Special Events Assistant

**Position Status**:Full-Time Temporary (This position to last not later than July 25, 2025)
**Department**: Regional Parks
**Employee Group**:Teamsters Local 31
**Location**:Parks Central Area (9146 Avalon Avenue, Burnaby)
**Salary Range/ Wage Rate**: PG T19 $2,510.68 - $2,953.65 bi-weekly

**Our Regional Parks Department is seeking a Special Events Assistant who will work as part of the Parks Interpretation Team to plan and implement interpretive nature-themed or cultural-themed special events.**

**You are: Passionate about connecting people with nature in a Regional Park setting and enjoy looking for innovative ways to engage new audiences. You are an organized and creative team player who has experience planning outdoor special events in a collaborative manner.**

**This role**:

- Assists in event planning; works with planning teams on the development of content and activity schedules; participates in the development of evaluation questions.
- Assists in the production of special events; produces selected events such as the Forest Fairy Gathering and Flashlight Mysteries; monitors the progress of events for emerging issues such as schedule changes, no-shows, inclement weather, and visitor safety concerns; seeks to resolve problems which arise.
- Liaises with internal departments and a wide variety of community organizations, special interest groups, agencies, contractors, partners, and staff to coordinate support for and involvement in events; disseminates information required by participants and exhibitors.
- Establishes and maintains relationships with community donors and sponsors; seeks out new donors as required.
- Drafts invitations, promotional materials, speaking notes, maps and signs; assembles orientation packages; coordinates the design, production and distribution of printed materials.
- Identifies contracted equipment and service needs for events; researches and recommends sources for purchased services such as catering, venue, tent, vehicle rental and equipment suppliers; initiates purchase requisitions; advises superiors of additional resource requirements.
- Monitors and follows up with contractors to ensure goods and services are provided as requested; arranges for discounts as appropriate; forwards invoices for payment.
- Obtains and organizes required equipment; transports equipment and loads and unloads vehicles; assists in the set-up and strike of various items such as signs and banners, tables, chairs, information supplies and other small equipment; maintains equipment inventory.
- Recruits volunteers for special events; provides instruction, orientation and work oversight.
- Maintains a variety of files and records related to the work such as those related to event revenues and petty cash expenditures; prepares invoices and cheque requisitions; issues receipts and handles cash.
- Performs related work as required.

**To be successful, you have**:

- Completion of a post-secondary diploma program in recreation or a related field, plus some related experience, or an equivalent combination of training and experience.
- Sound knowledge of the methods, theories, materials, equipment, practices and techniques related to the work performed such as heritage interpretation.
- Sound knowledge of the policies, regulations and rules governing the work.
- Sound knowledge of local natural and cultural history, the interests and functions of community groups and agencies and of available community and internal resources.
- Ability to participate in the planning, development, implementation and coordination of public special events, and to obtain and coordinate support requirements.
- Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with internal and external contacts, and to liaise with same on event planning and production.
- Ability to recruit, orient, direct and oversee the work of volunteers.
- Ability to draft various promotional materials and coordinate the design and production of same.
- Ability to maintain files and records related to the work.
- Class 5 Driver’s License for the Province of British Columbia.
- Completion of a Criminal Records Check.