Location: Toronto, Ontario
POSITION OVERVIEW
The Festival and Directory Assistant will assist with the planning, production and delivery of the 2011 Vegetarian Food Festival, as well as the 2011-12 Vegetarian Directory.
S/he will be the front line person for all program inquiries, and will be required to communicate with stakeholders and the general public about the programs. S/he will work closely with the Executive Director and Special Events Coordinator to assess the health promotion and environmental sustainability initiatives currently associated with these programs, and identify opportunities for improvement in order to support our mission: to inspire people to choose a healthier, greener, more peaceful lifestyle.
An enthusiastic, proactive vegetarian self-starter will thrive in this position. This role calls for excellent organizational skills, strong communication skills, and proficiency working with Mac OS X-based computer systems.
ELIGIBILITY
The position is funded by the Canada Summer Jobs (CSJ) program. In order to qualify for this program, eligible student participants must:
• be between 15 and 30 years of age at the start of the employment;
• have been registered as a full-time student in the previous academic year and intend to return to school on a full-time basis in the next academic year;
• be Canadian citizens, permanent residents or persons to whom refugee protection has been conferred under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act; and,
• be legally entitled to work in Canada in accordance with relevant provincial/territorial legislation and regulations.
HOURS OF WORK
35 hours per week, mostly during regular business hours; some evenings and weekends.
This is an 11-week contract position starting in mid-late June and ending in late August (exact start and finish dates to be determined).
Compensation is $12 per hour.
RESPONSIBILITIES
The Festival and Directory Assistant will be required to:
Plan and carry out projects and tasks from start to finish with well-defined objectives; continuously monitor the success of these projects and tasks; and identify ways to improve.
Read and understand information presented in a variety of forms; write and speak so volunteers, clients and members of the general public pay attention and understand; and share information using a range of information and communications technologies.
Assess situations and identify problems; be creative and innovative in exploring possible solutions; check to see if a solution works; and act on opportunities for improvement.
In addition to the duties listed above, this position will incorporate exciting and challenging growth tasks and learning opportunities.
The Festival and Directory Assistant will have the unique opportunity to develop his/her project planning, communicating and problem-solving skills in a welcoming and supportive vegetarian-friendly environment, as well as to as interact with and coordinate a wide range of communities involved in health promotion, compassion for animals, and environmental sustainability.
REQUIREMENTS
The successful applicant must:
• Follow a vegetarian diet (free of meat, fish and fowl or the flesh of any animal, with or without the addition of dairy, eggs or honey).
• Demonstrate the capacity for self-directed work, and be able to work well under minimal supervision.
• Have excellent organizational skills. (Experience coordinating events or projects strongly preferred.)
• Have excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Be highly responsible, mature, and willing to accept personal accountability.
• Have an enthusiastic and positive attitude.
• Be proficient in the use of computers for word processing, spreadsheets, e-mail and internet.
• Be proficient in the use of Macintosh-based computers (Mac OS X).
We encourage applications from students enrolled in any of the following field(s) of study:
Marketing, Tourism, Communications, Public Relations, Business, Non-profit Management, Event Planning, or another related field.
This student will be required to have a professional outlook, as well as strong communication and customer service skills. Marketing or event coordination training would also be an asset since the individual will be involved in planning and marketing a major event (attendance >15,000) and publication (distribution of >50,000).
SPECIAL CONDITIONS
This position may require some hours on evenings and weekends.
This position will be based primarily from the Toronto Vegetarian Association’s downtown office.
Application Process
Send your résumé and cover letter to summerjobs@veg.ca quoting JOB#11FDA in the subject line. Please demonstrate to us in your application how you meet the qualifications listed above.
For more information about what we’re looking for in your application, please review this page on creating an effective résumé.
MS Word or Adobe PDF attachments only please.
Deadline to apply is Friday, June 10, 2011 (5:00 pm)
The Toronto Vegetarian Association welcomes diversity in the workplace and encourages applications from all qualified applicants. We regret that our office is not wheelchair accessible.
We thank all applicants in advance for their interest; however, only those invited to an interview will be contacted.
