Community-Based Researcher
HSABC is looking for a Community-Based Researcher to join our passionate, supportive and hard-working team. This is an opportunity to work with partners and persons with lived and living experience of homelessness to co-create participatory research projects which build on the strengths and resources within community.
Permanent, Full-Time (28 - 35 hours per week)
Location: Within BC
Starting wage: $33.62 per hour
Closing Date: Monday, June 14th, 2021, 9:00 p.m. PDT
About us
Homelessness Services Association of BC (HSABC) is an umbrella organization of shelters, drop-in centres, homeless outreach teams and other service providers addressing the needs of persons experiencing homelessness with the goal to ending homelessness.
HSABC’s goal to ending homelessness is embedded within the right to adequate housing and acknowledges the Indigenous Definition of Homelessness in Canada. Furthermore, HSABC is committed to deliberately and meaningfully include those with lived and living experience of homelessness in decision-making and ensure all actions contribute to decolonization and anti-discrimination.
HSABC is actively committed to creating an equitable, diverse and inclusive workplace. We strive for a diverse team and foster the inclusion of voices that have been underrepresented and oppressed. We strongly encourage applications from individuals from communities and groups that have historically been disadvantaged and/or marginalized, including First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples, racialized persons, persons with disabilities, women or gender diverse persons, 2SLGBTQ+ persons, and/or persons with lived or living experience of homelessness, poverty or precarity.
The Challenge
To ensure that priorities and decisions regarding responses to homelessness and homeless services are data-driven, HSABC is leading a range of community-based, participatory research. Ranging from Point in Time Homeless Counts to peer-led interviews within encampments and sector capacity environmental scans, HSABC is pursing a range of self-funded and externally contracted research projects.
The Opportunity
We are looking for someone who can bring their passion for collaboration and knowledge mobilization to co-create community-led research. With a focus on transparent communications and continuous improvement, this role will research projects that strengthen our knowledge and understand of the pathways into homelessness, the oppressive systems that keeping people from breaking the cycle of poverty, and the opportunities to ignite change.
Our Team
Join a passionate, supportive and hard-working team that works directly with our Members and community partners to share best practices and practical resources, engage in meaningful research and advocate for change. HSABC strives to create a work environment that treats each member of the team with patience, guidance and care, while ensuring we can fulfil our common goals through our collaborative work.
Within the first month in this position, you will
- Meet the team and learn about HSABC through a gradual on-boarding orientation process.
- Be introduced the HSABC’s various research projects and consider broad trends in the homelessness and housing sector.
- Begin to learn how to analyze, contextualize and interpret research data.
Within three months, you will
- Establish working relationships with HSABC Members and community partners.
- Meet with peer-led organizations and persons with lived expertise to shape ongoing research on the implementation of the Right to Housing.
- Assist with community-based participatory research and externally funded projects.
- Assist with data collection and analysis related to various HSABC programs and projects.
- Collaborate with the team to deliver HSABC’s Annual Conference.
- Alongside the Researcher and Policy Analyst, consider future research and advocacy opportunities.
Within six months, you will
- Co-create and co-facilitate community-based research projects.
- Prepare and make presentation to a variety of audiences, sharing research findings, context and interpretation in a way that is easy to understand.
- Coordinate the logistics for various community tables, projects and advocacy campaigns.
Commitment to Equity, Diversity and Inclusion
To address issues of systemic inequity within Canada and specifically within the Canadian labour market, HSABC is committed to achieving a diverse workforce through inclusive Human Resource practices in all aspects of employment including recruitment, hiring and promotions.
Therefore, we are prepared and willing to accommodate requests for specific considerations within this recruitment and hiring practice to ensure equitable opportunity to apply. Please contact us with requests, or any inquiries you may have to address unintentional barriers or biases in our practice.
How to apply
Review the Community-Based Researcher job description.
Application will be accepted in a variety of mediums (written, audio or video) to ensure you are able to best express your interest and qualifications. Please clearly indicate why you are interested in joining the HSABC team and the experiences that speak to why you are the right person for this position.
For inquires, requests for specific considerations or to apply, please contact Stephen D’Souza at stephen.dsouza@hsa-bc.ca or call 778-945-7789. Please indicate the position(s) you are applying for in the subject line.
Your application must be received by Monday, June 14th, 2021, 9:00 p.m. PDT.
Application tips
- Initial screening will consider cumulative life experience—including personal history, paid and unpaid work, formal education and informal training.
- Be as clear and specific as possible in your application as to how these life experiences contribute to your qualifications or the position.
- The content and format of your application may be considered as part of your submission.
- If you would like constructive feedback on your application prior to final submission, please email a draft at least 10 days prior to the application deadline clearly indicating that it is a draft for feedback purposes in the subject line of the email. Feedback will be provided within 1 week and you will be given an opportunity to resubmit.
- Applicants must be eligible to work in Canada (i.e., Canadian citizen, permanent resident of Canada or authorized in writing to work in Canada such as via a work permit). Employment is contingent upon continued eligibility to work in Canada.
If your application is shortlisted – Next steps
Shortlisted candidates will be invited to the next stage of the hiring process, which may include (a) interviews; (b) requests for a sample of work; (c) reference checks; or (d) a presentation. Shortlisted candidates will require a criminal record check. However, existence of a criminal record will not result in immediate disqualification as HSABC acknowledges the systemic racism within policing and the unjust criminalization of poverty and homelessness.
Sincere Appreciation
HSABC would like to thank all applicants for their time and candor in preparing your submission. We will endeavour to respond to all applications and, subject to practicability, provide feedback.