Position Title: Engagement Specialist (Communications & Education Coordinator)

Position Status: Full-Time Regular

Department: Solid Waste Services

Employee Group: Teamsters Local 31

Location: 4515 Central Boulevard, Burnaby

Salary Range/ Wage Rate: PG 27 $3,114.60 – $3,680.10 bi-weekly

Our Solid Waste Services Department is seeking an Engagement Specialist (Communications & Education Coordinator) who will support public, Indigenous, and stakeholder engagement for regional waste reduction, recycling, and solid waste projects including the update to our regional solid waste management plan. Your ability to translate technical information into easy-to-understand content so that audiences can provide meaningful feedback will be key. You are a trusted advisor, a part of an interdisciplinary team, and graceful when things change on short notice. Your previous experience working with diverse audiences will serve you well as you navigate the interesting complexities of solid waste projects..

You are: A key member of a small team. A communications and engagement professional that thrives on making meaningful connections between the aspirations and concerns of the community and important decisions. You don’t shy away from difficult conversations and can easily find ways to make them points of connection.

This role:

• Provides engagement, communications, and planning advice to senior departmental managers and officers, and through them to their respective committees, on corporate and departmental objectives and issues.
• Develops and writes departmental engagement and communications strategies, and specific communications plans by researching corporate and departmental objectives and issues, analyzing public opinion and research, identifying target audiences and key messages, preparing budget estimates, and developing evaluation criteria.
• Develops and prepares materials to complement existing engagement or communications resources, writes or adapts print materials, prepares budget estimates and develops evaluation criteria for same.
• Plans and coordinates implementation and delivery of communication and engagement projects by facilitating and/or coordinating meetings, overseeing the work of the creative services team and external consultants to ensure all materials such as brochures, presentations, signage, speeches, videos, social and multi-media campaigns and segments thereof, displays, news releases, and/or training materials are produced on time and within budget.
• Plans and prepares budget estimates and upon approval administers budget expenditures for departmental annual and project communications and/or engagement projects.
• Develops and presents reports to client departments, municipal councils and advisory committees.
• Performs related work as required.

To be successful, you have:

• University graduation, with a degree in communications or other relevant discipline, or broadcast communications or a teacher’s certificate, or a preference for CAPR or IABC accreditation, plus considerable related experience, or an equivalent combination of training and experience.
• Thorough knowledge of the principles, practices and techniques relating to engagement, and communications in all forms of media, especially as it relates to governmental agencies, organizations, and/or the school system.
• Experience with First Nations engagement.
• Considerable knowledge of writing and presentation techniques.
• Sound knowledge of solid waste and recycling, the objectives of the Board, Metro Vancouver and its member jurisdictions as they relate to the work performed.
• Working knowledge of assigned client departments’ policies and operations related to the work performed.
• Ability to plan, develop, coordinate, and evaluate communications and/or engagement strategies, programs, and events.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective liaison and working relationships with a variety of senior level internal and external contacts.
• Ability to represent Metro Vancouver’s corporate objectives to internal and external audiences.
• Ability to develop and implement concepts and themes and to coordinate production and delivery of a variety of communications and/or engagement material.
• Ability to communicate effectively orally and in writing with a wide variety of internal and external contacts.
• Ability to prepare budget estimates, administer and control an approved budget, and to prepare and maintain records, reports, correspondence, and related material.
• Familiarity with the contents and intention of the International Association for Public Participation (IAP2) public participation spectrum.
• Driver’s License for the Province of British Columbia.

Our Vision:

Metro Vancouver embraces collaboration and innovation in providing sustainable regional services that contribute to a livable and resilient region and a healthy natural environment for current and future generations.

We are committed to diversity, equity and inclusion and being representative of the region we serve.  We invite all qualified candidates to apply including Indigenous People, visible minorities, immigrants, LGBTQ2S+, all genders and persons with disabilities.

Metro Vancouver requires all new hires to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 (subject to any exemptions and accommodations) and provide proof of vaccination upon hire.  Please follow this link http://www.metrovancouver.org/about/careers/ to our Careers page where you can submit your application by February 3, 2023.