JOB OPPORTUNITY

Position: Project Lead
Organization: The Mental Health and Climate Change Alliance
Location: Vancouver, BC, Remote, but preferably in BC

Responsible to: Executive Director, MHCCA
Hours 35 hours per week, on average; * Some nights and weekends, as necessary for partner and public engagement.
Duration: 1 year, with possibility to renew
Salary Range: $24.00 – $33.00 per hour dependent on experience

ABOUT THE MHCCA

The Mental Health and Climate Change Alliance is a community of interdisciplinary researchers, healthcare providers, and community organizers committed to identifying and addressing the adverse impacts of the climate crisis on mental health.

As a Canadian Not-for-Profit organization incorporated under the Canada Not-for-Profit Corporations Act, the MHCCA’s purposes are to (1) conduct equity-based climate distress monitoring, (2) incubate novel interventions and policy ideas to address the mental health impacts of climate change, and (3) facilitate knowledge exchange and mobilization to support Canadian's experiencing climate-related ecological distress.

DUTIES

The Project Lead will play a pivotal role in the execution of a multi-component intervention aimed at mitigating the mental health impacts of climate change in British Columbia. This position involves coordinating activities that improve knowledge, skills, and capacity for health-promoting and trauma-informed climate policy, communication, education, and resilience building. The successful candidate will work closely with Indigenous communities, government bodies, academic institutions, and community partners to develop and implement interventions designed to support individuals experiencing climate-related distress and enhance mental health resilience.

Project Coordination and Management

• Assist in the development of the project work plan, ensuring timely execution of milestones from initiation through to project closure.
• Coordinate day-to-day project activities, ensuring effective communication and collaboration among project team members and partners.
• Manage the administrative and operational aspects of the project, including scheduling meetings, preparing progress reports, and maintaining project documentation.

Partner Engagement and Partnership Development

• Engage with Indigenous communities, government agencies, academic partners, and community organizations to foster collaboration and knowledge exchange.
• Coordinate consultations and engagement activities to gather input on community needs, priorities, and promising practices for intervention development.
• Support the establishment and functioning of project governance structures, including adherence to Indigenous governance protocols.
• Capacity Building and Intervention Implementation

Assist in the design, development, and implementation of interventions aimed at building professional capacity for identifying and addressing mental health effects of climate-related distress.

• Conduct evidence reviews and syntheses and develop relevant materials and content.
• Collect feedback from partners and key population groups through written communications, focus group discussions, and one-on-one interviews.
• Coordinate the development and dissemination of communication materials and resources tailored to various audiences, including health and social care providers, educators, and the general public.
• Support the facilitation of peer-to-peer support networks and Indigenous-led solutions to enhance mental health resilience.

Evaluation and Knowledge Mobilization

• Contribute to the evaluation of project interventions, gathering data and feedback to inform continuous improvement and reporting.
• Assist in the preparation of knowledge mobilization activities, such as webinars, academic journal articles, and public awareness campaigns, to disseminate project findings and resources.
• Support the administration of community grants programs and the development of funding proposals to sustain and expand project interventions.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

The Research Coordinator will demonstrate the following qualifications:

• Completion of or progress towards a Master’s (M.Sc., M.A., M.P.H. or equivalent) degree in health sciences or a related area (e.g., Environmental Health, Psychology, Public Policy, Statistics, Sociology, Anthropology, Biology, Library Science);
• Demonstrated experience conducting partner engagement activities;
• Demonstrated experience developing knowledge translation tools and communications materials.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Content expertise relevant to mental health and/or climate change;
• Demonstrated excellence in writing;
• Demonstrated experience working in fast-paced environments;
• Demonstrated experience with graphic and web design software;
• Demonstrated experience with photography, videography, and other digitally creative tools;
• Demonstrated experience working with small teams;
• Demonstrated experience for liaising with partners from Indigenous organizations, government and non-government organizations; and
• Demonstrated skills working in an organized and self-directed fashion.

BEHAVIOURAL COMPETENCIES

Research Associate will demonstrate the following BC Public Service behavioral competencies:

• Relationship Building is working to build or maintain ethical relationships or networks or contacts with people who are, or may be, potentially helpful in achieving work-related goals and establishing advantages. These people may include customers, clients, counterparts, and colleagues.
• Engaging External Partners is the ability to identify and involve external partners in order to foster long term partnerships.
• Problem Solving and Judgement is the ability to analyze problems systematically, organize information, identify key factors, identify underlying causes and generate solutions.
• Analytical Thinking is the ability to comprehend a situation by breaking it down into its components and identifying key or underlying complex issues. It implies the ability to systematically organize and compare the various aspects of a problem or situation, and determine cause-and-effect relationships (“if...then…”) to resolve problems in a sound, decisive manner. Checks to ensure the validity or accuracy of all information.
• Information Seeking implies going beyond the questions that are routine or required in the job. It may include “digging” or pressing for exact information; resolution of discrepancies by asking a series of questions; or less-focused environmental “scanning” for potential opportunities or miscellaneous information that may be of future use.
• Expertise includes the motivation to expand and use technical knowledge or to distribute work-related knowledge to others.
• Innovation indicates an effort to improve performance by doing or promoting new things, such as introducing a previously unknown or untried solution or procedure to the specific area or organization.
• Results Orientation is a concern for surpassing a standard of excellence. The standard may be one’s own past performance (striving for improvement); an objective measure (achievement orientation); challenging goals that one has set; or even improving or surpassing what has already been done (continuous improvement). Thus, a unique accomplishment also indicates a Results Orientation.
• Self-discovery and awareness means understanding one's thoughts, feelings, values, and background and how they impact the success of the interaction and relationship, or how they may influence one's work. It is recognizing one's own biases by tracing them to their origins, through reflection and by noticing one's own behaviour—and then intentionally seeking a way forward that positively impacts the interaction and relationship. It means maintaining new ways of thinking and acting when situations become difficult or uncertain, or in times of urgency.
• Cultural Agility is the ability to work respectfully, knowledgeably and effectively with Indigenous people and members of other equity-seeking communities. It is noticing and readily adapting to cultural uniqueness in order to create a sense of safety for all. It is openness to unfamiliar experiences, transforming feelings of nervousness or anxiety into curiosity and appreciation. It is examining one's own culture and worldview, and the culture of SFU, and to notice their commonalities, and distinctions with other cultures and worldviews – particularly those of Indigenous peoples. It is recognition of the ways that personal and professional values may conflict or align with those of these communities. It is the capacity to relate to or allow for differing cultural perspectives and being willing to experience a personal shift in perspective.

TO APPLY

Send a cover letter, curriculum vitae, and writing sample to Dr. Alexis Palmer-Fluevog ( alexisp@sfu.ca ). Please indicate you saw this posting at GoodWork.ca. We will continue to review applications until the position is filled.