Advocacy Specialist

**The British Columbia Institute of Technology Student Association (BCITSA or ‘SA’) is a non-profit student service and advocacy organization at BCIT with a mandate to enhance student life. Our programs and services are designed to benefit and support all 48,500+ full-time and part-time students across BCIT’s five campuses. Students lead our organization and govern the affairs of the BCITSA. Our Board of Directors is composed of 12 elected Student Executives and Student Councilors from each of the different Schools at BCIT.**

**About the Position**

The Advocacy Specialist works from a trauma-informed, anti-oppressive, intersectional, and student-centered lens and is a vital member of the Wellness and Advocacy department at the BCIT Student Association. The Advocacy Specialist is responsible for facilitating the advocacy process with students for academic and non-academic issues from a holistic, wellness-centered, and health promotion lens. You analyze situations, assess needs, provide information, and guide students through the necessary processes, all with an emphasis on student wellbeing, personal/academic success, empowerment and personal responsibility. Engaging in proactive outreach to facilitate connections between students and related services, you uphold a strict standard of ethics to ensure privacy is protected. You are also active in policy discussions with the BCIT community as it relates to the student experience, and you build professional and productive relationships with stakeholders to facilitate advocacy processes and expand influence. Using the Dimensions of Wellness framework, you educate students, faculty and staff on Wellness & Advocacy at each of the BCIT campuses.

**Responsibilities/Accountabilities**
- Intake new students, analyze situations, assess needs, and create strategies for moving forward using necessary processes and school-specific practices
- Develop and maintain a thorough knowledge of BCIT policies and procedures as it relates to student rights and responsibilities, and work in collaboration with BCIT to improve their policies to ensure relevancy to students
- Ensure organized case management with accurate and non-biased notes
- Engage in proactive outreach activities by connecting students with resources and referrals, and educating them on available services (as appropriate)
- Act as a bridge to student wellbeing by collaborating with referral sources, as needed, to streamline students’ access to support
- Assist in planning, coordinating, and executing a range of educational events, workshops, campaigns, and programs that proactively address and promote student wellbeing based on the Dimensions of Wellness
- Be acquainted with food security and housing resources, understand the conditions that prevent post-secondary students from accessing food and be able to assist the Wellness & Advocacy team with food pantry operations
- Monitor trends and maintain operational statistics to make evidence-based decisions, as it relates to policy changes

**About You**

With a proactive, engaging attitude you are passionate about helping students to navigate the complexities of the post-secondary environment. You enjoy analysing and interpreting policy and you are a true advocate for student wellness, rights and responsibilities. You are positive, innovative, and resourceful in your abilities to support BCIT students and the Wellness & Advocacy team.

**Experience/Skills/Education**
- Bachelor’s degree in related field (Social Work, Psychology, Community Justice, etc.) or combination of education and three to five years' experience in a social work setting
- Superior written and oral communication skills
- Ability to initiate and sustain mutually beneficial relationships with stakeholders
- ‘Outside the box’ thinker; able to find creative and alternative solutions
- The ability to handle multiple ongoing files at once
- Ability to manage emotions when faced with uncomfortable topics
- Strong ethical intelligence practice
- Must be self-motivated, empathetic, approachable, and self-directed
- Intermediate proficiency using computers, Windows, and Microsoft Office Suite Applications (e.g., Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Teams, etc.)
- Valid Driver’s License and able to travel to and work across BCIT’s campuses

**About Us**
- Robust extended health, dental and life policies with a 50% co-pay in year one and full employer payment after completion of year one
- An Employee and Family Assistance program for you and your dependents
- Matching Pension Plan contributions of 6% after one year of service
- Free access to BCIT courses
- Generous leave provisions
- 12 paid statutory holidays a year
- Free coffee and tea, and discounts at BCITSA food and retail locations
- Free access to BCIT fitness facility
- Pay Grade: 8. Starting salary $60,000 per annum

**How to Apply**

**Application deadline: Thursday March 30th at 4pm.**

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