Website Mi'kmaw Native Friendship Centre

Building Neighbourhoods For Everyone, With Everyone

Welcome to Every One Every Day Kjipuktuk/Halifax!

Every One Every Day (EOED) Kjipuktuk-Halifax is an exciting initiative that is working to build a new system of neighborhood participation in the heart of Halifax’s North End. EOED is led by the Mi’kmaw Native Friendship Centre and is inspired by the work of Participatory City (PC) in East London, UK, which demonstrates how participation in practical, everyday activity can transform people’s lives and the neighbourhoods in which they live.
You will be joining us at an exciting time, one year into a three-year development phase, as the project works to grow a set of infrastructures that can connect ideas and resources across the neighbouhood through a growing network of practical participation projects. The projects are all about building opportunities for neighbours to connect and learn over shared interests and work together to shape civic and social spaces in ways that draw on the many gifts and talents of people living nearby.
Central to our work in Halifax is the development of new models of citizen-led life and learning that help to foster Truth and Reconciliation at the neighbourhood level. This means working closely with Indigenous people and communities in the urban context to foster a sense of belonging, influence the creation of projects that invite learning around Indigenous culture, and weave Reconciliation principles and practices into the growing participation ecosystem.

Currently we are looking for a Neighbourhood Project Designer to join EOED’s Neighbourhood Team. Neighbourhoods Project Designers work together to facilitate the development of the EOED platform through deepening local partnerships, connecting spaces & resources across the neighbourhood, and supporting the co-design and delivery of community-led programs & projects.

Statement of Intention: We encourage applications from individuals who self-identify as Indigenous, African Nova Scotian or Nova Scotian of African ancestry. We are particularly interested in recruiting people with connections to Halifax’s North End.

Reports to: EOED Program Director
Location: Halifax, Nova Scotia
Starting date: Mid-Late May (or as soon as possible)
Position Type: Full time (35hrs/week), fixed term (one-year) contract with possibility for extension.
Salary: $28-$30/hr. Depending on experience. Group benefits plan included.
About the Role:

Neighbourhood Project Designers are the boots, voices and ears on the ground for Every One Every Day. They work together daily to activate key elements of the EOED platform, such as the Neighbourhood Shop and Community Build Trailer, and inspire new ideas for building participation culture at the neighbourhood level.

Throughout the year, the Neighbourhood team collaborates to support the design and development of seasonal programs alongside diverse residents and local organizations. The purpose of these programs is to illuminate a vision for a new kind of neighborhood; One where many different people can meet and work together on the creation of neighborhood projects that invite the ideas and creativity of everyone.

About You:
You are an experienced community leader who is energized by working alongside diverse community members to surface ideas and creativity that help spark positive, neighborhood level change.
You are a seasoned facilitator who is familiar with concepts of design-thinking & practice. You are someone who enjoys trying your hand at making new things and working with others to move ideas into action in support of diverse forms of civic and social activation.
You are a great problem solver and community animator— finding spaces, identifying opportunities, and seeking new partnerships in support of developing a growing network of spaces and projects that support community-driven action.
You are resourceful, self-directed, and highly organized. You enjoy working in focused and driven teams.
You are passionate about working to build more inclusive and socially connected communities that prioritize principles of equity as well as learning and practice around decolonization.
You are someone who will make it happen, even if it isn’t perfect or it is difficult.

KEY REPONSIBILITIES

Co-Design & Co-creation:
Facilitate participatory design sessions with the EOED team, residents, and partners that help to stimulate and connect ideas for new neighbourhood projects that expand opportunities and entry points for people to take part.
Work with the neighbourhood team to create a range of visual tools & interactive displays that can help visualize new possibilities for the neighbourhood and how we might work together to activate public spaces in inclusive and creative ways.
Engage and connect community members through co-design processes that facilitate the design and development of seasonal program and newspaper cycles. In doing so, create a wide range of invitations that help to spark imagination and creativity around how we can work together share time, talents and skills through a growing network of practical participation projects.

Platform & Partner Development (ie. Ecosystem Building):
Build & strengthen partnerships with local organizations & businesses through implementation of collaborative projects (ie. Art, building, crafting, making, growing, etc.) that help to connect and leverage community & social infrastructure (indoor/outdoor spaces, equipment, tools, materials & knowledge) across the neighbourhood.
Lead the activation of key platform infrastructures (ie. Neighbourhood Shop, Community Build Trailer, partner sites & organizations, etc.) by facilitating creative & engaging spaces for residents to work together the development of new project ideas.
Support the creation of safe and inclusive spaces for all community members and work with team to apply trauma-informed and culturally sensitive approaches.

Program & Project Management:
Engage with a range of virtual tools that support collaborative design and development of projects and complex program logistics.
Maintain on-going tracking and organization of program and partner details using existing or new platforms & tools. (ie. Microsoft 365, Monday, Hub Spot, Canva, etc.).
Work with team members to create weekly and monthly schedules for supporting connection and flow across spaces and within the Neighbourhood Team.
Oversee general administrative tasks required for on-going development of the work.
Manage assigned budgets for project materials and expenses and coordinate bulk purchasing of equipment and supplies.

Evaluation, Learning & Development:
Participate in on-going tracking and data collection in relation to impact measurement and on-going development of approach, particularly in relation to project and program design.
Engage in team learning & development opportunities related to participatory design, EOEDs Truth & Reconciliation Framework, and other opportunities that help to build and share critical knowledge across the team.
Facilitate co-design sessions as part of team development/training camps and regular team meetings.
Contribute to processes of knowledge sharing and the development of learning materials.

Communications & Story Sharing:
Engage in structured reflection practice to capture emerging insights and stories.
Support the collection of resident impact stories for sharing across diverse communications materials (ie. newspapers & reports).
Contribute to insight gathering, analysis, and content development for annual reports or specialized communications products.
Contribute to the coordination and development of updates, news, and story-sharing across key social media channels.

Adhere to EOED Team Values and all Mi’kmaw Native Friendship Centre policies and practices.

PERSON SPECIFICATION
For this role, we are looking for a relationship builder, a design-thinker, a tinkerer, and someone with TONS of enthusiasm for connecting people to explore, design and activate creative projects for the neighbourhood. Please apply if you’re excited about this role, even if you don’t have every requirement listed below.

Essential Knowledge, Skills & Competencies:
Design Thinking & Activation – Familiarity in principles of design-thinking with the ability to engage others in participatory design processes (ie. Ideation, theming & mapping, testing & prototyping, etc.).
Collaboration – Working with diverse team and community members to harness & connect different knowledge and skill sets in support of resident-led action.
Communication – Excellent written and verbal communication skills to support the communication of ideas across contexts and support creative and productive workflow within the team and with partners.
Facilitation – Experience developing and facilitating workshops & ideation sessions and supporting others to do so.
Program & Project Planning – Organization and implementation of tools and processes to support project and task management in collaborative environments.
Relationship builder – Excellent people person with the ability to work effectively with diverse groups and individuals to support inclusion, particularly in relation to Urban Indigenous and African Nova Scotian communities.
Proficiency with software applications including Microsoft Office, Google Suite, and comfort using project/data management tools such as Monday, HubSpot, and/or others.
Must provide a Vulnerable Sector Check and Child Abuse Registrar prior to hiring.

Personal Qualities
Energetic – great at face-to-face communication- able to convey ideas, generate excitement, motivate and encourage people to get involved.
Action orientated – with excellent project planning and organizational skills – ability to manage multiple tasks, set goals and establish priorities in a timely manner.
Highly organized – with a strong attention to detail and ability to manage multiple tasks, set goals and establish priorities in a timely manner.
Persistent – strong follow-up ensuring continuity and excitement is generated.
Reliable – both process and outcome focused: you do what you say you will, ask for help where you need it, and continuously seek opportunities to strengthen both our process and impact.
Action orientated – with a sense and capability to get started and move things along in emergent environments.
Curious with a learner’s mindset.
Committed to achieving social change – where everyone is able to participate, and no one is left behind.

APPLICATION DETAILS
Please email a cover letter and resume in a single PDF document to: halifaxiseveryone@gmail.com
Applications will be accepted until Saturday April 15th at 5pm. Only those applicants who are screened for an interview will be contacted.
Within your application, please include why you are excited about the opportunity and how your skills, knowledge & experience fit the role as described. Please also indicate clearly if you identify as Indigenous, African Nova Scotian, or Nova Scotian with African Ancestry.  We’d also love to hear if you have existing community relationships in Halifax’s North End.
We look forward to hearing from you!

To apply for this job email your details to halifaxiseveryone@gmail.com.