Program Coordinator

The Alex Community Health Centre; Calgary; On-site; CAD 50,000 - 68,000; Full time

Job summary

The Alex Community Food Centre seeks a Program Coordinator to manage volunteer services and implement food skills programs. This permanent, full-time role involves collaborating with staff and the community, ensuring effective programming to empower individuals and improve healthy food access. The ideal candidate will have experience in community development and a passion for building relationships through meaningful connections.

Benefits

3-weeks' vacation

Medical and Dental Coverage

Health / Wellness Spending Accounts

RRSP and/or Student Loan Repayment Program

Personal Days

Floating Holiday

Sick/Wellness Days

Employee Family Assistance Plan (EFAP)

Professional Development

Qualifications

• 3 years of experience in program development and group facilitation preferred.
• Experience working with volunteers and supervisory skills an asset.
• Ability to speak a second language relevant to the Greater Forest Lawn neighborhood is an asset.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate all elements of the volunteer management plan.
• Design and deliver programs within the CFC’s strategic goals.
• Participate in planning, evaluation, fundraising, and public relations.

Skills

Group facilitation

Community outreach

Communication

Conflict resolution

Education

Post-secondary degree or diploma

Tools

Canva Pro

Job description

Are you passionate about building community through food, learning, and meaningful connections? Do you believe that good food has the power to restore dignity, build skills, and create lasting change? Are you a natural coordinator who thrives on bringing people together and supporting others to grow, lead, and thrive? If this sounds like you, keep reading, you might be the next Program Coordinator at The Alex Community Food Centre!

What We Do

The Alex is a beacon of hope for Calgary’s most vulnerable citizens, offering wrap-around health care, housing, social, and wellness programs. With a patient and client-centered approach, we envision a community where every individual is valued and empowered to thrive. Our mission is to improve quality of life through accessible and integrated health, housing, and social services. With five decades of experience, we have earned a reputation for tackling tough health and social issues, guiding individuals on their journey from crisis to wellness, and from challenge to change

The Alex Community Food Centre (CFC) is a welcoming place where people come together to grow, cook, share and advocate for good food for all. The CFC provides food assistance and ensures that people have access to high quality food in a dignified setting that doesn’t compromise their self-worth. People learn cooking and gardening skills and build relationships that help them make healthier food choices. Community members find their voices on the issues that matter to them, and people find friends and support. The CFC offers multi-faceted, integrated and responsive programming in a shared space where food builds health, hope, skills and community. Good food is just the beginning.

Reporting to the Program Manager, the Program Coordinator coordinates all aspects of the Alex CFC’s volunteer program, facilitates foundational learning, and food and garden skills programming. The Program Coordinator utilizes a community development approach that empowers community members to build their capacity and leadership skills through meaningful volunteer opportunities, develop foundational learning skills for life, and increase knowledge and skills that lead to healthy food preparation and consumption.

This is a permanent, full-time position.

What You Will Do

Volunteer Coordination

• Coordinate all elements of the Alex CFC’s volunteer management plan, including recruitment, intake, orientation, placement, recognition, evaluation, and ongoing support.
• Revise and update the volunteer management plan, position descriptions, training manuals and safety protocols as required.
• Collaborate with staff to identify and develop new and innovative volunteer roles.
• Support volunteers with effective training, ongoing support, build their capacity and achieve performance milestones.
• Work closely with The Alex Volunteer & Learning Experience Coordinator to ensure alignment with the organization’s policies and explore practicum opportunities.
• Partner with the Fund Development team to facilitate dynamic corporate group volunteer opportunities at the CFC.
  
  

Program Coordination

• Design, develop and deliver creative programs that fall within the scope of the CFC’s strategic goals, with a focus on capacity building opportunities.
• Collaborate with CFC staff to create and implement food or garden skills programs as required.
  
  

General

• Contribute to daily team operations by assisting volunteers, engaging community members during drop-in programs, responding to critical incidents, and collaborating with team members on program delivery as needed.
• Network with other agencies and individuals to offer programs and services in conjunction with other CFC programs.
• Participate in broader activities at the CFC: planning, evaluation, fundraising and public relations, communications, special events and team activities.
• Perform additional duties as assigned.
  
  

What You Bring

• Post-secondary degree or diploma in a related field of study (culinary, nutrition, social work, community development).
• 3 years of experience with program development, group facilitation, community outreach is preferred; ideally around healthy food skills or food systems.
• Experience working with volunteers and supervisory skills an asset.
• Demonstrated ability to move people from knowledge to action; ability to inspire, teach, and empower community members to engage in positive change.
• Excellent group facilitation, interpersonal, communication and conflict resolution skills.
• Demonstrated experience working with marginalized people and people of diverse cultures and abilities in a community-based setting.
• Ability to speak a second language relevant to the Greater Forest Lawn neighborhood is an asset.
• Arts and/or culinary background is an asset.
• Class 5 driver’s license, personal vehicle for business use, clean 3-year drivers abstract, and $2 million liability coverage are required.
• Experience creating accessible digital content and infographics (e.g. program posters and materials, training manuals) using Canva Pro is an asset.
• Standard First Aid – Level C CPR & AED within 30 days of hire date, certification must be valid for a minimum of 6 months upon hire.
• Satisfactory vulnerable sector police clearance and child welfare intervention check are required.
• Demonstrated knowledge, understanding and commitment to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada: Calls to Action is preferred.
  
  

Work Environment and Hours

• The Alex Community Food Centre: 4920 17 Ave SE, Calgary, AB.
• Standard Hours are 8:30 am – 4:30 pm, Monday to Friday; Flexible hours, which include weekdays, evenings and weekends, are required.
• 1.0 FTE (37.5 hrs/week).
• Community-based setting working with marginalized populations experiencing barriers to community life.
• Continuous extended periods of sitting, standing, or walking.
• Occasional physical action requires the ability to bend/crouch, reach above shoulder height, kneel/crawl, and carry objects (up to 20 lbs.) throughout shift.
  
  

What We Offer

Some of the great benefits The Alex has to offer include:

• 3-weeks’ vacation
• Medical and Dental Coverage
• Health / Wellness Spending Accounts
• RRSP and/or Student Loan Repayment Program and/or Mortgage Repayment Accelerator Program (up to 5% match)
• Personal Days
• Floating Holiday
• Sick/Wellness Days
• Employee Family Assistance Plan (EFAP)
• Professional Development
  
  

How To Apply

If you are as passionate as we are about making a difference in people’s lives, please visit our career centre: Jobs at The Alex | The Alex .

This position will remain open until a suitable candidate is found. We thank all applicants for their interest, however, only those selected for an interview will be contacted. We will make every effort to accommodate candidate’s schedules and needs in all parts of the hiring process.

The Alex is committed to embedding the principles of equity, inclusion, and diversity across the organization. We are committed to removing barriers to employment that are faced by equity-seeking groups and encourage (but not require) members of these groups to self-identify as such in their cover letters.

In accordance with our strategic priorities, we particularly encourage applications from individuals who self-identify as racialized* or Indigenous (First Nation, Metis, or Inuit).

• The term “racialized” is used here instead of the more outdated and inaccurate terms “racial minority, “visible minority”, “person of colour”, or “non-White”.
  
  

For further information about The Alex and its programs, we encourage you to visit our website at www.thealex.ca .