Job Posting: BCAPOM Project Coordinator/ VANDU Community Organizer

Term: September – December 2021 (Evaluation at 3 months with possibility of extension, pending review)
Hours: Part-time, 25-30 hr/per week
Rate of pay: $23/ per hour

 

What is BCAPOM?

BCAPOM (British Columbia Association People on Opiate Maintenance) is a peer-led coalition whose mission is to support, defend and protect opiate maintenance users’ rights to live free from obstacles caused by stigma and oppression. BCAPOM’s membership consists exclusively of people who are on OAT medications, including methadone, suboxone, kadian, iOAT and all other prescribed antagonist medications.

BCAPOM operates under the umbrella of VANDU (Vancouver Area Network of Drug Users). We hold
weekly membership meetings (open to all members) and board meetings (open to elected board
member representatives). With this hiring process BCAPOM hopes to support the creation of a project
coordinator staff role, and adapt and evaluate its usefulness for a term of 3 months. Pending a review
after 3 months, we will consider a long-term extension of this role.

Supervision and reporting structure

The project coordinator will report primarily to the BCAPOM board. The coordinator will also take some secondary direction from VANDU’s board and staff. Direct (day-to-day) supervision of the project coordinator role falls on the President and Vice President of BCAPOM; supervision of projects/tasks may fall on other board members as needed.

Qualifications

  • Experience working with grassroots, democratic and action-oriented organizations
    Excellent oral and written communication skills
  • Ability to work in a bustling and sometimes chaotic work environment and to work with
    people who use drugs in a respectful and constructive way
  • Excellent organization skills and ability to keep records
  • A proven understanding of how to collaborate and work cooperatively in a team based
    approach to service delivery
  • Knowledge of the history of community organizing in the DTES and specifically the role
    played by VANDU and BCAPOM
  • Basic computer literacy and ability to communicate with members over multiple platforms

What follows is a list of responsibilities that fall under the BCAPOM project coordinator role:

● Meetings: Attending and helping coordinate weekly board meetings. Creating and distributing
weekly board meeting agendas; receiving and asking for agenda items from board members.
● Decision-making: Understanding and supporting the decision-making process of BCAPOM. Board
activities, priorities, directives, and actions are made collectively by the board via board voting.
The project coordinator will help facilitate decision-making by:

○ Bringing items of consideration to the board, and providing more information when
needed
○ Advising on board processes and organizing activities as appropriate (with the
understanding that decision-making rests with the board)
○ Keeping track of project/activities and requests, and advising on priorities as
appropriate, and reminding board members of upcoming deadlines
○ Understanding that decision-making can be a slow process, and adjusting pace
according to the pace of the board

● Communications: Becoming familiar with each board member’s communication style and
method (e.g. phone, email, phone only, etc.) to ensure that communication flows between
members, and with other VANDU groups/staff, outside organizations, and the public.
● Projects: Undertaking projects delegated by the board (especially the President and Vice
president). The project coordinator may be asked to help coordinate:

○ Shaver Fund: Assisting with coordination of Shaver Fund, including:

■ Help administer the Shaver Fund, including receiving and processing
applications to the fund, dispersing funds, and other administrative tasks
including obtaining current bank records for Shaver Fund monies (multiple
accounts and different maturity rates)
■ Helping President liaise with BCAPOM’s lawyer, and taking measures to ensure
that BCAPOM and any other selected steering committee members are the only
decision-makers providing input on how the Shaver Fund money is used

○ Creation and updating of process documents
○ Assisting with organizing of board member documents, projects, requests and more
○ Assisting with coordination of weekly member meetings (ensuring we have relevant
topics, guests and consistency of board roles; creating and updating a working calendar
of topics, subject to change as priorities change, and under direction of the board)

● Getting paid: Keeping track of project coordinator hours via the shared drive, and coordinating
with VANDU staff for remuneration

Please forward your resume to Nathan Crompton, VANDU staff: [email protected]
Competition closes by end of day on Friday, September 10, 2021.