TERM: Two-year [24 month] contract
HOURS: 20 hours per week with evening and weekend responsibilities expected
COMPENSATION: $46,714 [Step 1] per year pro-rated plus benefits excluding health coverage

BACKGROUND:

The Parkdale People’s Economy, also known as the Parkdale Community Economic Development (PCED} Planning project. is a multi-year community-based economic planning and development project in Parkdale. Led by Parkdale Activity-Recreation Centre {PARC} in partnership with over 30 community partners. the project started in 2015 to develop a Parkdale Neighbourhood Plan for decent work, shared wealth, and equitable development Through the first and second phases of the Parkdale People’s Economy project, we have identified the following nine priority areas for community action and policy options: 1} Social Infrastructure; 2} Affordable Housing and Land Use; 3) Decent Work; 4] Food Security: 5] Community financing; 6) Participatory Local Democracy: 7) Cultural Development; 8 Community Health; and 9] Interfaith. The successful candidate will join the third phase of the Parkdale People's Economy project and organize and support community members on two key initiatives within the neighbourhood planning framework: {1] the Parkdale Community Benefits Framework: and (2] the Workforce Development Strategy. The candidate will be located at PARC. and will report to the Workforce Planning Coordinator and the South Parkdale Neighbourhood Planning Table [formerly the PCED Steering Committee).

ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

The Community Benefit: Organizer is responsible for working in collaboration with residents, the South Parkdale Neighbourhood Planning Table, and local partners to implement key directions in the Parkdale Community Planning Study. The core goal of the position is to facilitate peer-to-peer leadership training among community members on how to navigate land use planning to demand for benefits in impending developments, such as Inclusive local hiring, social procurement, affordable housing, and affordable space for locally-serving businesses and nonprofits. Specific roles and responsibilities include (but are not limited to):

• Train and organize local leaders to implement community benefits and workforce development planning in collaboration with the South Parkdale Neighbourhood Planning Table
• Develop and facilitate community consultations, focus groups, and knowledge building workshops with a diverse range of community members and partner organizations across the Parkdale neighbourhood
• Support the outreach and coordination of working groups meetings, Soudt Parkdale Neighbourhood Planning Table meetings, and other special meetings as needed
• Build cross-neighbourhoodlsector-wide partnerships to encourage collaboration, mutual learning opportunities, and policy development work
• Use analyses of neighbourhood needs and assets, demographics. and labour and real estate markets to develop strategies and actions in a participatory fashion
• Work in a team setting within Parkdale's neighbourhood planning framework for equitable community and economic development
• Contribute to the overall documentation. reflection and learning process of Parkdale‘s neighbourhood planning and community economic development work

Qualifications:

• 2-5 yrs of experience in community organiting. labour organiting, popular education. and/or resident and stakeholder engagement
• Demonstrated commitment to working with people of diverse soda-economic and cultural backgrounds from a strong anti—oppressive and social justice framework
• Grounded knowledge of comm unity development. urban planning, comm unity-based economic development, labour market and housing policy, workforce development, and/or legal rights frameworks through post-secondary education and/or equivalent lived/work-experience
• Demonstrated success with partnership development, stakeholder engagement, de-escalation techniques, and relationship management
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Ability to work independently and as a part of a team
• Ability to think strategically and link individual actions to broader goals
• Proven organizational skills to manage competing priorities, meet deadline under pressure. and carry projects to completion with minimum supervision
• Sound knowledge of the Non-Profit sector in Toronto. social service organizations. neighbourhood-based initiatives to address poverty and displacement
• Ability to speak a language relevant to the Parkdale neighbourhood is an asset {e.g. Tibetan, Tagalog, Spanish, Tamil. etc.)
• Experience in the Parkdale neighbourhood - living and/or working - is an asset

ABOUT PARC: Parkdale Activity-Recreation Centre {PARC} is a multi-service agency operating various community programs and services for people with mental health and addiction, the homeless, the disabled and those with few resources. PARC has been expanding its leadership role in neighbourhood planning and community-based economic development in Parkdale through various collaborative projects such as a Parkdale Neighbourhood land Trust, the Co-op Cred program and community food
procurement.

DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSIONS: June 8th, 2018 at Spm

TO APPLY: Please submit a cover letter and a Resume in one PDF, with "Parkdale People's Economy: Community Benefits Organizer" in the subject line, to:

jobs at parc.on.ca
Attention: Mercedes Sharpe Zayas
PARC 1499 Queen Street West
Toronto, ON MGR 1A3

No phone calls

PARC encourages applicants from all Human Rights protected groups and Is committed to hiring staff members who represent multiple, diverse communities in Parkdale. Accommodation will be provided on request. While we thank all applicants, only those considered for an interview will be contacted directly.