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FTE: 1.0
Status: Term, up to one year with strong possibility of extension.
Competition No.: 14218-M
Salary Information: The salary range is $45,770 to $71,517 per annum (Specialist/Professional, Phase 1). The starting salary will be commensurate with education and experience.
Primary Purpose: To provide support to the Co-operative Innovation Project (CIP) and support the Saskatchewan Co-operative Association’s (SCA) co-operative development work.
To develop contacts with communities across Western Canada, with a view to identifying communities, organizations and individuals who might take leadership roles in promoting community development through the establishment of co-operatives. The CDC will work under the supervision of the CIP Project Director, Director, Centre for the Study of Co-operatives (CSC), and the Executive director of the SCA. The Co-operative Development Coordinator (CDC) will examine existing capacity in communities, assist community members in identifying services and support that are missing from their community, examine the historical experience (or lack thereof) in specific communities with co-operatives and various economic development initiatives, and identify strengths and weaknesses within the communities relative to the potential and need for co-operative development. The CDC will manage and implement SCA’s co-operative development strategy, by facilitating co-operative development in Saskatchewan through the provision of advisory services and educational initiatives.
Nature of Work: The CDC’s primary responsibilities will be providing co-operative development advisory services and support to groups in Western Canada.
The incumbent will be required to provide detailed recommendations to the project’s leadership, and will work with communities to identify high potential co-operative development pilot projects. The primary responsibilities rest with preparing a list of priority communities, supported by extensive analysis and documentation, which outlines the specific economic and business development needs and possibilities within each priority community in order to allow the project’s leadership to make well-informed decisions about work schedules, project priorities and action plans. The successful applicant will identify webinar education topics, develop co-operative education materials as needed, and provide in-depth co-operative development support to identified groups. The Coordinator will be responsible for tracking inquiries, referring groups to resources, technical experts and providing advisory services where possible.
The CDC will work under the direct supervision of the Project Director and the SCA Executive Director. The primary area of problem-solving will involve co-operative development through building relationships with communities, and key leaders and organizations. The CDC will prepare realistic and practical plans for addressing community needs and aspirations through co-operative development. The main technical skill needed is co-operative business development.
Regular communication with the Project Director, Director of the CSC and the SCA Executive director will be required. The CDC be responsible for providing detailed reports of community engagement activities, an update on activities, and informative material on community needs, capabilities and capacity so that decisions about community selections and project strategies. The CEC will not have primary media or outreach responsibilities, but may be engaged with local/community-based media as the project unfolds.
The CDC will be the key representative of the Project’s co-operative development work at the community level. It is vital that the successful candidate is accessible, and maintain a high degree of professionalism. The CDC must handle group interactions promptly and effectively, and be open to intense, highly personal, yet professional relationships with a wide variety of community members, many coming from Aboriginal communities, small towns, and rural areas in economic distress. The CDC will have to present the right balance of optimism and realism, being careful not to oversell the benefits of the project and of co-operatives generally, or to undersell the challenges and work needed to succeed. Travel will be required.
Accountabilities:
- Co-operative development and education: The incumbent will assist communities interested in pursuing co-operative development and will provide expertise around the procedures necessary for the formation of co-operatives.
- Stakeholder engagement: The incumbent will establish and maintain contact with various rural, urban and Aboriginal communities, organizations and individuals in Western Canada building upon relationships that have already been established by the various project stakeholders, and potentially forging new relationships.
- Develop a list of priority communities, based on community need, leadership potential and receptiveness to co-operatives, for longer-term co-operative development pilot projects. This list will be supported by extensive research and documentation, which outlines the specific economic and business development possibilities within each priority community.
- Communications: The incumbent will maintain excellent communications with the Project Director, the Director of the CSC and Executive director of SCA. The incumbent will also provide regular updates to participating communities, and to the broader co-operative movement..
- Develop preliminary action plans for selected priorities communities, providing outlines for potential co-operative development, and for the engagement of these communities with the broader co-operative movement.
Qualifications
Education: A minimum of a post-secondary degree is required. Attainment of a post-graduate degree will be considered an asset but is not required.
Experience: Demonstrated excellence in co-operative development in Western Canada. An understanding of co-operative development in rural and aboriginal communities also is also essential. The position requires the candidate to have demonstrated excellent communication (both oral and written) and relationship management skills.
This position is in scope of the Administrative and Supervisory Personnel Association.
Please apply no later than June 10, 2014 at 4:30pm.
Inquiries regarding this position can be directed to Nicole McLaren at 306-966-8502
Be sure to apply online as emailed applications will not be accepted.
