Community Engagement Coordinator

JOB SUMMARY

The Health Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion unit functions as a center of expertise and is accountable to advance health equity and inclusion commitments, policies, Indigenous reconciliation commitments and diversity plans across the department. Ottawa Public Health (OPH) is committed to providing services and programs that are diverse and carefully designed to meet the health needs of Ottawa, including those from diverse and marginalized populations while always attempting to reduce barriers to access.  The Community Engagement Team responds to current and emerging community health needs through funding and capacity building to support and strengthen community agencies; coordinating engagement strategies, action plans and partnerships with internal and community stakeholders; and developing and leading OPH initiatives on behalf of the department and board of health to promote equitable, inclusive, and sustainable service delivery for a diversity of populations, guided by the determinants of health.     

You work in collaboration with community members and partners through an anti-racist and anti-oppressive lens. You identify internal and external resources, programs, services, and projects and support community needs by connecting them to relevant partners, both external and internal to the City. You support and monitor project deliverables and programs, are responsible to assist in a wide variety of department and branch initiatives through assessment and highlighting recommendations to support community engagement. You offer guidance and opportunities for health-related change and make improvements to communities by acting as a spokesperson for the team at meetings, with both internal and external partners, and on project teams. You occasionally work outside normal working hours in order to support populations that face systemic barriers.   

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE

Completion of 3 year university degree in Social Work, Social Sciences, Health Sciences or directly related field.

Minimum 3 years of progressive experience working with communities that have been marginalized and challenged by barriers to fully participate in broader society, including experience with projects of increasing complexity.

KNOWLEDGE

• Knowledge of community development process and alternative service delivery mechanisms of public health services and programs.   
• Knowledge of Ontario Public Health Standards.  
• An understanding of poverty, systemic racism, and oppression and how they manifest in health and other services. 
• Project coordination principles and techniques. 
• Knowledge of demographic composition of local communities and neighborhood dynamics.   
• Knowledge of community partners, in particular those supporting communities that face barriers
• Knowledge of resources available within the community to meet community needs. 
• An understanding of the social determinants of health and the impact on populations who face them 
• Knowledge of governmental and non-governmental system navigation in the realm of social services, schools, social service agencies and other facilities
• Knowledge of values, norms and beliefs held by the community and how they impact on program development and the dissemination of information at the community and organization levels. 
• Knowledge of applicable health and safety legislation, including the rights and duties of workers   
   

COMPETENCIES, SKILLS AND ABILITIES

• Ability to coordinate projects and tasks toward timely deliverable completion
• Skilled in establishing effective and trusting relationships with people of diverse backgrounds 
• Ability to work effectively with external clients by focusing efforts on meeting their needs.   
• Strong oral communication, consulting and interpersonal skills to provide advice in the provision of consistent messaging and timely response to complaints or concerns raised by partners, clients, and the public.  
• Strong problem solving and conflict resolution skills.   
• Ability to collaborate with internal departments to advance relationships.  
• Able to use integrity, creativity and enthusiasm in achieving results.   
• Ability to conceptualize projects and have concrete skills to assist the community in moving projects to successful completion.   
• Proficiency in MS Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Visio) and familiarity with SharePoint. 
• Ability to communicate effectively and concisely, both orally and in writing, with diverse audiences, including effective presentation skills.   
• Ability to plan and lead virtual meetings and presentations
• Report writing skills.
• Ability to be adaptable to shifting priorities, and set and manage multiple priorities to meet deadlines.
• Demonstrate good judgement, tact, discretion, creative problem-solving skills, are self-motivated and show initiative.   
• Ability to bring and incorporate lived/grounded expertise of systemic inequities order to meet community where they are at and better inform approaches and interventions
• Ability to work collaboratively as a member of a team to create and nurture an environment of safety and trust.
• Ability to establish and nurture partnerships of all types (internal and external partners)