Community Engagement And Content Sp

Salary Rate: $43,000 – Check out the YMCA’s total compensation package!
Location: 365 Bloor St E, YMCA, Toronto
Work Hours: 37.5 hours/week
Employment Type: Full Time Salaried Contract
Number of Vacancies: 1
Anticipated Start Date: May 23, 2023
Deadline to Apply: May 09, 2023
Be the Spark! Join our passionate team and help us to achieve great things in our community!
YMCA Employment and Community Programs provide a variety of employment, counselling, outreach, intervention, training and newcomer programs to youth and adults throughout the GTA. For decades the YMCA of Greater Toronto has been a leader in supporting the settlement and integration of newcomers to the GTA.
YMCA of Greater Toronto’s National Pre-Arrival Settlement Services: Next Stop Canada (NSC) and Pre-Arrival Coordinating Services (PACS) are funded by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. NSC provides Pre-Arrival services to eligible adults and youth, delivered through an online web platform. This platform will help participants to prepare for immigration and will create a direct link to settlement services across Canada. It offers youth and adult immigrants (ages 12+) personalized information, one-on-one mentorship and settlement resources to successfully prepare for life in Canada. Additionally, PACS serves as the coordinating body with a secretarial function facilitating consultation within the settlement sector.
The Pre-Arrival Community Engagement and Content Specialist acts as dynamic member of the Pre-Arrival coordinating body team, who provides support to the outreach and community engagement Team Leader in building relationships with both pre- and post- community organizations and service providers; implement in-person and digital promotion strategies to increase community engagement and client reach; develop and manage content in all Pre-Arrival program and social media platforms and lastly, assist in the planning, production, promotion and coordination of online and in-person events. The Community Engagement and Content Specialist must ensure that they are proactive in supporting the Pre-Arrival team and plays a key supporting role to the outreach Team Leader.
In this role, you will:

• Engage and build relationships with pre- and post-arrival community organizations including YMCA newcomer programs for cross-collaboration, factoring the needs of the target audience.
• Provide regular status reports to the outreach and community engagement Team Leader, alerting the team to any needed changes in timeline and proactively proposing solutions for any barriers to completing projects on time and on budget
• Work closely with the outreach Team Leader in producing and managing content such as webinars, videos, blogs, articles, event calendar etc. for the NSC and PACS online platforms including all social media channels (Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter) to engage target audience.
• Utilize digital content development tools (e.g. Canva, Articulate, iMovie) to produce and edit videos, create eye-catching graphics, develop e-learning courses and other similar content for NSC platform.
• Assist in connecting with community partners for content creation such as guest speaker/ writers for webinars, videos and blog posts.
• Utilize social media management tools (e.g. Hootsuite, Sprout Social, etc.) and develop new tools to keep track and manage different social media channels.
• Remain alert to immigration, newcomer and settlement trends and use this data to inform content development and improvement.
• Perform other duties as assigned.
• Participate and provide support in managing online and in-person community forums, meetings and similar activities to increase client reach and stakeholder engagement.
• Actively and frequently seek out mentors and volunteers.
• Work with team to build awareness of program among target population; liaises with international partners to develop referral mechanisms.
• Identify, coordinate and follow-up logistics for online and in-person events such as vendors, lodgings, equipment and other necessary details.
• Model appropriate behaviour to staff in line with our Mission, Vision and Values; establishes rapport and maintains effective relationship building behaviours with staff and members. Represent the YMCA and the Association in a professional manner.
• Update and maintain contact database of all key internal and external partners, including pre- and post-arrival settlement service providers
• Ensure confidentiality of sensitive information and compliance with YMCA and funder privacy policies.
• Assist in the development, implementation and evaluation of an annual outreach and community engagement plan, and communications and marketing plan, both consistent with the policies and standards of both YMCA of Greater Toronto and funder.
• Edit and proofread written articles before posting in online and social media platforms and ensures all content material is consistent with the Y branding.
• Develop and maintain newsletters, online community forums and/or other tools for ongoing communication with partners and clients.
• Understand the legal responsibilities and moral imperative to report suspected child abuse to Child Protection Services.
• Assist in the planning, production, promotion and coordination of online and in-person events, while efficiently handling project delivery elements within set timelines.
• Actively develop social media presence and identifies the creative use of social media platforms such as Facebook campaigns and similar strategies.
• Understand the importance of the volunteer staff partnership and integrate the value of philanthropy and volunteerism in dealings with members, volunteers, donors and staff.

You bring:

• Self-motivated and enthusiastic about leveraging technology to connect with and engage people.
• Flexibility regarding work location and hours, including evenings and Saturdays.
• Experience working with content management systems is an asset.
• Commitment to respecting diversity and demonstrating inclusive behaviour, responding with sensitivity and self-awareness to the unique needs of colleagues and members, including visible and non-visible dimensions of diversity
• Strong organizational skills, ability to effectively manage time and prioritize tasks
• Commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion and building a sense of belonging
• Advanced social media skills (e.g. Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter)
• Proven experience in community relations strategies including outreach and engagement
• Demonstrated ability to write and edit compelling, clear, and concise content
• Ability to communicate with diplomacy and tact in various type of environments
• Demonstrated knowledge of settlement and immigration barriers, trends, resources and services.
• Minimum one-year experience working with newcomers, providing settlement information and referral
• Some understanding of best practices for online usability, accessibility and safety.
• Familiarity with photo and video editing software.
• Ability to communicate in French is an asset.
• University Degree or Community College Diploma in related field or equivalent training/work experience.
• Strong presentation and written communication skills
• Well-developed interpersonal, and relationship building skills; ability to establish rapport and excellent communication with members, staff and volunteers
• Marketing background, experience in organizing events, programming and troubleshooting experience are an asset.
• Excellent written communication skills

What you need to succeed:

• Commitment to the YMCA’s Mission, Vision and Values
• YMCA Competencies: Accountable, Relationship-Builder, Improvement-Orientated, Team Player & Leader, Equity and Wellbeing Promoter
• Focus on the health, safety and wellbeing of all children, youth, and vulnerable people in YMCA programs including understanding legal and moral obligations related to reporting suspected child abuse to Child Protection Services

Why work for the YMCA?
The YMCA of Greater Toronto is a charity that ignites the potential in people, helping them grow, lead, and give back to their communities. We are committed to helping our employees reach their full potential and are recognized as a great place to work. We offer meaningful jobs and the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of individuals and the health of our communities. See what you can expect from the YMCA here.
Joining the Y means contributing to over 165 years of providing opportunities for people to shine through programs and services like health and fitness, licensed child care, camps, employment and immigrant services, education and training, and services for youth, families, and seniors. Learn more in our 2020–2025 strategic plan, Ignite the Light, which outlines how we are focused on boosting well-being and promoting equity across the Greater Toronto Area.
The YMCA of Greater Toronto is committed to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging. We strive to remove barriers to employment and recognize that diverse staff who reflect the communities we work in enrich the experiences of our participants and our team. As an equal opportunity employer, we invite applications from all qualified candidates including racialized people/people of colour, Indigenous Peoples, disabled people/people with disabilities and members of 2SLGBTQIA+ communities.
If we can make the recruitment process more accessible for you, please let us know when we reach out about a job opportunity so we can work with you to accommodate your needs.
In keeping with our commitment to safety and child protection, job offers are contingent on the successful completion of a Police Records Check. Within the first four months and every three years thereafter, a Vulnerable Police Records Check is required. Learn more about these checks here.
The YMCA only considers applicants who are legally entitled to work in Canada. We thank all applicants for their interest, however, due to the volume of applications we receive, we can only contact candidates who are selected for an interview.
Check out the next steps in our recruitment process and see what others are saying about working at the YMCA.