Request for Applications

CPCHE is seeking a part-time Healthy Environments for Learning Day (HELD) Project Coordinator

Hiring: Healthy Environments for Learning Day (HELD) Project Coordinator
Organization: Canadian Partnership for Children's Health and Environment (CPCHE)
Location: virtual position open to candidates living anywhere in Canada
Date posted: November 1, 2023
Term: one-year contract, possibility of renewal

About CPCHE and Healthy Environments for Learning Day

The Canadian Partnership for Children’s Health and Environment (CPCHE) is a national collaboration of organizations with overlapping missions that have been working together for two decades to improve children’s environmental health in Canada (healthyenvironmentforkids.ca). CPCHE’s 20 partner and affiliate organizations have diverse expertise in public and clinical health, environmental protection, disability advocacy, law and policy, early childhood education, and health equity. CPCHE has a strong track record of developing evidence-informed policy positions and knowledge translation tools to empower preventive action to reduce toxic exposures and associated risks for the developing fetus and child. CPCHE is committed to environmental health equity and works to ensure that all children in Canada have healthy, sustainable and inclusive environments in which to live, learn, play and grow.

Healthy Environments for Learning Day (HELD) is a core CPCHE initiative. In 2017, CPCHE took on the leadership and administration of the annual Healthy Schools Day in Canada campaigns, having served as a founding partner. Upon taking on the leadership role, CPCHE committed to having a thematic focus for each annual campaign and expanded the scope to include child care environments. In 2022, the Healthy Schools Day name was changed to Healthy Environments for Learning Day to be inclusive of both early learning environments and schools. CPCHE has utilized a collaborative approach to the annual HELD campaigns, building up a robust network of some 30 organizations across Canada that actively engage in the design, development and promotion of each campaign. The aim of Healthy Environments for Learning Day in Canada is to raise awareness about the potential environmental health risks that children and youth can encounter in early learning and school environments, and to bring about the changes needed to protect the long-term health of children—a population that is particularly vulnerable to many environmental health risks.

Position description and selection criteria

CPCHE is seeking an energetic individual, with demonstrated project coordination skills, for a part-time contract position to:

• Serve as project coordinator for the annual Healthy Environments for Learning Day in Canada campaign, including coordinating and expanding the network of HELD collaborating organizations, managing project deliverables (e.g., core campaign resources and events, website and social media content), and project reporting;
• Contribute to secretariat services to support routine CPCHE operations, as part of our energetic secretariat team. This may include coordinating CPCHE committee meetings, preparing meeting minutes, developing social media communications, and/or other tasks, as needed, to support the collaborative work of the partnership.

The ideal candidate will have:

• a Bachelor’s degree or other post-secondary degree, or the equivalent in demonstrated experience, in a relevant field (e.g., environmental health/public health, health/social services, early childhood education, communications);
• demonstrated ability to effectively manage collaborative projects;
• excellent people skills;
• strong writing and communication skills in English, and proficiency in French (other language skills would be an asset);
• ability to understand and synthesize scientific information and terminology related to children’s environmental health;
• experience with managing social media and updating websites;
• passion for children’s environmental health and social justice.

Potential applicants who identify as Indigenous or as belonging to an ethnic, cultural or racialized group that has faced systemic oppression, and those with lived experience of environmental/social/economic injustice, are particularly encouraged to apply.

Terms of the contract will include:

• Monthly pay of $2,000 for part-time work (~15 hours per week);
• Semi-flexible schedule;
• One-year contract, with possibility of renewal;
• 3-month trial period to ensure mutual good fit.

The selected applicant will report directly to the CPCHE Executive Director and will be under contract with, and paid by, one of the CPCHE partner organizations on behalf of CPCHE.

There are no benefits associated with the contract with the exception that the contractor will have two weeks paid vacation time.

Applicants from anywhere in Canada are encouraged to apply. The contractor will work from their own office or home and will be responsible for ensuring reliable access to a computer and Internet connection.

The anticipated start date is on or before December 11, 2023.

How to apply

If you are interested in being considered for this position, please:

1. Prepare a brief statement or letter (no more than two pages) explaining why you are suited to this work, highlighting your relevant skills and experience.
2. Attach your CV or resume.
3. Provide names and contact information for 2-3 professional references who can speak to your relevant abilities and experience.
4. Please indicate you saw this posting at GoodWork.

Your application should be sent electronically (in MS Word or PDF) by November 27, 2023 to Dr. Erica Phipps, Executive Director, CPCHE, erica@healthyenvironmentforkids.ca with “Application for HELD Coordinator” in the subject line. You will receive an emailed confirmation of receipt.

Selection process

CPCHE’s Executive Director and the chairpersons of CPCHE’s standing committees will independently review and rank all applications received by the November 27th deadline, the results of which will be used to create a shortlist of the top three (3) candidates. Short-listed candidates will be invited to participate in an interview with the CPCHE Executive Director and committee chairpersons via Zoom, who will collectively recommend a selected candidate. (If no suitable candidate is identified, the position will be re-posted.) The results of this process will be reviewed by the CPCHE Coordinating Committee prior to a final decision. Upon approval from the Coordinating Committee, the CPCHE Executive Director will offer the contract to the selected candidate.

CPCHE is grateful for the interest expressed by all anticipated applicants. However, in light of the potential volume of applications, only the selected candidate will be notified of the selection results.

For more information:

For more information or for clarification of the position or the application process, please send a brief email, with “Request for Applications” in the subject line, to:

Dr. Erica Phipps, Executive Director, CPCHE, erica@healthyenvironmentforkids.ca