Neighbourhood Project Designer (Build Focus)

Employment Opportunity: Neighbourhood Project Designer (Build Focus)

Location: Halifax, NS

Salary Range: $29-$31/hour

Employment Term: One year contract (possible renewal), Early/Mid-March 2025 start date. Full Time hours (35 per week)

Description

Every One Every Day (EOED) Kjipuktuk/Halifax is a Reconciliation Initiative of the Mi’kmaw Native Friendship Centre (MNFC) that is working to develop a system of neighbourhood participation that invites learning and action around Truth & Reconciliation at the neighbourhood level. To date, we have worked to build a network of infrastructure, including a Neighbourhood Shop in the North End of Halifax, which is supporting a growing network of practical participation projects.

Every One Every Day projects are all about creating opportunities for residents to connect and learn over shared interests and work together to shape civic and social spaces in ways that draw on the knowledge and skills of people living nearby. Learn more about the work to date here: www.halifaxiseveryone.ca

Currently we are looking for a Neighbourhood Project Designer (Build Focus) to join EOED’s Neighbourhood Team. Neighbourhood Project Designers work together daily to: Support the co-design and delivery of resident-driven programs; Inspire creativity and ideas to spark a growing network of neighbourhood projects; And, deepen local partnerships by connecting spaces and resources across the neighbourhood. In particular, the Neighbourhood Project Designer (Build Focus) will concentrate their efforts on supporting the team and residents to activate EOED’s Community Build Trailer and build capacity among the team and residents to lead and support a range of small-scale building projects.

Key Responsibilities

1. Co-Design & Co-creation:
2. Facilitate participatory design sessions with the team, residents, and partners that help to stimulate and connect ideas for a range of neighbourhood projects, with particular emphasis on projects that utilize the Community Build Trailer and/or have a focus on building.
3. Work with the neighbourhood team to create a range of visual tools & interactive displays that can help visualize new possibilities for the neighbourhood and how we can work together to design and activate public spaces in inclusive and creative ways.
4. Engage with diverse partners and community members to develop seasonal programs and newspapers that invite people to share their time, talents and skills through a growing network of practical participation projects.
5. Guided by Every One Every Day’s Truth & Reconciliation Framework, work with the team and Friendship Centre staff to integrate opportunities for Reconciliatory Action across the team, with partners, and with residents at the neighbourhood level.
6. Work to integrate Indigenous identity projects across public spaces in the North End.

1. Activation of Neighbourhood Spaces & Projects:
2. Build & strengthen partnerships with local organizations & businesses through collaborative projects that help to connect and expand access to shared resources (ie. indoor/outdoor spaces, tools & equipment, skills & knowledge, etc.).
3. Lead the daily activation of key infrastructures, with an emphasis on EOED’s Community Build Trailer. In doing so, facilitate creative ways for residents to lead and support projects that foster social connection and community agency in shaping public spaces across the city.
4. Oversee the development of a network of specialist volunteers, with skills and knowledge around designing and building with wood to support emerging build projects.
5. Provide support for the Neighbourhood Design Team to build capacity and skills related to the Community Build Trailer and its associated projects.
6. Support the creation of safe and inclusive spaces for all community members and work with the team to apply trauma-informed and culturally sensitive approaches.

1. Program & Project Management:
2. Lead monthly logistics planning related to the Community Build Trailer, such as site identification, parking permits and moving the trailer as needed.
3. Engage with a range of virtual tools that support collaborative design and development of projects and complex program logistics.
4. Maintain on-going tracking and organization of program and partner details using existing or new platforms & tools. (ie. Microsoft Office 365, Canva, Adobe Creative Suite, etc.).
5. Maintain on-going organization and stock of multiple program areas including the Community Build Trailer, the Neighbourhood Shop, and materials in storage areas.
6. Work with team members to create weekly and monthly schedules for supporting connection and flow across spaces and within the Neighbourhood Team.
7. Oversee weekly administrative tasks such as processing financial claims, supporting host honorarium & contract development and responding to external requests.
8. Maintain on-going communication with residents and the Neighbourhood Design Team to share and build knowledge that is essential for coordinated program development.
9. Manage assigned budgets for project materials and expenses and coordinate bulk purchasing of equipment and supplies.
10. Planning, ordering & picking up materials for projects, with an emphasis on sourcing from local and ethical businesses, or finding creative ways to repurpose existing materials.

1. Evaluation, Learning & Development:
2. Participate in on-going information tracking to support program evaluation.
3. Participate in on-going team learning and training around shop and program safety protocols and maintain required safety certifications (WHMIS, First Aid, Food Safety).
4. Engage in team learning & development opportunities related to participatory design, EOED's Truth & Reconciliation Framework, and other opportunities that help to build and share critical knowledge across the team.
5. Facilitate co-design sessions as part of team development/training camps and regular team meetings and retreats.
6. Contribute to processes of knowledge sharing and the development of learning materials.

1. Communications & Story Sharing:
2. Engage in structured reflection practice to capture emerging insights and stories.
3. Support the collection of resident impact stories for sharing across diverse communications materials (ie. newspapers & reports).
4. Contribute to insight gathering, analysis, and content development for annual reports or specialized communications products.
5. Contribute to the coordination and development of updates, news, and story-sharing across key social media channels.

1. Adhere to EOED Team Values and all Mi’kmaw Native Friendship Centre policies and practices.

Qualifications

1. Program/Project Planning & Delivery – 2+ years' experience in a project management role where you were responsible for project planning & implementation in collaborative environments.
2. Facilitation – 2 + years’ experience developing and facilitating creative workshops & ideation sessions for diverse audiences and grounded in participatory approaches.
3. Design & Build – Experience leading small-scale design and/or build projects that can help to translate a range of ideas into tangible elements within the built environment. Comfort using a hand/power tools for basic building applications is considered an asset.
4. Collaboration – Demonstrated experience working with diverse team and community members to harness & connect different knowledge and skill sets in support of resident-led action.
5. Communication - Excellent written and verbal communication skills to support the communication of ideas across contexts and support creative and productive workflow within the team and with partners.
6. Relationship builder - Excellent people person with the ability to work effectively with diverse groups and individuals to support inclusion, particularly in relation to Urban Indigenous and African Nova Scotian communities.
7. Proficiency with software applications including Microsoft Office 365, Google Suite, and comfort using project/data management tools. Experience with design software such as Sketchup is considered an asset.
8. Must possess a valid driver’s license and be comfortable driving a truck and cargo trailer around HRM.
9. Must provide a Vulnerable Sector Check and Child Abuse Registrar prior to hiring.

Application Deadline: February 12th, 2025

Submit Cover Letter & Resume to: https://mnfc.applytojobs.ca/

Disclaimer: The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by people assigned to this job. They are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties and skills required of personnel working within this job title.

The Mi’kmaw Native Friendship Centre is an equal opportunity employer; and complies with all fair employment practices laws. We are committed to providing a workplace free form unlawful discrimination and harassment and prohibit the same against employees, applicants or other covered persons by co-workers, supervisors, managers, or third parties based on a person’s race, color, religion, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, ancestry, age, veterans status, disability unrelated to job requirements, ethnicity, genetic information, military service, political affiliation, marital status and pregnancy or other protected status.

Qualified Indigenous applicants will be given priority in accordance with the Aboriginal Employment Preference Policy of the Canadian Human Rights Commission. The Mi’kmaw Native Friendship Centre (MNFC) reserves the right to refuse all applications for employment. The MNFC will not assume any expenses related to this or any job application process included and not limited to travel, relocation, and application development.

*Only those applicants who are screened in for an interview will be contacted.