Community Engagement

Department: HOPE Centre for Sexual and Gender Minority People
Position supervisor: Dr. Trevor Hart
Contract length: 1 year
Hours of work per week: 10 - 15 hours per week
Position type: Non-union casual, part-time
Rate of pay: $30/hr

About Toronto Metropolitan University (formerly Ryerson University)

At the intersection of mind and action, Toronto Metropolitan University is on a transformative path to become Canada’s leading comprehensive innovation university. Integral to this path is the placement of equity, diversity and inclusion as fundamental to our institutional culture. Our current academic plan outlines each as core values and we work to embed them in all that we do.

As an employer, we are working towards a people first culture and are proud to have been selected as one of Canada’s Best Diversity Employers and a Greater Toronto’s Top Employer for 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018.

About the HOPE Centre

The applicant would be working to help manage the Toronto Metropolitan University HOPE

(Health Outcome Promotion and Engagement) Centre for Sexual and Gender Minority People (thehopecentre.ca

). The HOPE Centre conducts community-engaged, interdisciplinary research to understand and promote the health of people who identify as members of a sexual or gender minority community. Our community engagement efforts are focused on fostering strong relationships and building capacity within these communities

The HOPE Centre’s Objectives:
During the employment of the Community Engagement Coordinator & Social Media Manager the HOPE Centre will:

- Contribute to new research knowledge about the determinants of health and health equity among sexual and gender minorities
- Work collaboratively with multidisciplinary researchers in various health disciplines and community partners to identify how research priorities can help improve the health and well-being of sexual and gender minorities in our communities
- Develop innovative strategies and interventions to reduce social and health disparities and promote the health and well-being of sexual and gender minorities
- Build research and knowledge translation capacity among students, trainees, community stakeholders and service providers to implement inclusive, culturally safe, evidence-based health promotion programming, counseling and intervention. For example, we will train community-based and clinic-based health and service providers in evidence-based counseling, psychotherapy and other treatments and interventions

The opportunity

Position Duties and Responsibilities include:
Community Engagement:

- Develop and implement effective community engagement strategies that align with the HOPE Centre’s mission and goals
- Engage with community members through various online platforms and in person events
- Foster relationships with community leaders, partners and stakeholders to strengthen community ties
- Act as the first point of contact for community members and partners interacting with the HOPE Centre
- Represent the HOPE Centre at community events, meetings and conferences
- Build and maintain positive relationships with community members, donors and partners

Social Media Engagement:

- Create, curate and manage all published content (images, video, written) across the HOPE Centre’s social media platforms
- Monitor, listen and respond to users on social media while cultivating leads and engagements
- Develop and expand community outreach efforts through social media and other online tools

Knowledge Translation:

- Translate complex research findings into accessible, actionable and engaging information for community members and stakeholders
- Collaborate with the research team to ensure that community insights are effectively communicated and utilized
- Develop and disseminate educational materials, reports and presentations that highlight HOPE Centre and other key research findings and their implications for the community

Participate in Team Meetings:

- Attend bi-weekly Steering Committee meetings
- Attend Working Group committee meetings as needed to promote community engagement, social media management and knowledge translation
- Attend community events and meetings that may occasionally include weekends and evenings

**Qualifications**:
Specific Skills/ Knowledge/ Experience required:

- Experience working in Knowledge Translation of research for communities
- Ability to work effectively and efficiently within deadlines
- Graphic design experience
- Proficiency in social media platforms and digital marketing tools
- Excellent time management and organization skills
- Ability to multitask and prioritize multiple competing tasks
- Excellent interpersonal skills for working within a team environment
- Strong verbal and written communication skills
- Office administration experience
- Word processing, database, and spreadsheet software proficiency (e.g., MS

Office, Google)
- Evidence of strong follow-through with tasks
- Evidence of ability to pr