Waterloo Public Interest Research Group (WPIRG) Coordinator of Projects and Organizational Development Job Vacancy in Canada

The Waterloo Public Interest Research Group (WPIRG) is a student
funded and directed organization that provides support for students to
research, educate, and take action on environmental and social justice
issues. WPIRG endeavours to foster a non-hierarchical working
environment by following consensus decision-making processes. WPIRG is
a non-hierarchical organization that uses consensus decision-making
processes, and strives to create an anti-oppressive working
environment by proactively opposing all forms of oppression such as
those based on gender, race, class, sexuality, age, cultural
heritage/ethnicity, religion, and ability.

WPIRG has a high turnover of volunteers and the three permanent staff
provide continuity and stability in this ever-changing organization.
Staff carry out critical support work that maintains the integrity of
the organization, assist volunteers, and provide connection to other
activists, community groups, and organizations. They have an awareness
of and interest in issues relating to racism, sexism, queer and trans*
phobia, class exploitation, imperialism, environmental degradation,
indigenous sovereignty and decolonization, and ableism. WPIRG is a
small office environment, so staff work collaboratively, support each
other, and share some responsibilities.

The Position

The Coordinator of Projects and Organizational Development is
responsible for the overall operations of the organization, with the
aim of increasing the capacity of the organization and maintaining the
integrity of its infrastructure. This work broadly falls into three
categories – 1) financial management, 2) internal and external
organizational development, and 3) coordination of large projects.
Working in consultation with the board of directors and other staff,
primary responsibilities include:

Finances – Responsible for complete financial management of the
organization, including coordination of bookkeeping, budget setting,
audit preparation with special attention to grant administration and
action group funds.

Board of Directors – Orienting, training, and assisting volunteer
Directors in fulfilling their corporate responsibilities (i.e. board
meeting minutes, compliance with constitution and policies, Annual
General Meeting, etc.), maintaining organizational records and short
and long term organizational planning.

Policy Development – Development of policy proposals primarily in
areas of responsibility and assist the Board and other Coordinator(s)
with policy development.

Projects – Develop and execute projects that will increase the public
profile and capacity of the organization, especially in areas where
WPIRG is under-represented and projects will create links and
opportunities with marginalized communities. Examples include the
Rainbow Reels Queer and Trans* Film Festival, and WPIRG’s Annual
School of Public Interest Conference.

Ontario PIRG (Provincial) – Fulfill WPIRG’s commitments to the
provincial charitable organization, including working to strengthen
the PIRG network.

In addition, responsibilities will include grant applications,
supervising and mentoring contract staff, and assisting other
permanent staff with volunteer coordination, regular programming and
outreach.

Qualifications
• Demonstrated interest and experience in social and environmental
justice and familiarity with contemporary issues and their
interconnections
• Knowledge of anti-oppression analysis and proficiency in applying
this throughout your work
• Formal educational or professional experience with financial
management and administration (bookkeeping, audit preparation, etc.)
• Organizational management experience, including strategic visioning
and policy development
• Experience with project coordination and planning large scale events
• Self-direction and ability to take initiative and problem solve in a
fast paced office environment
• Ability to prioritize work and manage numerous tasks simultaneously
• Excellent collaborative skills, demonstrated ability to work well
with students, volunteers, and co-workers
• Experience writing and administering grants
• Experience with not-for-profit organizations
• Excellent written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills
• Familiarity with a university/college environment (familiarity with
the UW campus is an asset)
• Comfortable learning new technology and software (PC, Mac, Simply Accounting)

Employment Terms

The ‘Coordinator of Projects and Organizational Development’ is a
permanent full-time position with a 6-month probationary period. It is
a 35 hours per week position at a rate of $21.23 per hour, with
extended health care benefits and four weeks paid vacation per year.
Permanent staff are members of the Canadian Union of Public Employees
(CUPE) Local 1281. The anticipated start date is Monday, August 11th
2014.

Because WPIRG is located on a university campus, it follows the cycles
of university life – four-month terms (the busiest terms being Sep-Dec
and Jan-Apr with the slowest term being May-Aug). Within each term
another cycle exists, with the beginning of term being the most active
and the end of the term quieter. Work time allocated to the various
areas of responsibility will vary greatly, depending on the time of
year and academic term. Some evening and weekend work is expected.

How to Apply

WPIRG welcomes the contributions that individuals from marginalized
communities bring to our organization, and encourages aboriginal
people, people of colour, women, gays, lesbians, bisexuals,
queer-oriented people, single parents, members of ethnic minorities,
immigrants and people with disabilities to apply. We encourage
applicants to describe in their cover letter the contributions and
experiences they, as individuals who identify with marginalized
communities, would bring to WPIRG.

For this position, aboriginal people and people of colour who identify
as women or trans* are highly encouraged to apply and will be given
preference. In your cover letter, please mention if you would like
these factors to be taken into account during the hiring decision.

Also in their cover letter, all applicants are asked to provide a
brief statement on their views of how systemic discrimination and/or
inequality play out in our society.

Applicants must provide a resume with 3 references, a cover letter,
and a response, no longer than 500 words, to the following question:

1) What challenges do you see WPIRG facing when dealing with a high
turnover in our core membership and trying to maintain a strong
strategic focus? What mechanisms could we employ to address these
issues?

Deadline for Submissions is Friday, August 1st 2014.

Interviews will be held August 5th – 8th.

Deliver submissions to The Hiring Committee, WPIRG, Student Life
Centre room 3104, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3G1;
or email applications to:
reena@wpirg.org

Only those applicants selected for an interview will be contacted.