OPIRG Peterborough Coordinator Job Vacancy in Canada

Ontario Public Interest Research Group Peterborough
http://www.opirgpeterborough.ca

Date of Notice: December 1, 2016
Start date: January
16, 2017
Location: Peterborough ON, Canada

The Organization

OPIRG works to create and sustain student and community based engagement
through research, education and action on social justice and environmental
issues. OPIRG-Peterborough employs consensus decision-making processes and
endeavours to foster a non-hierarchical and an anti-oppressive working
environment.

The Position

The OPIRG Peterborough Coordinator position is a part-time job share for the
first half year and will change to a full-time position as of July 4, 2017.

Part-Time Job Share

The part-time job share is for a duration of January 16, 2017 – June 30, 2017. During the job
share, the position will be for 17 hours per week.

Full-Time Position

As of July 4, 2017,
this position will alternates between 40 hours per week (Sept 1st– April 30th) and 30 hours
per week (May
1st-August 31st). Candidates must be able to work flexible hours
including some evenings and occasional weekends for meetings and events. Work
time allocated in each of the areas of the Coordinator’s responsibility will
vary greatly depending on the time of the year and the term.

Employer Equity Statement

OPIRG welcomes the contributions that individuals from marginalized communities
bring to our organization, and invites aboriginal people; people of colour;
poor and working class people and those on social assistance; women, gays,
lesbians, bisexuals, queer-oriented people; transgender, transsexual, intersex
and two-spirit people; single parents, members of ethnic minorities,
immigrants, people from non-academic backgrounds and people with disabilities
to apply. We encourage applicants to describe the contributions and experiences
they would bring to the OPIRG organization in their cover letter. All
applicants are asked for a brief statement on their views of power and
oppression.

Employment Terms

This position begins on January 16, 2017 with a pay rate of $22.38/hour, plus
health and dental benefits. This is a unionized position under CUPE Local 1281,
with a six-month probationary period. There is a wheelchair lift in the
building (Sadleir House), but we regret that the OPIRG office is not currently
wheelchair accessible.

The Role of Permanent Staff

Due to the high number of student volunteers, OPIRG Peterborough experiences
high volunteer turnover; therefore permanent staff provides a much needed
continuity and stability in this ever-changing organization. The Coordinator is
accountable to the Board of Directors of OPIRG Peterborough, reports to them,
and works with them to carry out critical basic tasks that maintain the
integrity of the organization. The Coordinator also works cooperatively with
part-time staff and volunteers. The work environment has little day to day supervision.

Responsibilities

Job Share

After the coordinator is hired, a meeting will be arranged between the current
coordinator, the Board of Directors’ staff liaison and the successful candidate
to create a Memorandum of Understanding and to discuss the splitting tasks and
responsibilities of the job as per each coordinator’s skillset and number of
hours of work available per week. The job, which includes all of the
responsibilities listed below, will be shared between the two coordinators from
January 16,
2017-June 30, 2017.

Full-Time Responsibilities

Full-Time Responsibilities will commence on July 4, 2017.

Volunteer, Board and Staff Co-ordination:

Volunteers

The Coordinator will work with Board and staff to:
• Recruit, orient, train, place, support, and supervise volunteers as required
and/or appropriate.
• Provide support and maintain ongoing communication with volunteers (including
working groups, Free Market volunteers, coop students/interns, and others).
• Help organize annual volunteer and staff appreciation.

Board of Directors

The Coordinator will assist the Board to:
• Recruit & orient new board members (help lead weekend-long board retreat,
prepare board kits etc.)
• Arrange and/or provide Board training (consensus, facilitation, anti-oppression
and financial management)
• Provide administrative support (attend board meetings and assist the Board in
policy making and decision making)
• Help organize the Annual General Meeting and annual elections for OPIRG
Peterborough
• Facilitate and implement a strategic plan for the organization.

Staff

The Coordinator will assist the Board to:
• Recruit, hire, orientate, train, place, and support OPIRG staff
• Maintain staff records, paperwork and payroll as needed.
• Provide support, guidance and supervision to part-time staff as required
and/or as deemed appropriate by Board.

Office and Financial Administration:

Office Administration

Coordinator will work with Board and staff to:
• Maintain information flow (including: email, phone, mail).
• Maintain regular office hours.
• Update the web page and social media sites.
• Maintain office function (including: computer systems, copier, supplies and
other equipment).
• Assist volunteers and staff in accessing equipment and resources in the
office.
• Respond to the needs of volunteers, members and other visitors to the office.
• Establish, implement and maintain systems that support organizational
learning and memory, such as overall filing systems.

Financial Administration

Coordinator will work with Board to:
• Manage day to day finances of the organization, including: bookkeeping using
QuickBooks, banking, payroll, and fundraising.
• Work with Board to apply for grants and administer them.
• Provide financial reports to Board as requested.
• Work with Board to establish budgets and to allocate resources.
• Develop year-end financial report and prepare for annual financial review by
Chartered Accountant.

Projects, Programming, Networking and Provincial:

Projects

Coordinator will work with Board and staff to:
• Develop and implement organizational projects and events.
• Establish goals and policies and participate in their implementation.
• Assist in the development of research projects and their implementation.
• Create and distribute promotional resources (including pamphlets and
posters).
• Prepare the OPIRG Annual Report prior to the annual general meeting.
• Write press releases and work with local media.

Ongoing Programming

Coordinator will work with Board, staff and volunteers to:
• Operate the “Free Market” (Free Store and related programming) and the Green
Dishes Project.
• Maintain good relations with our community partners (Sadleir House and many
more).
• Ensure safe, clean, and organized operations and sustain the delivery of
these community services in a manner consistent with our values and mission as
an organization.

Networking & Organizing

Coordinator will work with Board, staff and volunteers to:
• Establish and maintain good working partnerships with other
organizations/activists in both the local community and at Trent University.
• Collaborate with other organizations on campus and in the community to plan
event and campaigns and participate in coalition and solidarity work, based on
OPIRG priorities.
• Maintain and improve the visibility of OPIRG on campus, in the community and
online.
• Develop and implement strategies to communicate with the wider Peterborough
and Trent communities in order to involve them within OPIRG’s activities, as
well as to heighten the profile of OPIRG in the local community.
• Facilitate student organizing on social and environmental justice issues
within the Trent community.

Provincial
• Maintain contact with other PIRGs (Public Interest Research Groups) and
participate in OPIRG’s provincial Board, including
attending Board meetings and participating in Provincial initiatives.
• Attend Provincial staff meetings.

Qualifications

Education and Work Experience:
• A post-secondary degree in community development, international studies or
related field OR equivalent paid work experience.
• A minimum of 2 years employment experience within a non-profit organization.
• Knowledge, expertise and experience in community activism/engagement (paid or
unpaid).
• Proven competency with office and financial administration/bookkeeping.

Essential Knowledge and Values:
• Demonstrated understanding of and commitment to anti-oppression theory, as
well as a developed analysis of the political, social and legal aspects of
oppression.
• Understanding of and experience with consensus-based decision-making.
• Interest in and understanding of social and environmental justice issues.

Communication and Collaboration Skills:
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills (fluency and excellent
skills in using the English language are essential in order to function
effectively in the campus and Peterborough communities and to be able to
deliver the services and programs as required).
• Excellent interpersonal skills (sensitivity to others, ability to work
respectfully and cooperatively within a diverse group of people).
• Ability to effectively and confidently represent the organization in a
variety of public forums.
• Ability to use tact and diplomacy.
• Willingness to act as a resource and mentor to others in the organization
(including the Board of Directors).
• Ability to resolve conflict constructively and appropriately.
• Good understanding of group dynamics and commitment to working towards the
achievement of shared goals.

Computer Skills:
• Proficiency and skills with various media and a range of information and
communication technologies (computer software, internet, social media, etc.).
• Experience designing promotional/public education materials using design
software.
• Experience with accounting/bookkeeping software (especially Quickbooks
accounting software).

Coordination and Organizational Skills:
• Proven ability to prioritize work and manage numerous tasks simultaneously
within an unstructured and unsupervised work environment.
• Ability to locate, gather and organize information using appropriate
technology and information systems (filing)
• Proven ability to think strategically, especially in relation to budgeting
and planning
• Experience and expertise coordinating a large number of projects and events.
• Skills in program and policy development (including planning, implementation,
co-ordination and evaluation)

Complex problem solving abilities
• Must be highly motivated and self-directed with exemplary organizational,
administrative and time management skills.
• Proven ability to network with different stakeholders (i.e. University
administration, professors, community, staff, and Board of Directors).

Experiential Assets:
• Experience working with a volunteer Board of Directors, an OPIRG, or a
similar non-profit organization
• Experience working with post-secondary students and/or youth approximately
19-25 yrs of age
• Knowledge of Trent University campus and local NGOs, social and environmental
organizations and community organizations an asset.
• Experience with facilitation of engaging adult education workshops

Application Process

Interested applicants should deliver a resume, cover letter, a minimum of three
references (with phone numbers and email addresses) and a one-page essay that
addresses any of the following topics:

a) the relevance of anti-oppression work to social change organizations;

b) the most pressing issues facing our communities today;

c) the role of public interest research in society, or;

d) the role of students in social change;

Applications should be sent as a single PDF document, with “OPIRG Peterborough
Coordinator Position” as the document title along with the applicant’s name.
“OPIRG Peterborough Coordinator Position” must be in the subject line as well.
Applications must be sent to opirgpeterborough@gmail.com by 5pm January 2, 2017. No phone
calls please. Only those applicants selected for an interview will be
contacted. For more info: http://www.opirgpeterborough.ca