Communications Coordinator

Description

The Centre for Community Organizations (COCo)

The Centre for Community Organizations (COCo) is a provincial non-profit organization that works to build an inclusive, social justice-oriented Quebec community sector where grassroots organizations can thrive. We believe that is an important part of creating a more just and equitable society overall. To this end, COCo provides training, accompaniment, and technological support to small, ground-up, and social-justice focused organizations. We also use our research to steward dialogue and change on issues of inclusion and diversity in the Quebec non-profit sector.

Type and term of contract: One year, renewable.Hours: 30 hours per week. Early morning, evening and weekend work may be required from time to time with advance notice.

Compensation: $33.92 per hour

Benefits: Health insurance, pension plan, 4 weeks vacation and 3 weeks paid leave in December.

Duties and Responsibilities 

Communications Coordination (65%)

• Cultivate and maintain COCo’s public communications
  • Developing a multi-year communications plan for COCo including:
    • an audit of our communications practices at the organization
    • an assessment of the communications practices between COCo’s teams (ODT, Ateliers/C, Technology, Executive, and Communications)
    • the development and implementation of a strategic communications plan for both the organization as a whole and for COCo’s individual teams (ODT, Ateliers/C, Technology, Executive, Communications)

• Keeping COCo’s social media, monthly newsletter, and website active and engaging, including the regular publishing of blog posts.
• Collaborating with COCo’s Technology Coordinator to complete an overhaul and redesign of COCo’s website.
• Collaborating with the Technology Coordinator to develop autonomy amongst COCo’s team (ODT, Ateliers/C, Executive, etc.) to add content and tools to COCo’s website.
• Managing, organizing, and responding to COCo’s email address and following up with relevant parties.
• Supporting COCo’s key communications needs, publishing job postings, and responding to media requests.
• Creating and publishing posters and brochures to publicize COCo’s events.
• Creating and maintaining a consistent aesthetic for communications, in line with principles of accessibility and anti-oppression.
• Co-Supervising the Project Coordination Assistant role in conjunction with the Ateliers/C Coordinator and the Technology Coordinator including:
  • Regular supervision meetings
  • Assignment and evaluation of work
  • Provide guidance, support and identify professional development needs

• Champion COCo’s values and approach within community sector by
  • Coordinating the publication and promotion of French and English tools and resources on our website and across our communications platforms to support anti-oppressive practices (e.g. anti-racist, decolonial, queer and trans inclusive, disability justice, feminist approaches) in the community sector
  • Sharing French and English resources on our website and across our communications platforms on other topics (governance, legal, information and technology, funding, and human resources practices) relevant to the community sector.
  • Collaborating with the team to improve the accessibility of our communications channels and practices
  • Participating in crafting and framing our public advocacy work on issues related to social justice within the community sector

• Collaborate on the development and deployment of programming to support our anti-oppression practice
  • Supporting the organization of our yearly AGM, including promotion, the creation of COCO’s yearly slideshow, facilitation of the AGM, and co-developing our annual report
  • Supporting the ODT team in the development of an accessibility approach for the “Train-the-Trainer” workshop destined to change-makers working in anti-oppression.
  • Participating in the ateliers/C reflexion committee, up to a maximum of 10% of the coordinator’s workload. This may include advising on the development of the ateliers/C series as well as co-hosting and/or providing backup for some workshops.
  • Collaborating with ECs and other staff in planning internal events and trainings to support the development and enhancement of COCo’s internal policies and strategic visioning in alignment with COCo’s mission and vision.

Organizational Development and Training Support (up to 10%)

• Based on the Coordinator’s workload and organizational capacity, they may further support the health and well-being of grassroots community organizations by
  • Accompanying grassroots groups and other community organizations through facilitation, change processes, and/or training up to a maximum of 10% of Coordinator’s workload. Depending on the candidate’s interests, skill sets and workload as well as organizational capacity, it may be possible to take on more accompaniment and facilitation work down the line.

Active Engagement in the Collaborative Structure (25%)

• Participate in COCo’s collaborative management
  • Participate in reflections on the organization as a whole (structure, mission, etc.) and actively contribute to internal organizational development initiatives
  • Facilitate and actively participate in general staff meetings
  • Administer human resources support and co-supervision (buddy system, overtime tracking)
• Contribute to shared administrative duties, e.g.:
  • Manage physical assets, e.g. monitoring office supplies, upkeep of office space
  • Ensure Office Coverage (OC) shifts (i.e. answering the phone, taking voicemail messages)
  • Contribute to the organization of the AGM and other special events and projects
  • Engage actively in and contribute to the planning of retreats (on a rotational or subject specific basis)
  • Follow invoicing and reimbursement procedures
• Contribute to the monthly e-bulletin, annual report and other key communications moments
• Provide support to community groups (info-coco by phone or in person, Fundtracker consultation), report the consultations in the CRM and make new resources used available to all staff and online
• Communicate to COCo members, community members and groups about the organization’s goals and mission
• Other tasks as needed

What We’re Looking for in a Candidate:

The ideal candidate will be skilled in a variety of communications, design, coding, and strategic processes and have a passion for collaborative team work! They are a strong planner, independent, and are able to coordinate and complete work in a timely manner with their team members. They are motivated and comfortable moving between collaborative and independent work. A background in communications, website management, marketing, project management, and/or facilitation are all strong assets.

Additionally, our ideal candidate is passionate about fostering anti-oppressive values and organizational change in the community sector. Combining creativity, communications and problem solving skills, they bring a sharp understanding of social justice and anti-racism work to their role. They have an ability to engage in dialogue about complex issues with people coming from a broad range of perspectives, identities, and backgrounds.

Qualities and skills:

• Experience in communications and marketing, particularly social media, websites, and newsletters
• Skilled in content creation across multiple communication platforms (text, visuals, and video)
• Project management and logistics planning experience
• Experience with designing and implementing strategic communications plans
• Experience with team supervision and management
• Organized and able to stay on top of administrative work
• Capable of strategic thinking on behalf of the organization and the program
• Able to design, manage and improve systems is a strong asset
• Responsiveness to emerging needs and issues and ability to generate creative and people centered solutions
• Able to discern a process, path or boundaries when presented with complex organizational situations
• Strong collaborative and team working skills
• Depth of understanding of anti-oppression and anti-racism
• Ability to listen deeply and communicate clearly
• Demonstrates responsibility and leadership
• Desire to support COCo’s commitment to amplifying marginalized voices in the community sector
• Bilingualism: functional fluency in both French and English
• Proficiency with written and spoken English is a strong asset
• Ease with learning and using existing software (e.g. Google Drive, Salesforce, Canva, WordPress, etc)

Experience or Training:

• Experience and interest in working in collaborative contexts
• Experience in communications management
• Experience in project management and or logistics planning
• Experience in graphic design processes
• Experience in implementing anti-oppression practices in organizations
• Experience with Quebec’s community sector

Work Environment: 

You will join a team of 7-9 staff members and a community of affiliated facilitators:

• A highly collaborative and non-traditional work environment
• A Leadership Circle of 3 Executive Co-Coordinators
• A dynamic team that is comfortable working at different paces
• Currently, COCo is working remotely, collaborating across virtual platforms. We are working on a hybrid and collective return-to-work policy. We can share our thoughts on this during the interviews
• In regular times, COCo staff work out of an open office environment in downtown Montreal/Tiohtià:ke/Mooniyaang

Accessibility: 

COCo currently conducts its business virtually, with occasional hybrid or in-person meetings. COCo’s physical offices and bathrooms are wheelchair accessible. As we are in a shared building, we cannot guarantee a scent-free space. However, we aim to have a scent-reduced space. We are still learning about online accessibility as it relates to our work from home practices. If you have specific questions relating to the accessibility of our work from home practices or our physical office space, please email Estelle at .

Hiring Process: 

To Apply:

All candidates are asked to fill out this form, in English or in French, instead of a cover letter. The form will also ask you to include your resume in a PDF format. Note that you cannot edit your responses after they have been submitted. If you have any questions about the form please contact Estelle Davis: .

Our Hiring Process:

We evaluate all applications anonymously, to ensure a higher degree of objectivity in our selection process. Only candidates chosen for an interview will be contacted. Interviews will be conducted in both English and French and should take place during the week of May 6th 2024th. 

If You Wish to be Considered for Employment Equity:

At COCo, we believe our work is stronger when it benefits from the experience, knowledge and wisdom of people who have faced systemic barriers. We encourage, among others, Indigenous people, Black, people of colour, people with disabilities, people identifying as LGBTQI2, women, formerly incarcerated or institutionalized people, immigrants and people from working class backgrounds to apply. We also understand that applicants may experience a number of these identities simultaneously in ways that reinforce and nuance their experience. We are committed to creating an organization as diverse as the communities we serve.

If you wish to be considered for employment equity, you can let us know in the application form.