitment and engagement strategy primarily for California that would connect to Guilded’s national membership strategy.
The new Outreach Coordinator will develop Guilded’s organizing, outreach, and engagement strategy to deepen connection with a distributed network of members in California and nationally.
Qualities of an Ideal Applicant
● Ability to embody a “radical care” approach – We want Guilded members to feel our commitment to relationships that are rooted in delightful engagements.
● Trust builder – We want to demonstrate consistent and clear delivery of services and benefits to our members in a way that makes it easy for them to invite their closest friends to join Guilded.
● Strong commitment to service – We will cultivate an atmosphere of excellence
● Autonomous and collaborative – We will provide you the space to manage your workflow and collaborate with us so we can connect and adapt as we grow our membership.
Scope of work
Membership Recruitment, Engagement, and Retention (50%): Oversee strategic member recruitment– with a primary focus in California– to successfully engage Black and Indigenous freelancers in the arts in order to reach Guilded’s membership recruitment targets.
➔ Support recruitment, retention goals and work-plan in coordination with the Program Manager and General Manager.
➔ Oversee handling of member requests in coordination with the Program Manager.
➔ Research the landscape of organizations who could be potential partners for recruitment efforts alongside the General Manager.
➔ Maintain recruitment materials in collaboration with Program Manager and General Manager.
➔ Create strong, caring relationships with potential members as they engage with Guilded.
➔ Support the growth of Guilded’s membership to reach 200 by 2023.
➔ Support new users in utilizing Guilded’s platform of services, such as, support with invoices, enrolling in healthcare, and the guaranteed payment pool.
➔ Evaluate member on-boarding and member renewal process.
Member Benefits (20%): Maximize member value through management of high-quality benefits; analyze benefit usage and satisfaction for ongoing improvement and development
➔ Research, develop, promote and evaluate member benefits through surveys and data evaluation
➔ Manage and promote all existing benefits with special focus on high-impact and potentially revenue-generating benefits
➔ Generate accurate and accessible documentation around Guilded user benefits.
Outreach (20%): Promote internal and external Guilded news through relevant avenues (social media, blogs, interviews) and strategic marketing partnerships.
➔ Conceptualize and facilitate monthly training and information sessions for members with the Program Manager that integrate Guilded user and member feedback
➔ Coordinate the promotion of Guilded prospective member-owner trainings and Board trainings.
➔ Co-manage and oversee external facing communication for Guilded related to partnerships
Admin & Support (10%):
➔ Participate in routine staff communications, evaluations, meetings, and retreats
➔ Support and collaborate with other staff to complete team projects as needed
➔ Oversees maintenance of records in our systems with support from Programs Manage
➔ Support in the compilation of information for regular reports and grants as needed.
Qualifications:
● Racial Justice Efficacy: Deeply understand and implement work in a way that supports racial justice.
● Organizing Experience: At least two years of experience organizing alongside communities.
● Member Services, Customer Support, or Community Relations Experience: At least two years of experience providing support services to a community.
● Program Management: Proven experience leading successful program work. Able to perform necessary research and development, implement a program, manage a program budget, conduct evaluation, and ensure ongoing program improvement
● Exceptional written and verbal communication skills; capable of communicating effectively with a wide range of people and through many communication channels (small group, public speaking, mass emails, facilitating conference calls, print, etc)
● Stakeholder Engagement: Highly effective at engaging diverse stakeholders, listening to many perspectives and able to provide necessary leadership
● Local/ National/ International/ or Community Organizing: Passion and experience with organizing for racial justice, workers’ rights, and a solidarity economy
● Creative Problem Solving: Demonstrated ability to foresee obstacles, generate and implement solutions, and manage long-term changes as needed
● Basic Technology: Proficient with Microsoft Office, Google apps, management of listserv, use of online channels for communication (we use Slack) and project management online tools (we use Asana), comfortable with software for online video conference.
Desired, but not required:
● Cooperative Experience: Basic familiarity with the cooperative business form and workplace democracy. People with experience with worker-ownership are especially encouraged to apply.
● Written and verbal Spanish proficiency is highly preferable, but not necessarily required.
Compensation & Benefits: This is a temp-to-hire position for a 12-month period, for as a 30-35 hours/week with compensation ranging from $50,000-$60,000, (based on a 40-hour FTE rate). Compensation will be awarded based on location and commensurate with experience. Because Guilded is being incubated by USFWC the hired individual will be an employee of USFWC with access to USFWC staff benefits. This position will be eligible for fully subsidized individual and family vision and dental insurance, and subsidized medical coverage or a healthcare stipend for the employee. Other employee benefits include flexible paid holidays, annual vacation, and the opportunity to set up a pre-tax health or child care Flexible Spending Account.
Location: The USFWC maintains a flexible work environment, including remote working and occasional out of town travel for work as health guidelines allow. Given the nature of the Outreach Coordinator’s focus in California the ideal candidate would be California based. Consideration may be given to other candidates with appropriate experience and strong connections outside the state of California.
About Working at USFWC: U.S. Federation of Worker Cooperatives, which is incubating Guilded, is a growing organization. It currently consists of of sixteen employees and some part time contractors, along with leadership from our nine-member Board of Directors. The USFWC has expanded both its programs and its staff significantly over the last four years. We are dedicated to serving our members and focusing on growing our impact, our value, and our programs and member benefits. Although currently embedded within the USFWC staff team, Guilded is developing its own staff team which will eventually be autonomous from the USFWC’s team and policies, even while some programmatic collaboration persists.
Applying:
To apply please send a resume, cover letter, and the names and contact information of 3 references from current or former workplaces (or significant organizing initiatives) to hiring@guilded.coop. Title the subject line of your email “Your Name, Outreach Coordinator Application”.
The position will be open until filled and applications submitted by February 15th will receive priority.
The USFWC is an Equal Opportunity employer. We highly encourage applicants of color, applicants who grew up poor or working class, LGBTQIA applicants, and applicants from other historically marginalized communities to apply.