Job Description

JOB PURPOSE
The Community Builder works within United Ways "Hi Neighbor" initiative. The Community Builder is responsible for the implementation of outreach strategies to develop opportunities for relationship building and resident engagement, in line with United Ways goals. About "Hi Neighbour": "Hi Neighbour", is an opportunity for place-based resident leadership, and a lab for co-creation. Our team works in neighbourhoods across the Lower Mainland, Fraser Valley and the Interior where we support social connectedness, mutual aid, relationship building and participation. Our community engagement staff work hard to build relationships with community members, and build capacity in facilitation, social equity, empowerment, and asset-based community development. Hi Neighbour empowers communities, and over a 3-5 year initiative, we support neighbourhoods to move through the theory of change, from engagement to leadership, resulting in citizen-led, caring, connected communities. This is a regular part-time position of 25 hrs./wk. We are accepting applications from candidates who live in Fraser Valley area.
DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES
Key Responsibilities: Community Development

• As a Community Builder, you\xe2\x80\x99re a resident of the neighborhood. Work with the Community Engagement Specialist, implementing pre-determined strategies to support community members through the HN journey - from initial engagement opportunities, to mobilizing and collaborating alongside residents, to supporting community leadership development. As the HN strategies change in response to community, you are able to adjust your working style to meet residents where they are at
• Develop sustainable community initiatives alongside residents, that will last long after United Way\xe2\x80\x99s neighbourhood work. Utilize United Way engagement theory to support initiatives like the community-led trail-building and mountain biking work in Chilliwack that brings together Indigenous youth, or a temporary community garden in a development site, a new parklet on your street corner, or a youth leadership council in the local government
• Work directly with your neighbours and motivate the informal community champions in the neighbourhood to work with you. You will use your connections and willingness to build relationships to navigate resident\xe2\x80\x99s networks and connect directly with groups and agencies about their participation in our work
• Promote United Ways Local Love Fund microgrants, of up to $1,000, to catalyze resident action through funding their community initiatives. You will work with residents to generate and refine ideas, as well as work together on projects
• Act as a brand ambassador and the neighbourhood face of United Way, working to spread our mission publicly. You will be active on social media, at community events, and out in the streets and bumping places
• Through a volunteer engagement lens, you\xe2\x80\x99ll bring in organizers and volunteers to increase opportunities with our United Way initiatives and develop relationships with local businesses for revenue generation

Key Responsibilities: Other

• Performs other duties related to the qualifications and requirements of the job

QUALIFICATIONS & REQUIREMENTS Education:

• High School Diploma or equivalent

Experience:

• You live in the neighborhood, so you have deep ties to the community and can lean into your connections to start working with resident leaders on day one.
• As a passionate community leader, you know the people on your block and sometimes the next block over. You\xe2\x80\x99ve started community initiatives, and have at least one year of experience working and/or volunteering in your community

Skills:

• You can share an inspirational message and can catalyze people to use their ideas to strengthen their community
• As a creative, you are happy to sit with a resident and generate ideas for ways they can contribute to their community; You have confidence in the process and can lean into discomfort and ambiguity to make things happen
• You have a natural ability to develop relationships between residents and can flow easily between meeting with an isolated neighbour about their food insecurity, to a meeting with business leaders about their contributions to the neighbourhood
• You are able to lead a community event, from planning to execution, and work alongside residents, business owners and city staff to make it happen
• Working in the gray is easy for you, and you are comfortable and excited about space to set your own priorities and a work plan in line with our CES\xe2\x80\x99s strategy
• You understand the barriers to engagement in your community and you are willing to and can speak to the role of equity and targeted engagement in community development work
• You\xe2\x80\x99re detail oriented and can work between volunteer engagement, budget spreadsheets, tech platforms, and a barrage of emails
• You are comfortable using social media as a platform to engage with residents and promote community initiatives

Competencies: Core competencies outline the knowledge, skills and their application that are vital to the success of the Hi Neighbor initiative. Community Builders will have opportunities to strengthen their skills and deepen their expertise in specific core competencies through their work as a member of a team and in community, and as they progress through the phases of the Hi Neighbor initiative. Below are the stages of the initiative in a particular community and the associated competencies that Community Builders are expected to build throughout the 3 to 5-year journey of Hi Neighbor. Competencies Stage: Engagement

• Ability to understand the Community Builder role, purpose, and expectations including a willingness to be flexible and adaptable in the role.
• Knowledge of/willingness to learn a set of guiding principles for ethical and effective community engagement.
• Ability to articulate the importance of equity and inclusion in engagement work, including the opportunities and challenges inherent in engaging residents and other partners/collaborators across lines of social difference.

Stage: Mobilization

• Commitment to fostering community ownership and social change.
• Shows initiative in leading group processes for complex or multiple community engagement activities, accompanied by reflective insights or analysis about the intention and impact of one\xe2\x80\x99s actions.
• Ability to understand how effective community partnerships are related to community engagement work.
• Ability to identify and leverage the strengths and assets existing within your community.
• Ability and/or willingness to examine the assumptions underlying community engagement, including beliefs, values, and social and systemic structures, and how such dimensions influence our daily lived personal and professional experiences.

Stage: Collaboration

• Ability to collaborate with community members in community capacity building endeavors.
• Ability to facilitate participatory decision making in project planning and implementation.
• Values unique and diverse experiences of residents and communities - Demonstrates evidence of adjustment in own attitudes and beliefs as a result of working within and learning from diverse communities and cultures.
• Promotes others\' engagement with differing perspectives.

Stage: Organization

• Ability to transfer skills to the community (and to share skills with team members), thereby enhancing community capacity.
• Knowledge of different modes of public service and civic engagement.
• Ability to work with local agencies, community organizations and local government to advocate for residents\xe2\x80\x99 needs.

Stage: Sustainability

• Ability to support and coach residents in their leadership role and through challenges working in community
• Embedding long term systems change in community as a result of Hi Neighbour engagement, identified and supported by Community Engagement Specialist
• Helping residents navigate partnerships to support initiatives \xe2\x80\x93 with support of Community Engagement Specialist

WORKING CONDITIONS:

• You must live in the neighborhood that you are working in and have the full capacity to work remotely in your own home. You\xe2\x80\x99re comfortable getting around neighbourhood or community\xe2\x80\x93 by bike, walking, transit, or car
• Demands on work time will exist outside normal business hours. You have a flexible schedule which allows you to work evenings, weekends, and whenever works best for your neighbors and community
• Working from home is viral; we connect virtually and you need to be comfortable with meetings, laptop work, and meeting with residents without a formal office. You provide your own computer and phone.

CHARACTERISTICS: For success at UWBC and in this role, certain demonstrable characteristics will be required:

• A commitment to building healthy, caring and inclusive communities
• Embodying the organization\xe2\x80\x99s core values to be collaborative, compassionate, strategic, responsive, accountable and inspiring
• Self-aware and have a willingness to learn, explore new ideas and take risks
• Ability to navigate ambiguity and comfortably operate in it
• Drive to succeed as an individual and as a team member

Community Builders work directly with the residents we serve. We wish to build capacity and leadership with residents, including the diverse and intersecting identities we know our neighbors share. Candidates with relevant lived experience or who are representative of a historically marginalized group are encouraged to apply. Please consider your lived experience as an asset in your application
At UWBC, we don\xe2\x80\x99t just accept difference \xe2\x80\x93 we celebrate it, we support it, and we thrive on it for the benefit of our employees, programs, donors, and the communities we live and work in. At UWBC, we encourage all applicants regardless of age, sex, gender identity, colour, religion, sexual orientation, or any other basis to apply. Don\xe2\x80\x99t meet every single requirement? Studies have shown that women, people of colour and indigenous people are less likely to apply to roles unless they meet every qualification. At UWBC, we are dedicated to Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion, so if you are excited about this role, but your experience and qualifications are not perfectly aligned, we still encourage you to apply. You may be just the right candidate for this, or other roles. This is a bargaining unit role with CUPE Local 1760. This position is a pay grade 26 which is $29.59 per hour. This posting is scheduled to close on November 29, 2023. Interested candidates are invited to apply by submitting a cover letter and resume to job competition C-2023-61. We kindly ask for no phone calls please. Due to a high number of applicants UWBC receives, only candidates selected for an interview will be contacted. We thank all applicants for their interest in UWBC