Job Announcement: Tree Ottawa Organizer

Summary: Ecology Ottawa is hiring FOUR organizers for six months to help us launch our Tree Ottawa (a program to plant, protect and promote trees in the City of Ottawa). The Organizer positions will outreach to individuals and organizations across the city to seek their support in promoting the program and organize community tree planting initiatives. These four positions are being supported by the Ontario Job Creation Program and eligibility is restricted (see below). Resumes and cover letters will be reviewed on a weekly basis as they arrive, so apply now!

Job Creation Partnerships Program Participation Eligibility:

Prior to an interview with Ecology Ottawa, OJCP candidate eligibility is determined according to the following criteria:

• Candidates must currently be in receipt of EI payments or have received EI payments within the last 3 years (Reach back status)
• Or candidates who established a claim for Employment Insurance maternity or parental benefits and were paid benefits within the past five years, and are re-entering the labour force after having left it to care for newborn or newly adopted children
• Candidates may not leave employment to participate in OJCP
• Candidates must be living in Ontario (As determined by Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities (MTCU))
• Candidates must have submitted a current resume to Ecology Ottawa
• At the discretion of the Ministry, candidates generally may only participate in the OJCP once in a two year period and may not have recently participated in another Ministry funded employment program

Scope of Work:

Ecology Ottawa is hiring FOUR organizers to work with our Tree Ottawa program. The Organizer position will help to foster a network of people and groups interested in planting and protecting trees within Ottawa. The goal of Tree Ottawa is to plant 1 million trees within the city limits by 2017, as Ottawa’s gift to Canada on its 150^th birthday. The organizers will engage in outreach activities to grow our network by building relationships with community members and key stakeholders within designated neighbourhoods across Ottawa. They will also be part of the community organizing throughout the Tree Ottawa outreach process; from starting the initial outreach process to forming concrete commitments with individuals, organizations and parks to ensure trees get planted. Throughout the project the incumbents will work on expanding the Tree Ottawa network and deepening Ecology Ottawa’s relationship with the community.

Background:

Ecology Ottawa is a volunteer-driven organization working to make Ottawa the green capital of Canada. We believe that Ottawa residents are concerned about issues such as pollution, waste, and global warming, and that they want sustainable communities where clean air and water, public transit, renewable energy, recycling, and green space protection take priority. We are working with residents and community organizations to ensure that these concerns are heard at city hall.

Roles and Responsibilities:

• Participating in a short but intensive door-to-door petitioning drive designed to locate interested community members that will take on the Tree Ottawa local leader role;
• Data entry and management of program information;
• Planning and organizing local community events such as: community information sessions, volunteer recruitment meetings, symbolic tree plantings, etc.;
• Engage with the local media and online media avenues to promote events and increase Tree Ottawa’s public awareness scope;

The successful candidate will have a combination of:

• A passion for the environment;
• An interest in learning more about – and contributing to – environmental organizations and project and campaign development;
• A relevant educational background, such as political science, environmental studies, geography, urban planning, forestry, etc.;
• Social Media savvy;
• Attention to detail;
• Strong oral and writing skills (French language skills are a major asset);
• Strong interpersonal skills;
• Experience working for not-for-profit organizations or relevant areas of work; and
• A good sense of humour.

To apply:

Please send a cover letter outlining why you are interested in the position and a CV to: [email protected] Only complete applications sent by email will be considered.

We thank all those who apply, but only short-listed candidates will be contacted. No phone calls or enquiries please. Ecology Ottawa is committed to employment equity, and encourages applications from all qualified candidates.

For further information about Ecology Ottawa, please visit our website at http://www.ecologyottawa.ca