Engagement and Community Outreach Specialist
The Somenos Marsh Wildlife Society (SMWS) located in Duncan, BC, is seeking a self-starting, highly motivated individual to join our hardworking team. The successful candidate will be a key member of our small team, which consists of our excellent Board of Directors, Program Manager and summer students. Volunteer engagement and community outreach represent a fundamental aspect of our organizational growth. The success of restoration programs around Somenos Lake involves fostering the community’s sense of stewardship for our watershed and providing our volunteers with engaging learning opportunities in habitat restoration. We are looking to add to our team a new member who will specialize in community outreach, communication and volunteer engagement. The successful candidate will also express a strong willingness to learn about ecological restoration, scientific monitoring and engage in fieldwork activities as required.
We offer competitive wages, a benefits package (after 3 months), an excellent work environment and mentoring opportunities in the field of ecological restoration.
Key responsibilities
Volunteer engagement
- Research opportunities for volunteer recruitment and outreach
- Create volunteer-specific outreach strategies
- Assist the development, delivery and organization of a diverse set of volunteer opportunities
- Assist the organization of volunteer appreciation event
- Participate in citizen-science programs, deliver volunteer ecological restoration programs around Somenos Lake as required; attend community events
Outreach
- Develop educational material including and not limited to posters, media press release, newsletters, volunteer and donation campaigns
- Assist with recruitment processes and community outreach for volunteers including hosting tables at events, following up with potential volunteers, promoting volunteer opportunities through social media, and distributing resources such as posters in the community
- Foster positive and collaborative relationships with other members of the community, including sister organizations, community groups, municipalities, Cowichan tribes
Administrative support
- Collect volunteer information, maintain volunteer/member database, volunteer profiles and other tools to support and maximize our community outreach
- Assist with the development of quantitative and qualitative questionnaires and surveys (development, data transcription, analysis)
- Create and maintain calendar of events on website and social media
- Complete office related administration and communication tasks as needed
- Participate as needed in the data transcription of our on-going citizen-science ecological restoration programs
- Experience working with mapping systems is an asset
Skill set and Abilities
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills
- Ability to lead engaging conversations with diverse audience and build positive relationship with community partners
- Demonstrated experience in increasing volunteer engagement and memberships
- Experience producing high quality media press release and social media engagement posts
- Strong organizational skills and good attention to details
- Proficient with Microsoft Office Suite, Mailchimp, Photoshop, Canva
- Strong willingness to learn about ecological restoration, habitat preservation, community conservation and aquatic ecosystems
- Experience working independently
Qualification requirements
- Post-secondary or graduate studies in a relevant field
- Minimum 2 years experience in community outreach, volunteer coordination and public engagement
- Combination of education and experience is encouraged
- Valid BC Driver’s license
- First Aid Certificate is an asset
Additional Information
- Most of the work will be conducted out of our office in Duncan, BC. This position involves occasional travels to fieldwork sites and community events
- This is a full-time position, 37.5 hours/week Monday to Friday. Some flexibility is required for participation in community engagement events on occasional evenings or
Please send your application (PDF format) by email to our Program Manager Elodie Roger, at programs@somenosmarsh.com, including your resume, 3 references and a cover letter. Deadline for applications is Friday October 25th, 2019 at 5pm, position starting as soon as possible.
