Salary and Benefits: $50,000/year. Enrolment in a comprehensive benefits package and a generous paid time off policy following 3 months of employment
Hours of Work: Full Time – 35 hours/week. Hours are generally worked M – F, 10AM – 5PM. Some evening and weekend work is required
Location of Work: 555 Burrard Street, Vancouver. This position is expected to work remotely through the duration of the contract. Some provincial and national travel is involved.
Contract Length: May 2023 – March 2024, with possibility of extension
About YouthCO
YouthCO is non-profit organization by and for youth impacted by HIV and hep C in British Columbia, including youth living with HIV or hep C, Indigenous youth, and queer and trans youth. We are committed to reducing the impact of HIV and hep C stigma on youth in our communities through anti-oppressive approaches to peer education, peer support and community building.
Positive Youth Program
The Positive Youth Program is a community-health-leadership and dedicated support program by and for youth with lived and living experience of HIV or hep C. Our program works with youth as young as 6 and up to 29 years old. We take an anti-oppressive and harm reduction approach to our work, integrating youth-centred and culturally affirming care in all we do. Our program includes our low-barrier one-to-one support service for youth in the Fraser Health region, monthly online and in-person meetings, a volunteer program, and an annual summer and winter camp.
Position Description
The Program Coordinator works closely with other members of the Positive Youth Program Team to develop, plan, and implement comprehensive HIV and hep C community programming for youth living HIV/hep C in British Columbia. As a dynamic leader, you bring an innovative, responsive, grounded, and collaborative approach to your leadership style. You work closely with the youth to ensure that their voices, knowledge, and wisdom are considered and included in the decision-making processes, whenever possible, and that their personal and professional growth is an integral part of their journey. You value evaluation and a continuous feedback loop with participants to ensure programs are relevant, responsive, and participants centred. Moreover, as an advocate for youth, you are passionate about supporting the well-being of youth through programs and services that support their whole person. You believe that youth are powerful change makers and want to contribute toward the creation of services to support them to thrive.
Shared Responsibilities
• Work closely with members of the Positive Youth Program Team to ensure the smooth planning and implementation of all program activities
• Collaborate with members of the Positive Youth Program Team to evaluate and innovate our programming, ensuring that is reflective of community need
• Ensure programming is responsive to and inclusive of youth living with and most impacted by HIV and hep C
• Cultivate a welcoming and safe environment for youth where they feel safe to seek and provide support to and from each other in navigating challenges related to HIV and hep C
• Build and maintain a strong up-to-date working knowledge of:
– the effects of colonialism, structural oppression and stigma on HIV and hep C in the lives of youth in BC
– services related to HIV and hep C in BC, particularly in the communities of Metro Vancouver and Fraser Valley
– the basics of HIV and hep C testing, treatment, transmission, and strategies for reducing the possibility of the viruses being passed
– safe and effective community wellness resources for queer and trans youth in BC, particularly in the communities of Metro Vancouver and Fraser Valley
– leadership opportunities for Poz youth in BC, particularly in the communities of Metro Vancouver and Fraser Valley
• Document all program activities required for program reporting and evaluation
• Provide support to YouthCO staff in other programs, including collaborating on cross-team projects and assisting in program planning and delivery as needed
Focus Area Responsibilities
Program Logistics and Coordination
• Plan and facilitate logistics for all program activities, including venue, accommodation, transportation, refreshments, materials preparation, and accessibility supports
• Prepare event plans, budgets, and run sheets
• Research resources needed for programs including materials, venue, and catering options
• Build and maintain a database of vendors, venues, and key logistics contacts
• Coordinate the registration of program participants
• Maintain records of all program related invoices and receipts
• Coordinate volunteer and participant honoraria payments
• Coordinate the website publishing of our events, workshops, and volunteer recruitment
• Provide post-activity logistics support, including distributing and monitoring feedback surveys
Community Building and Peer Support
• Facilitate regular community building activities including in house socials, community dinners, discussion nights and outdoor activities
• Actively recruit participants and promote activities in communities across Metro Vancouver
• Build and maintain strong, supportive, positive relationships with well-defined boundaries with all participants
• Through an anti-oppressive approach to HIV and hep C health promotion – provide emotional and educational peer support, including effective referrals, to participants navigating the ups and
downs of relationships, sex, substance use, community, and related parts of their lives
Qualifications
• Works well with a wide spectrum of HIV positive youth including Black, Indigenous and youth of colour, immigrant youth, queer and transgender youth, and youth who use drugs.
• A strong understanding of structural oppression and how it affects youth living with HIV and hep C
• Shares our values as a youth-led organization committed to anti-oppression
• Responsible, reliable, punctual, and consistent in carrying out work duties
• Experience with event planning, including booking venues and tickets, making purchases on behalf of others, coordinating food orders, transportation, and pre/post event correspondence
• Experience facilitating group conversations with others about a wide range of topics, including healthcare, sex, substance use, mental health, and relationships
• Effectively manages multiple tasks, across concurrent projects and prioritizes appropriately
• Maintains accuracy, excellent attention to detail and thoroughness in carrying out all work duties
• Resourceful, systematic, and proactive planner
• Tactful, empathetic, and proactive relationship builder
• Capacity to work remotely, with some in-person work in Metro Vancouver and Fraser Valley
• Communicates openly and directly with coworkers about their ideas, commitments, and needs
• Confident using Microsoft Office, particularly Word, Excel, and Outlook
• Comfortable learning new software platforms (we currently use Monday.com, Survey Monkey and Nationbuilder, SharePoint and Canva)
• Has strong English speaking and writing skills; additional languages are an asset
A note on remote work at YouthCO:
Since 2020, our team has operated in a remote-first, hybrid work environment. Staff have the option of
working in person at our office if needed. We provide staff with a computer, as well as an office chair and desk if desired. Additionally, we provide all staff working 20 hours or more with a phone benefit and
internet benefit valued at $120/month to support access to communication services while working
remotely. Our managers work with us one-on-one to support our ability to work remotely or in person as
needed.
Hiring Process
You may have noticed this job does not have a minimum requirement for education or number of years of work or volunteer experience. That is because we realize education and/or past jobs are not the only experiences that may make someone a great fit for this position on the YouthCO team.
As a peer-led organization, it is most important to us to hire someone who will connect with the communities that we work with and is able to carry out the job responsibilities we have outlined here.
We want to see your application if you believe you will make a great Program Coordinator, whatever level of education or work experience you may have! We are looking to hire someone who can do the job we have described above.
We believe that youth are best positioned to connect with our peers. We strongly encourage applications from youth who are under the age of 25, living with HIV or hep C, are Black, Indigenous or youth of colour, or are Two-Spirit, queer, trans or non-binary.
Key Dates and Details
• To apply, submit a resume and responses to the application questions below to
[email protected] by April 2nd. A cover letter is not required and a single pdf of your resume,
followed by the application questions is preferred. As a guideline, please respond in 100 – 250
words. Please include the title of the role you are applying for in the subject of the email.
1. What about our organization interests you in working with us?
2. What about the Program Coordinator role, in particularly, interests you?
3. How are you connected to the communities we work with at YouthCO?
4. What non-professional life experiences, skills or qualities that might not be as easily represented in a formal resume do you think make you a great fit for this role?
5. How would you apply an understanding of structural oppression in carrying out the responsibilities of the position you are interested in?
• We will let applicants know whether they have been selected for an interview by April 5th.
• Where possible, interviews will be conducted via Zoom. Interviews take place April 11th – 14th.
• This position starts May 1st.
If you have any questions, about the role we encourage you to contact our Program Manager, Furqan at [email protected]