Commitment: 8 months, 35 hours/week (You are expected to work primarily out of the LEDlab offices in downtown Vancouver on a 9-4 schedule, although flexibility can be given to students finishing course work.)
Start date: September 6, 2016
End date: April 28, 2016
Compensation: $20,000, non­-negotiable (Funding for this position is provided by Mitacs Canada and stipends are fixed. You must be a graduate student at a Canadian university to apply. No exceptions. This is not an employee position. Candidates are expected to have their own laptop.)

The Local Economic Development Lab (LEDlab), initiated and closely supported by Ecotrust Canada and RADIUS SFU, incubates community­-driven social enterprise for a more vibrant and inclusive local economy in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside. We do this by partnering with local organizations and leaders, resourcing them with talented full­-time graduate students, and working collectively with experts in a ‘Lab’ format to develop shared skills and knowledge, collaborate, and test new ideas to change the local economic system over time.

Our intended outcomes are to:

1. Catalyze new economic activity that benefits the local low-­income community;
2. Equip local individuals, organizations, and networks with the tools, methods, processes and agency to advance future ideas on their own; and to
3. Build stronger networks and opportunities for collaboration and coordination amongst inner city organizations, residents, funders and other stakeholders.

Community Partner: The Binners’ Project

Project: Scaling Pilot Initiatives

The Binners’ Project is a group of binners dedicated to improving their economic opportunities and reducing the stigma they face as informal recycling collectors. The Binners’ Project pilot initiatives: Binners’ Events, Binners’ Box and Individual Pick­ups all aim to re­value people and resources. Check out the Binners’ Project online and learn more about their pilot initiatives:

In 2015/16, LEDlab worked with the Binners’ Project to help launch 3 pilot initiatives. Check out the Binners Project website for more info: https://www.binnersproject.org/. Now each of the pilot initiatives, in particular the the Binners’ Hook and the Pick Up Service are ready to scale. One idea for scaling is an App, on which residents will be able to post pick­ups for binners when they have a significant number of bottles and cans. A working prototype for the App will be be ready in September 2016, thanks to volunteer support from VanHack. The Binners’ Project has been actively recruiting donations for cell phones so that members of the project are equipped when the App launches

Your role will be to:

• Increase sales and support implementation of the Binners’ Hook
• Work with the Binners’ Project team to develop a testing program for the App
• Analyze data from the implementation of the Hook and the App, suggest and support improvements to both
• Set and work towards growth targets for the pilot initiatives

Is this you?

• You are a marketing and communications whiz, with a penchant for community engagement
• You’re scientific, you constantly collect information in order to make data-­driven decisions
• You’re familiar with human centered design and lean methodology, and have a knack for prototyping and testing new ideas
• You can work thoughtfully and respectfully in a community setting with diverse stakeholders
• You are adaptive and comfortable working with quickly changing environments
• You are fascinated with new economic models, and think the economy is something that should work for people

Deliverables:

1. Evidence of growth in pilot initiatives, with new ways to engage potential stakeholders into participation
2. Easy to use system for tracking engagement targets with records showing user growth
3. Sharable infographics and/or other community engagement tools to help easily disseminate learnings online and at community events
4. A minimum of two blogs about your experience as an LEDlab Project Coordinator

How to Apply:

Apply by sending a cover letter, CV, and a writing sample to Kiri Bird at info at ledlab.ca by midnight, Sunday June 12th, 2016. Please apply to one position only, and identify which position you are applying for in the subject of the email.

In your cover letter, address the following questions:

1. Why do you want to join the LEDlab team? (100 words)
2. Tell us about the skills you have to get the job done (150 words)
3. Tell us about an experience that has profoundly changed you (150 words)Tell us about a time you tried something and failed. What happened next? (150 words)

SOURCE: The Local Economic Development Lab (LEDlab)