THE OPPORTUNITY
The Atlantic Region Association of Immigrant Serving Agencies (ARAISA) is seeking a collaborative leader with a passion for learning, social innovation, and welcoming diversity to enrich the fabric of our Atlantic Canadian communities.

The Project Co-Lead will work collaboratively with the Co-Lead of ARAISA’s organizational partner, Inspiring Communities, on a 2-year project to contribute to sector resilience and adaptability of Francophone and Anglophone agencies by building capacity in Social Research & Development and outcomes measurement. This position and project responds to the need for creating environments which foster retention and a greater sense of belonging among newcomers in Atlantic Canada.

ABOUT THE ORGANIZATION
ARAISA is a non-profit umbrella association which serves as a collective voice and forum for its members who are committed to the settlement and integration of immigrants and refugees in the Atlantic Region. ARAISA works to increase the effectiveness of its members through its initiatives to support the sector and its contributions to regional and national forums.

ARAISA provides professional development and networking opportunities, facilitates information and resource exchange, hosts sector-specific working groups, convenes meetings with key stakeholders, and represents its members through national bodies, with the goal of having a positive impact on settlement and integration policies and practices.

RESPONSIBILITIES
In collaboration with their counterpart from Inspiring Communities, the Project Co-Lead will:

• Develop, sustain, and work in collaboration with others to evaluate project partnerships
• Develop workplans, timelines, implementation and evaluation strategies in collaboration with project partners
• Recruit and select participants from staff of agencies funded by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada in the Atlantic region
• Develop training materials and facilitate and/or engage subject matter experts to deliver online and inperson trainings in Social R&D and outcomes measurement
• Collaborate with project team to conduct a baseline assessment to identify the level of knowledge, leadership, capacity, skills, readiness, motivation and learning culture of participants and their organizations in the areas of Social R&D and outcomes measurement
• Assist participants to conduct a scan of promising practices and lessons learned in the areas of ‘welcoming communities’and ‘building a sense of belonging’, to help inform prototype projects
• Provide ongoing support and coaching to help participant cohorts frame concepts, test iterations, gather and interpret data, surface issues and track outcomes
• Support a psychologically and physically safe working environment for participants, colleagues, and project partners
• Work with a developmental evaluator throughout the project lifecycle
• Support knowledge sharing by coordinating presentations, managing online discussion forums, and leveraging other communication channels such as blogs, videos, and websites
• Engage and liaise with a third-party project evaluator
• Manage budget, in accordance with funder guidelines and organizational policies and procedures, to facilitate project
• Monitor spending and cash flow related to project expenditures for staff & participants, including financial forecasting
• Identify and manage project-related risks
• Track progress and provide narrative and financial reports
• Ensure communication occurs in both official languages, including translation of texts and simultaneous interpretation during meetings, where required

The Project Co-Lead is also responsible for:

• Providing support to ARAISA’s programs and operations as required
• Representing ARAISA at events or external meetings, when requested
• Other duties or projects as assigned by the Executive Director

POSITION QUALIFICATIONS/COMPETENCIES
The ideal candidate will have

• a university degree(s) in a relevant field(s) or equivalent work experience
• minimum three years project management experience, including work planning, service procurement, financial management, reporting to funders, monitoring and evaluation
• strong relationship-building and partnership skills, and the ability to communicate effectively
• knowledge and experience in social innovation and Social Research and Development
• knowledge and experience in evaluative methods and performance measurement
• experience in conducting environmental scans, surveys, interviews, focus groups, as well as with other creative data gathering and knowledge sharing approaches
• ability to apply adult learning principles and foster supportive peer learning environments
• familiarity working with Zoom, Microsoft Office suite (including Teams and SharePoint), Google Workspace, and ease in navigating digital environments budget management experience
• strong interpersonal skills including the ability to consult, collaborate, and work as part of a team
• excellent written and verbal communication skills in both French and English required
• familiarity and/or experience with the settlement and integration sector in Atlantic Canada is an asset, including lived experience as an immigrant or refugee

WORKING CONDITIONS
Due to COVID, ARAISA staff are currently working remotely, although it is expected that a hybrid approach will be adopted in the coming months to include work at the ARAISA office.
Travel within the Atlantic Region may be occasionally required, contingent on any travel restrictions. 

APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS
To apply, please submit your cover letter and resumé, in English or French, merged into one (1) document to Carolyn Whiteway at cwhiteway@araisa.ca , stating “Project Co-Lead” in the subject line. Please ensure that you demonstrate in your cover letter how you meet the above qualifications.
Candidates selected for an interview will be required to submit the names and contact information of three references. Further qualifications may be assessed during the competition process.

DEADLINE TO APPLY
Review of applications will begin on November 8th and continue until the position is filled.
As an equity seeking organization, ARAISA encourages applications from individuals that represent the full diversity of communities in Canada, including complexities of intersecting identities such as ability, age, class,
gender, race, and sexual orientation.