Ecosystem and biodiversity conservation, Community organizing

Title: Defend our Home Canvass Organizer
Organization: Neighbours United
Location: Powell River, BC

Positions open: 2
Start Date: April 15, 2026
End date: September 11, 2026
Terms: Part-time – 20 hours/week
Salary: $26.65

We're hiring up to two Canvass Organizers to have conversations with everyday people in Powell River and mobilize the community to gain support for a Biodiversity and Ecosystem Health Law — the change we need to create a better balance between healthy forests and good jobs in B.C. If you love listening, storytelling, and community organizing, we want you to join our team.

About the Organization:

Neighbours United is a non-profit community-driven organization that brings together local residents to protect the natural environment while building just, equitable, healthy, and livable communities. Neighbours United coordinates hundreds of volunteers and outreaches to rural, small town and suburban residents each year to build sustainable communities and defend nature.

Neighbours United is the first group in Canada to develop a deep engagement canvass program, and the first group anywhere to complete a long-term deep canvass on climate and energy. Deep engagement canvassing, or deep canvassing, is a transformational practice for having vulnerable, emotional, and nonjudgmental conversations that decrease polarization and move people to become more in favour of an issue.

Neighbours United practices employment equity and is dedicated to building a workforce that reflects the diversity of our community. We welcome applications from Indigenous Peoples, Black People, People of Colour, women, people with disabilities, youth, members of the LGBTQ2SAI+ communities, new immigrants, refugees, or members of other minorities.

Neighbours United is committed to a safe work and volunteer space for everyone. All staff and board members have completed anti-oppression training. All new staff are required to complete anti-oppression training upon starting with Neighbours United if they have not previously completed similar training in the past two years.

About the Role:

Reporting to the Defend our Home Manager, the Canvass Organizer's role is split between deep canvassing and organizing. 60% of your role will involve one on one conversations to help residents connect the impacts of current forestry management practices to their own personal lives and consider how prioritizing biodiversity and ecosystem health might support a new balance. The other 40% of your role will involve hosting events, attending public gatherings, running trainings, working with other non-profits, and building public pressure on the province to pass the Biodiversity and Ecosystem Health Law.

This position is in person and will require time in community, however, there will be some at home tasks.

Key Responsibilities:

Canvassing (Approximately 60% of the role)

• Have deep canvass conversations while door knocking for four hours of each shift.
• Participate in regular skills training and coaching to improve conversation skills.
• Accurately record data and contribute to debriefs to better inform our efforts, and be able to pivot as necessary based on what we are seeing to be most effective.
• Meet regularly with the Defend our Home Manager, individually and as a whole canvass team.

Organizing & Mobilization (Approximately 40% of the role)

• Organize and mobilize supporters:
  • Recruit volunteers to attend public events to ID new supporters and showcase support, use engagement organizing to develop volunteer leadership, organize events in partnership with other organizations
  • Re-engage people we have deep canvassed
  • Engage additional action takers further
• Build relationships with non-profit organizations in the community
• Host events including letter writing events, community gatherings, town hall meetings, etc.
• Host trainings on how to meet with MLAs
• Participate in leadership development and anti-oppression trainings, as required

Requirements

• Experience in community organizing, outreach, customer-facing roles, or similar relational work (formal organizing experience is an asset but not required)
• Strong listening skills, and the ability to talk nonjudgmentally/neutrally with individuals that hold a wide range of viewpoints.
• Proven strong interpersonal, conflict resolution and communication skills
• Demonstrated commitment and passion to environmental justice and its intersections.
• Ability to be emotionally resilient during work hours.
• Willing to vulnerably share stories and experiences from your life.
• Enthusiastic about learning, risk-taking and willing to make mistakes in the process.
• Able to work in a team, and ability to be motivated to work on your own.
• Strong communications skills and is comfortable approaching and talking to the public
• Understands Engagement Organizing and can use these principles to build leadership with volunteers and community members (an asset but not required)
• Ability to work with diverse people, including Indigenous, Black and People of Colour and organizations

Compensation and Benefits:

Neighbours United is a Living Wage Employer. Employment benefits include:

• 10 paid sick days pro-rated
• Six weeks of paid time off, including four weeks vacation (prorated), and paid time off during August office closure.
• Technology hardware provided
• Paid Statutory holidays (for staff that have worked 15 of the previous 30 days), includes Boxing Day and Easter Monday, and additional consideration for days of cultural or religious significance
• Paid time for Leadership Training and for Organizational Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Training, and other professional development
• Extended health benefits
• Opportunity for position advancement within the organization

To apply:

Applicants are encouraged to identify in their applications if they are Indigenous Peoples, Black People, People of Colour, women, youth, people with disabilities, members of the LGBTQ2SAI+ communities, new immigrants, refugees, and/or are members of other visible minorities.

Send a cover letter and CV to joelle@neighboursunited.org with the subject line reading “Canvass Organizer - (last name) Application” by March 13th at 12pm. We thank all who apply and only those considered for the position will be contacted for interviews.

Please mention you saw this at rcen.ca or goodwork.ca.