Kitchener’s Festival of Neighbourhoods team is seeking a candidate with experience in community development and community engagement, both face to face and online, to fill the 2021 Program Coordinator position. Apply by April 16th.

Inclusivity and equity in the city are a particular focus of the Festival of Neighbourhoods and this year, while still in the pandemic mode, we will be building on everything we learned about challenges and successes of remaining good neighbours to continue connecting virtually and transition to face to face encounters again. As virtual and physical remain inseparable, we are looking for a coordinator who is at ease working in both environments and has applied equity and anti-racism lens in their community work. See the qualifications and tasks below, along the application guidelines. 

The successful candidate would have experience in:

•Direct engagement across age, ability, income, colour, culture, language, & types of neighbourhoods

•Community-based research & information gathering to design strategies and tools for targeted engagement 

•Promotional material design to mobilize neighbours for effective outreach activities 

•Active engagement through social media of both residents and a range of partners organizations

•Conflict resolution and constructive communication in an intercultural context 

•Organizing conference calls and online events (Zoom & Google Meet)

To accomplish the following tasks:

•Coordination: facilitating team meetings; creation and monitoring of the workplan; tracking neighbourhood gatherings and Festival registrations; updating procedures, contact lists and reference documents; assist in creation of communication articles for the website and E-Neighbour; organize an Annual Celebration.

•Engagement: respond to asks for support by sharing tips and tools with neighbours; active outreach to new communities/neighbourhoods; updating and applying Inclusion Challenge strategies; supporting neighbourhood gatherings; administration of the Early Bird Registration Prizes and Neighbourhood Activity Trunk bookings; regular engagement through social media and online events. 

The position is a part-time limited contract, to approximately 25 hours per week from April to December 2021, with the possibility of renewal. Please submit your resume and a description of your experience and interest in working with neighbourhood-based initiatives, especially within the Festival of Neighbourhoods’ model of outreach and engagement. 

Deadline for applications is midnight on April 16th. Email the selection committee at admin@waterlooregion.org

Sincerely, John MacDonald, John MacDonald Architect and Aleksandra Petrovic, Social Development Centre WR