Job opportunities and tenders

Lead, Policy (Acting – replacing parental leave) – 12 month contract

We have an immediate opening for a an enthusiastic, member-focused and creative individual to join our team for a 12-month contract as Interim Lead, Policy, and lead the activities that advance the Federation’s policy and advocacy agenda, and support our mission, values, and strategic priorities. This position reports to the President and CEO.

The Federation for the Humanities and Social Sciences promotes research and teaching for the advancement of an inclusive, democratic and prosperous society. With a membership now comprising over 160 universities, colleges and scholarly associations, the Federation represents a diverse community of 91,000 researchers and graduate students across Canada. The Federation organizes Canada’s largest academic gathering, the Congress of the Humanities and Social Sciences, bringing together more than 8,000 participants each year. For more information about the Federation, visit www.federationhss.ca.

Summary

We are seeking an Acting Lead, Policy who will play a key role in contributing to the success of the organization.  The ideal candidate develops and maintains strong issue expertise in priority policy areas of the Federation, including funding for Social Science and Humanities (SSH) research, and the impacts of research and education in SSH disciplines.  The incumbent undertakes research and policy analysis; plans programmatic activities; develops key messages and other advocacy content and resources; advises and supports the Standing Committee on Policy and Programs; and builds relationships with the federal government and other key stakeholders. 

Remote work

The office is temporarily closed due to COVID-19. You will be working from home until such time as the office reopens. You will be provided with a laptop computer and the necessary software to complete your duties, including the use of Zoom and other online collaboration tools. You will be expected to provide your own internet connection and telephone in order to stay connected. When the office reopens, you will be expected to work out of the office in downtown Ottawa.

What you will do

• Track and provide analytic services (written and verbal) on emerging trends and major issues related to social science and humanities research, science and technology, and post-secondary education at the national and international levels.
• Coordinate research projects, and directly undertake research and statistical work where needed, to serve and develop the Federation’s policy and advocacy work.
• Draft positions and provide strategic advice on emerging trends and developments in post-secondary education and in Federation policy priorities.
• Support the Board of Directors’ Standing Committee on Policy and Programs. Draft memos and briefing material; plan and attend meetings; develop agendas in consultation with the Chair, and serve as the primary staff contact for committee members.
• Draft articles, op eds, blog posts, briefing notes, correspondence, social media posts and other communication products in priority Federation policy areas.
• Provide leadership in the implementation and development of key programmatic initiatives to advance organizational objectives, including Big Thinking and Congress-related programming.
• Undertake member, stakeholder and decision-maker engagement and relationship building as it relates to the Federation’s policy and advocacy work, with particular emphasis on the university and research policy community.
• Additional duties as required.

What you need

• A graduate degree in the arts, humanities, social sciences, or related field; or an undergraduate degree and extensive related professional experience.
• Five or more years of related progressive experience in a medium sized organization with multiple stakeholders, ideally within a NGO or non-profit membership environment.
• In-depth understanding of the university research environment and familiarity with core issues facing the social science and humanities disciplines.
• Experience or familiarity with areas such as Indigenous issues, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion especially as it pertains to research, education, policy or society more broadly. 
• Experience presenting and articulating policy positions to a wide variety of audiences including Executives, Board of Directors, and stakeholders.
• Demonstrated ability to perform research-related tasks (library research, interviews, analysis and synthesis of documents, writing and editing skills) is an asset.

What you bring

• Bilingualism in English and French is preferred.
• Superior writing skills – accuracy and attention to detail is critical.
• Demonstrated analytical, communication and problem solving skills.
• Ability to provide leadership and mentorship to others to develop team capacity and knowledge
• Demonstrated ability to organize diverse tasks and appropriately manage time and resources to achieve multiple objectives.
• Ability to take initiative and to shepherd projects through from conceptualization to evaluation.
• Must be a team player.
• Excellent interpersonal skills and an ability to network with community stakeholders and to work with multi-layered teams and diverse communities.

What success looks like

• You actively monitor pertinent media/government announcements
• You provide analysis of research and statistical work undertaken by diverse governmental and non-governmental entities in priority Federation issue areas
• You  undertake or coordinate research projects directly as needed; 
• You provide strategic advice and draft positions for  senior management and the Board in the Federation’s policy portfolios;
• You provide leadership in the development of Big Thinking lectures and other Federation programming;
• You engage stakeholders in the Federation’s policy and advocacy work.

To apply

If this opportunity intrigues you and relates to your experience, then we want to hear from you. Please take the time to tell us about yourself in a cover letter – we want to hear your story – your background, your accomplishments, and why this role is a good fit for you, and your career at this time.

The Federation for the Humanities and Social Sciences is committed to providing an inclusive and barrier-free recruitment process and work environment. We are an equal opportunity employer, and we are seeking applications from employment equity groups including but not limited to: persons with disabilities, and Black, Indigenous and/or persons of colour.

You must be legally allowed to work in Canada in order to be eligible for this position. Please note that all applications will be acknowledged. Those selected for an interview will be contacted directly. The posting will remain active on our website until our search process is complete.

Please contact us in confidence and provide notice in advance if you require accommodations at any stage of the recruitment process. All requests for accommodation will be considered in a fair and objective manner that will ensure applicants are treated with respect and dignity. Please submit your cover letter including salary expectations and résumé, by January 14, 2022 in https://secure.collage.co/jobs/fhss/27487.

For any questions or to request accommodations, please email us at hr@federationhss.ca

Event Planner  

We have an immediate opening for a talented, energetic and member-focused individual to step into the role of Event Planner and join our Congress and events team! This position requires fluency in French and English.

The Federation for the Humanities and Social Sciences promotes research and teaching for the advancement of an inclusive, democratic and prosperous society. With a membership now comprising over 160 universities, colleges and scholarly associations, the Federation represents a diverse community of 91,000 researchers and graduate students across Canada.

The annual Congress of the Humanities and Social Sciences is the convergence of over 70 scholarly associations, each holding their annual conference under one umbrella, and is Canada’s largest gathering of scholars. Typically held in late May and early June, Congress is organized by the Federation each year. Congress 2022 will be held virtually, May 12 to May 20, 2022.

For more information, visit www.federationhss.ca and www.congress2022.ca.

Summary

The Event Planner plays a key role in project managing events hosted by the Federation for which our members and stakeholders participate.  The Event Planner reports to the Director, Congress and Events and plays a key role in planning and executing events both internally and externally. This includes full project planning expertise in the planning, development and execution, financial and logistical requirements.  In any given year the event portfolio may include, but is not limited to: 

• Big Thinking lecture series (Big Thinking on the Hill, @Congress)  
• Board meetings (3 per year) and ad-hoc committee meetings 
• Congress of the Humanities and Social Sciences which includes expo management
• Other ad-hoc events initiated by the Executive Directors’ office or Federation programming initiatives 

 The position comes with an annual salary range of $46,000 to $58,000 and a competitive compensation package including health/dental benefits, participation in the employer’s pension plan, and a generous vacation and holiday policy which includes a year-end holiday shut-down period. There is also the ability to work in a fun, collegial and supportive work environment, where work-life balance is highly valued! 

Work location

This position is based in Ottawa, Ontario.

The Federation office in downtown Ottawa is partially closed due to COVID-19. The Event Planner will be mostly working from home, with the option to work from the office on an occasional basis. You will be provided with a laptop computer and the necessary software to complete your duties, including the use of Zoom and other online collaboration tools. You will be expected to provide your own Internet connection and telephone in order to stay connected.

Travel may be required for up to two-week period to Ottawa in the lead up to and during Congress 2022 in order to be onsite in the Congress command centre for the event. This will depend on the COVID-19 restrictions at the time. For future Congresses, travel will be required for up to a two week period to other Canadian cities in the lead up to Congress.

What you will do

Working within an event planning team, you will:

• Contribute to event and meeting, planning, implementing and managing the full range of operational, logistical and administrative functions necessary to execute events
• Lead and participate in the site selection activities for future Congress events;
• Coordinate travel logistics for all Federation speakers at events;
• Liaise with the Federation’s travel agency, secure and manage hotel room blocks, prepare accommodation webpage, obtain and monitor all hotel picks ups from Congress hotels and University residences;
• Utilize event management software to build online registration forms for all events and write edit and produce a range of communications with organizers, exhibitors and advertisers, making appropriate use of html and CSS styling to adhere to website best practices and accessibility guidelines. These pieces include email campaigns, advertising and signage, and other correspondence as they relate to the Congress of the Humanities and Social Sciences;
• Work in collaboration with the Communications team on Congress and event related messaging including email campaigns, website content and print materials;
• Coordinate planning on-site and virtual meetings for events held at partner universities;
• Develop relationships with suppliers (e.g. show services/virtual event platform, AV companies, simultaneous interpretation, mobile app, university departments, etc.), in order to deliver high quality products on time and on budget;
• Liaise with the partner university on a regular basis to collaborate and seek approval on deliverables relating to Congress;
• Perform basic multimedia (video editing, graphic design etc.) for online materials relating to Congress and events;
• Prepare work plans including workflows, approvals, and milestones and maintain throughout each project, report up/to necessary updates to director/team members as required. Maintain timelines to meet all milestones and provide alternative suggestions when required;
• Maintain event budgets and contribute to overall team budget according to work plans and agreements in force. Prepare necessary scopes of work to procure goods and services for events, evaluate quotes and prepare price comparisons as required;
• Support the work of the broader Federation team by providing similar logistical support for smaller scale activities when required.

What you need

• You have 2-4 years of related experience in event planning, or a combination of education and direct experience; ideally within a NGO or non-profit environment. It will be an asset if you have experience in a membership organization, and understand the role we play to serve our diverse membership;
• You have completed post-secondary education, preferably in event planning, events management, or related field;
• Exceptional written and verbal communication and interpersonal skill;
• Experience working with event management and mobile app software as well as proficiency with Microsoft suite of products;
• Ability to work onsite at events for long periods of time; standing, carrying and lifting of 20lb boxes of conference materials;
• Experience in building and managing relationships with vendors, key stakeholders, sponsors and members including sales efforts for exhibitors and advertisers;
• Advanced software skills including word processing, spreadsheets, slide presentations, database management, email and scheduling;
• Experience with project management and critical path documentation is an asset;
• Good written and oral communication skills in both French and English are required.

What you bring

• Ability to work under pressure and adapt easily;
• Demonstrated ability to organize multiple tasks and appropriately prioritize activities;
• A detail-oriented mind, with a strong focus on organization, planning, follow-up;
• You exude excellent interpersonal skills and an ability to work with multi-layered teams and diverse communities, establishing strong and trusted relationships, both internally and externally to the organization;
• High ethical standards and a desire to work with like-minded high-achievers;
• Ability to facilitate meetings with members, conduct presentations and leverage interpersonal skills to put individuals (colleagues or members) at ease;
• Tact and diplomacy in dealing with colleagues, elected or appointed representatives of the Federation, as well as with members of universities and organizations;
• You have an entrepreneurial mindset, think proactively, and you’re always willing to roll-up your sleeves and make things happen; 
• That feeling of achieving personal satisfaction from producing high quality results that has a positive impact on a small, ambitious organization is something your former managers or colleagues admire about you; 
• A sense of ownership and accountability of tasks and the motivation to follow through to achieve personal and team goals;
• You have learned how to navigate and understand that people work differently than you and so respect the values and differences that all members of a small team bring to an office environment;
•  A sincere respect for the values and differences that all members of a small team bring to an office environment; adaptability to different approaches and a flexibility to move in new directions as needed;
• Commitment to Federation values, vision and direction;
• Willingness to continuously develop skills and knowledge;
• A good sense of humor.

What success looks like

• You can learn the role and deliver on existing priorities and deliverables;
• You create strong working relationships with the team at the Federation as well as with stakeholders, partners and members;
• Your work showcases your initiative, creativity, proactive attitude and commitment to continuous improvement;
• You understand the importance of the humanities and social sciences in Canadian society and the role of the Federation and services it provides the member community;
• You leverage your experience and knowledge of event planning and best practices to create impactful events for Federation members;
• You successfully juggle multiple – often times competing – priorities without losing your cool;
• You take pride in a job well done, high-quality results, and in meeting deadlines;
• Your work showcases your attention to detail and willingness to make things happen.

To apply

If this position intrigues you and relates to your experience, then we want to hear from you. Please take the time to tell us about yourself in a cover letter, and why this opportunity is a good fit for you.

The Federation for the Humanities and Social Sciences is committed to providing an inclusive and barrier-free recruitment process and work environment. We are seeking applications from employment equity groups including but not limited to: persons with disabilities, and Black, Indigenous and/or persons of colour.

You must be legally allowed to work in Canada in order to be eligible for this position. Please note that all applications will be acknowledged. Those selected for an interview will be contacted directly. The posting will remain active on our website until our search process is complete.

Please contact us in confidence and provide notice in advance if you require accommodations at any stage of the recruitment process. All requests for accommodation will be considered in a fair and objective manner that will ensure applicants are treated with respect and dignity.

Please submit your cover letter and résumé at https://secure.collage.co/jobs/fhss/26771. The posting will remain active on our website until we successfully fill the position.

For any questions or to request accommodations, please email us at hr@federationhss.ca.

 

Last updated 2021-12-22