Summer jobs, Student jobs

Position: Communications Assistant
Type: age 30 & under / summer
Organization: Swan Lake Nature Sanctuary
Location: Swan Lake, Victoria BC (on site)

Swan Lake Christmas Hill Nature Sanctuary Society is hiring one ‘Communications Assistant’ (Marketing specialist). (Contingent on successful Canada Summer Jobs funding). 

To be eligible to participate in this initiative, individuals must meet the Canada Summer Jobs criteria:

• Between the ages of 15 and 30 (inclusive)
• Legally entitled to work in Canada
• A Canadian citizen, permanent resident, or granted refugee status

About Swan Lake Christmas Hill Nature Sanctuary:

The Nature Sanctuary Society is a registered non-profit charity organization that fosters understanding and appreciation of nature through direct experience. For 50 years the Sanctuary lands have provided a conserved space for an incredible array of native plants and animals, and educational programming for millions of people to forge deeper connections to nature.

We acknowledge the lək ̓ʷəŋən-speaking Peoples (Songhees and Esquimalt/Kosapsum) on whose territory the Nature Sanctuary stands, and the lək ̓ʷəŋən-speaking and W̱SÁNEĆ Peoples — including the W̱JOȽEȽP (Tsartlip), BOḰEĆEN (Pauquachin), SȾÁUTW̱ (Tsawout), W̱SIḴEM (Tseycum) and MÁLEXEȽ (Malahat) — whose historical relationships with the land continue to this day.

We respect the vital relationships of First Peoples with these lands and waters for countless generations. We are honoured to receive Indigenous guidance and welcome collaboration in stewardship and appreciation of the Nature Sanctuary.

The Nature Sanctuary lands are owned by Saanich, except for two small parcels which are Nature Trust BC Lands. The lands are governed by the volunteer Board of Directors of the Swan Lake Christmas Hill Nature Sanctuary Society, a non-profit and Registered Charity organization, under the terms of a Land Management Agreement between the Society and the Municipality of Saanich.

Read more about the Nature Sanctuary by navigating the links at the following URL.

About the position:

The Communications Assistant will support the Community Coordinator and other team members at the Sanctuary to promote various programs and initiatives of the society, as well as engage our membership and the broader community to take part in activities at Swan Lake and Christmas Hill. To be successful in this role, you should have a pleasant personality, a passion for community engagement, strong event planning and marketing skills, and a deep interest for nature and the environment. You should also be able to communicate well with a variety of public audiences, including newcomers, seniors, children and families. Fundraising and sponsorship seeking will be key to this role.

Specifications:

• One (1) position available on site in Victoria, BC
• Full time 35 hours/week, $22.00/h, 8-week contract with possibility for extension
• General team schedule is Monday - Friday 8:45am to 4:15pm (0.5h unpaid lunch)
• Some schedule flexibility required to support occasional meetings and other events

The Communications Assistant will:

• Support work to document and share stories about the conservation and restoration work being conducted at both Swan Lake and Christmas Hill.
• Develop publicity materials for print and electronic communications for members, visitors, the general public, and other partners.
• Collaborate with colleagues to produce supporting materials for our public events including Native Plant Sale, Annual General Meeting, volunteer appreciation events, etc.
• Contribute to monthly newsletter, social media postings, and other communication projects.
• Collaboration with the Community Coordinator and Communications Assistant on other marketing initiatives as needed.
• Additional related duties as required.

Responsibilities:

• Regular, punctual attendance at work, in person, on site.
• Develop an understanding of the long history and future vision at the Society; be able to communicate our society's story accurately and with passion in all aspects of work.
• Contribute to existing projects as well as new initiatives, alone, or in collaboration with others
• Take part in the planning and production for special events
• Ensure that proper waivers have been obtained for photography or videography
• Ensure that brand standards are upheld in the design for any print or electronic publication
• Excellent communication skills (written, verbal) with colleagues, the public and in craft all aspects of marketing work.
• Able to work independently after having received training.
• Submitting drafts/mock-ups for feedback in a timely fashion.
• Skilled in the computer software required for this position including Adobe Creative Suite, MS Office Suite, Wordpress, etc.
• Work collaboratively with other team members and volunteers.
• Collaborate along with all team members to maintain cleanliness and safety of all building areas as well as the overall site and trails.
• Engage in all aspects of the organization’s risk management, safety procedures, and protocols.
• Track and analyze data to inform planning, budgeting, and engagement strategies, and use insights to recommend process improvements.
• Track activity attendance, engagement, and participant feedback for internal reporting.
• Proactively contribute to documentation needed for organizational continuity, fully participating in the development and maintenance of shared management systems and tools (e.g. tracking spreadsheets).
• Maintain composure and professionalism while using forward-thinking problem solving as any challenges or stressors arise.
• Approach projects and time at work professionally, understanding the need to represent the values of the organization in one’s daily approach to task completion.
• Maintain openness and capacity for dialogue around feedback and coaching.
• Maintain tidy, organized work area, with respect for tools and all property.
• Fully participate in daily work to create a welcoming and inclusive experience for all visitors, staff colleagues, and volunteers.
• Able to report to Supervisor(s) and take direction from Supervisors and Mentors.
• Provide a positive representation of the Swan Lake Christmas Hill Nature Sanctuary Society in interactions with colleagues, visitors, and the public.

Qualifications:

• Experience with multi-media and web editing
• Comfortable working in a Windows office environment
• Excellent communicator and able to work comfortably both independently and in a team environment

• Enjoys working with the public, organizing and supporting events
• Willing to work on Saturdays
• Must be able to provide a clear Criminal Record check following an offer of employment

Assets:

• Excellent communicator and able to work comfortably both independently and in a team environment
• Experience working with or interest in nature, restoration and the environment
• Anti-oppression training or skills
• Experience working in the non-profit setting
• Experience with event planning, fundraising, and working with volunteers

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature of this work, however the list is not exhaustive and other duties and responsibilities will occur. The Nature Sanctuary retains the right to amend responsibilities as needed.

Eligibility:

To be eligible to participate in this initiative, individuals must meet the Canada Summer Jobs criteria:

• Between the ages of 15 and 30 (inclusive)
• Legally entitled to work in Canada
• A Canadian citizen, permanent resident, or granted refugee status

Swan Lake Christmas Hill Nature Sanctuary Society is committed to creating mutually respectful relationships with Indigenous Peoples. We strive to create opportunities for knowledge-sharing and understanding. We are committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion as a community-focused organization. We are committed to building a diverse staff and will be hiring through an equity lens.

We centre human dignity and growing our connections to each other and to our environment. We believe that each of us is responsible for addressing discrimination and that we co-create peace and good relationships as a daily practice.

To learn more about our workplace and possible accommodations, please email hiring.swanlake@gmail.com

To Apply:

Please send your resume and cover letter demonstrating your experience as it relates to the job requirements to: hiring.swanlake@gmail.com

• Please use the position title as the subject line.
• Attach a single PDF file for your one-page cover letter and your resume with two references (email addresses and phone numbers). Please name the file your first and last name (e.g. JesseSingh.pdf).
• Your cover letter should express why you are interested in this position and clearly outline what past experiences that you have had that qualify you for the work.
• Please mention you saw this at GoodWork.ca.
• Application deadline: March 23, 2026. Please apply as soon as possible for consideration.

This position is schedule to begin around May 11, 2026.

We are grateful to all applicants, however, due to the volume of applications that we receive and the size of our staff team, only candidates selected for an interview will be contacted.

We are unable to provide feedback or career coaching, but refer people to the following provincial resources and other local resources [URLs embedded].