Student Community & Events Specialist

Toronto Film School; Toronto; Hybrid; CAD 50,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

A prominent educational institution in Toronto is seeking a Student Community & Events Specialist to manage all student life initiatives and coordinate events. This hybrid role offers the opportunity to shape the student experience and requires strong event management and interpersonal skills. The ideal candidate will have a Bachelor's degree and experience in the education or nonprofit sectors, with a focus on fostering engagement and community connection.

Benefits

Flexible work schedule

Creative environment

Career development opportunities

Qualifications

• Experience in the education, nonprofit, or arts sector managing events.
• Understanding of academic policies and procedures.
• Experience advising and facilitating student groups.

Responsibilities

• Manage all student life initiatives and events.
• Plan and coordinate student experience initiatives.
• Build relationships with internal and external partners.
• Measure success using attendance and feedback data.

Skills

Event management

Interpersonal skills

Customer service orientation

Organizational skills

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Job description

We are looking for the visionaries, the change-makers, the self-starters who are seeking more from their career. Change begins with the small decisions we make, each day, to support each other and strive to create inspiring incredible educational experiences for all students, no matter where they are or how they learn. In choosing a career with Yorkville University and Toronto Film School, you will have the opportunity to push boundaries, flex your creativity and inspire positive change for so many people.

Our core values put the student experience at the center of what we do, reflecting who we are and aspire to be. If you want to shine a light on academic excellence, be empowered to make an impact on the transformation of the Canadian post-secondary education landscape, and work collaboratively beyond levels, join us.

Who we need

Reporting to the Director, Student Experience, we have a newly created role for a Student Community & Events Specialist. This is a rewarding and meaningful opportunity to take ownership for overseeing and managing all student life initiatives, including new on-campus and online student orientation programs and our annual Student Festival. You will provide leadership and strategic oversight for all co-curricular student engagement and community-building activities and events. Leveraging participation and satisfaction statistics, and working closely with student groups and faculty, you will directly influence positive student outcomes and a measurable reduction in attrition.

This is a full-time hybrid role, working 3 -4 days a week at our downtown Toronto campus. The flexibility to work weekends and evenings to support events is needed.

What’s in it for you

Purpose. You will step into a newly created role with the rare opportunity to shape it from the ground up. You will have the freedom to imagine, design, and execute events that define what student life at Toronto Film School can be. Collaborating with students, staff, and faculty, you will transform ideas into high-impact experiences that leave a measurable mark on satisfaction and engagement. You will own the full journey from concept to launch, seeing your creative vision come to life in ways that inspire and connect our community.

Influence. This is an opportunity to help continue to build the Student Experience function at Toronto Film School and to shape how a growing team delivers events that matter. You will apply innovation to bring creative concepts to life and to design experiences that resonate across programmes, campuses, and online communities. You will make a direct and visible impact on student life, satisfaction, and community connection.

Career development. You will have significant room to create what this role becomes as needs evolve and as the events portfolio grows. You will gain exposure to the creative arts through access to the academic programmes and resources offered through Toronto Film School. You will build skills in event strategy, cross functional collaboration, data informed planning, and community engagement that can advance your career within Student Services or in broader event and education roles.

As our new Student Community & Events Specialist, you will:

• Champion the needs of students beyond the academic. You will foster a supportive and empathetic environment for students to discuss personal and social challenges that may affect their academic performance and well-being. You will provide appropriate referrals to campus resources or external services as needed. You will advocate for student needs and concerns by communicating with faculty, administration, and relevant departments to address academic and non-academic issues.
• Plan and coordinate. In collaboration with the Director, you will determine the strategic direction for our Student Experience initiatives. You will maintain, develop, and implement new programs and activities that support or enhance the student experience in collaboration with the Academic Support and Student Services teams. You will manage the optimization of in-person and online student orientation programs to introduce new students to campus resources, services, and policies. You will support graduation and convocation-related activities.
• Identify opportunities to enhance impact and expand reach. You will plan and coordinate a calendar of in-person and virtual events that enhance student engagement and sense of belonging, including festivals, community-building activities, screenings, industry panels, wellness activities, and celebratory milestones. You will align the event schedule with academic cycles and the needs of students. You will represent the institution at campus, online, and community events and promote Student Experience programming across channels.
• Manage logistics and budgets. You will be responsible for the creation and development of a student engagement plan and the spending and management of the annual student life budget. You will manage event logistics end-to-end, including venues, technology, registration, communications, accessibility needs, and vendor relations. You will track and manage the Student Experience events budget, allocating resources to support priority initiatives and ensuring cost-effective delivery. You will contribute to a positive corporate culture that supports our core values.
• Build and leverage relationships with internal and external partners. You will collaborate with faculty, academic supports, and Student Services to integrate events and promote co-curricular engagement into the academic experience. You will cultivate and maintain relationships with industry guests, alumni, and community organizations to enrich programming and create opportunities for students to network and gain exposure.
• Engage and support students. You will organize peer mentorship opportunities, student-led activities, and volunteer involvement in events. You will promote inclusive participation and proactively reach out to underrepresented and online learner groups. You will respond to student questions and direct them to appropriate resources that support well-being, academic success, and community connection.
• Measure success. You will collect and analyze data on event attendance, student feedback, and engagement trends to inform planning and assess the effectiveness of your efforts. You will set, track, and report on metrics that demonstrate impact on satisfaction, participation, and retention indicators. You will prepare summaries and presentations for institutional stakeholders.

What you bring:

• The experience. You hold a Bachelor’s degree and have worked in the education, nonprofit, or arts sector, managing events, volunteers, and communications. Ideally, you have an understanding of academic policies and procedures, and post-secondary student life. As an active and empathetic listener, passionate about fostering positive experiences, you understand how to work effectively with diverse student populations and address their individual needs. You have direct experience advising both formal and informal groups, as well as creating or facilitating orientation programs and workshops.
• The event management. You bring a strong customer service orientation, a high attention to detail, extensive administrative skills and proven success in planning and executing large and small-scale events, recruiting and managing volunteers, and developing and tracking budgets. You possess exceptional critical thinking skills and problem-solving abilities, combined with a proven ability to creatively bring ideas to life with limited resources. You can juggle multiple tasks or priorities. You are comfortable following structured processes and making decisions independently.
• The interpersonal skills. You have professional oral and written communication skills. You thrive in an independent role where you still have opportunities to share knowledge and collaborate. You can build trust and share knowledge with diverse stakeholders, including colleagues, faculty, students, alumni. You can navigate conflict and remove barriers. You excel at bringing people together and fostering a positive, fun, energetic, and rewarding environment.

Why work at Yorkville University and Toronto Film School?

An atmosphere that successfully blends an entrepreneurial culture with education. We value innovation and continuously look towards expanding our programming, working with the latest research, tools and solutions.

Join us

We welcome and appreciate candidates with a range of backgrounds and experiences. If you have 70% of the qualifications we are looking for, express your interest.

What you can expect from our hiring process:

• A virtual interview with a Talent Advisor discussing your interest in the role and your professional and academic background.
• A virtual interview with the Director, Student Experience and the Manager, Student Life
• An in-person interview and campus tour with senior Campus leadership

Diversity, equity and inclusion are a critical component of life at Yorkville University and Toronto Film School and we are committed to making these values an integral part of our culture. We encourage applications from all qualified applicants, including women, persons with disabilities, Black, Indigenous and People of Colour (BIPOC), people from the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Transsexual, Queer, Questioning, Two-Spirit, Intersex, Asexual + (LGBTQ2SIA+) community and other equity-seeking groups.

Yorkville University is committed to providing accessible employment practices that are in compliance with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act ('AODA'). If you require accommodation for disability, please notify Human Resources at 1-877-429-4029.

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