Job opportunities and tenders

We have an immediate opening for a passionate anti-racist, anti-oppression, and decolonization graduate student scholar to join our team in the position of Research Assistant – Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Decolonization (EDID). The successful candidate will join a dynamic group of individuals working towards building a safe, welcoming, accessible and equitable space to conduct all Federation activities. 

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

The Research Assistant – EDID will support the Federation’s commitment to equity, diversity, inclusion, and decolonization in its structures, policies, programs, human resources, governance procedures, and events, including Congress of the Humanities and Social Sciences, Canada’s largest academic conference. The Research Assistant – EDID will conduct research on initiatives to promote and support the creation of an EDID coalition to bring together Indigenous, Black and Racialized students, staff, faculty, community members, and external stakeholders.

This is a 5-month contract position with potential for renewal, reporting to the Director, EDID. The compensation for this position will be based upon an hourly rate of $25.00. Work schedule will be Monday-Friday; ~30 hours/week, 6 hours/day.

Remote work

The Federation for the Humanities and Social Sciences is based in Ottawa, but there is no requirement for the successful candidate to relocate to Ottawa. However, having reliable internet and a home office that provides for a productive, professional, and safe work environment during regular working hours is a requirement of this role. To be successful as a remote staff person, the candidate will need to be a proactive communicator, have a self-starter attitude, and possess strong time and organizational management skills.

What you will do

• Design and maintain EDID project databases, data collection forms, and related programs for collection, analysis, and reporting.
• Create and maintain a structured and annotated review of existing literature organizing academic and gray literature on Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Decolonization
• Participate in literature reviews and the translation of knowledge to actions addressing EDID
• Gather data from government agencies, research organizations, and the private sector to inform future initiatives to support EDID in humanities and social sciences.
• Establish diversity objectives for Board, committee, and staff recruitment. Develop voluntary EDI data collection strategy for Congress and other key activities to support our data collection strategy.
• Provide support to grant applications, administrative duties, and communications activities related to Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Decolonization
• Develop, maintain, and distribute copy editing guidelines and best practices surrounding the issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion.
• Draft and support issue a quarterly EDID progress report.
• Consult with Senior Advisor, EDID to produce agenda and meeting minutes, gather relayed meeting materials for completeness, assembled records and filed records.
• Attend and participate in EDID standing committee meetings, and EDID related seminars, and conferences as part of the EDID team.
• Support the development of presentations and assist to organize EDID consultation sessions and events (e.g., seminar series, workshops, member forum)
• Assist in creating and implementing knowledge translation strategies to disseminate research findings, e.g. case studies, research papers for publication, conference presentations, etc.
• Other duties as required.

What you need

• A commitment to learn, apply and champion the guiding principles and values of EDID.
• Demonstrated commitment to valuing diversity and contributing to an inclusive working and learning environment.
• Graduate degree with a minimum of one (1) year experience in a research environment (can be as a student) OR a minimum of two (2) years’ experience with an organization(s) conducting community-led research in humanities and social sciences. 
• Curious, open-minded, able to think strategically and outside the box, and with a high degree of comfort with uncertainty and complexity.
• Knowledge of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, AODA, conflict resolution, anti-Indigenous racism, anti-blackness, and anti-oppression principles and practices
• Strong research skills in conducting literature reviews and the translation of knowledge to actions addressing EDID principles.
• Strong copyediting and manuscript editing skills to review and revise written material to improve readability and access, as well as ensuring that content is free of grammatical and factual errors. 
• Driven to take on new opportunities and challenges, with the self-motivation to continue to learn, develop and grow self and others.
• Proven ability to set, adapt, and shift priorities in a dynamic and fast-paced environment; problem solve and handle multiple responsibilities; produce high-quality deliverables; and meet deadlines.
• Experience in coordinating meetings, drafting memos and supporting materials and working on diversity-related programming or initiatives.
• Excellent organizational, planning, problem solving, and outreach skills.
• Strong written and oral communication skills that embody empathy, kindness, creativity and openness.

What you bring

• Methodological training on data collection and analysis.
• Subject matter training on Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Decolonization.
• Lived and work experience working with marginalized and racialized community partners in a research context.
• Knowledge of Employment Equity Act, Occupational Health and Safety Act, Human Rights Code, and Labour Relations Act of Ontario.
• Knowledge of Community Development and Not-for-profit sector networks.
• Knowledge of community/university research partnerships.
• Knowledge of gender and race analysis and employment innovations and challenges for equity-deserving groups, including but not limited to: women, Indigenous peoples (First Nations, Inuit and Métis), and persons with disabilities, members of racialized groups and members of 2SLGBTQQIPA+ communities. 
• Bilingual - English and French - an asset
• Experience in qualitative research methods including data gathering, data analysis, ethical protocols and quantitative research methods.
• Experience with data analysis, data collection, and record keeping.
• Proficient in MS Office Suite & social media platforms (Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Outlook, Planner, Teams, Zoom, Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, etc.)

What success looks like

• You successfully conduct research on initiatives undertaken by Federation to promote EDID
• You successfully support the creation of an EDID coalition of support to bring together students, staff, faculty, community members, and external stakeholders
• You provide support to grant applications, administrative duties, and communications activities related to EDID
• You attend and actively participate in the EDID committee meetings and community outreach with equity deserving groups

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.

Your application should consist of: 

1. Your resume or CV
2. Cover letter
3. A personal reflection – no more than one (1) page – on how should the Federation for Humanities and Social Sciences measure success in its commitment to the Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Decolonization and the recommendations made in the Igniting Change Report

The Federation for Humanities and Social Sciences is committed to diversity within its community and especially welcomes applications from racialized persons / persons of colour, women, Indigenous / Aboriginal People of North America, persons with disabilities, LGBTQ2S+ persons, and others who may contribute to the further diversification of ideas. 

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.

If this position is of interest to you, please submit the documentation requested above, by uploading the above mentioned documents to our online portal  https://secure.collage.co/jobs/fhss/37522 by May 5th, 2023.

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