Canadian Association of University Teachers Looking for Senior Organizing & Education Officer at Ottawa, ON Full Time

Reporting to the Director of Political Action and Communications, this position is responsible for supporting the strategic vision and goals of the organization by planning, developing, and leading the execution of strategic member engagement, organizing, and education plans and associated deliverables. In addition to serving as a lead organizing and member education specialist, this position includes day-to-day supervision of the Organizing and Education team and coordination of all related responsibilities and activities. This position works in collaboration with the Senior Policy and Government Relations Officer and the Senior Communications Officer with a shared goal of increasing membership engagement and strengthening member skills for effective collective actions. The incumbent is an experienced professional who has staffed and developed high performing teams and with expertise in adult education, membership engagement, and effectively supporting advocacy efforts through membership engagement, campaigns, organizing, outreach, and education.

Duties and Responsibilities

Works in consultation with the Director of Political Action and Communications to develop the operational priorities and work plans for all organizing work, campaigns and education programs and initiatives in support of CAUT’s vision and objectives.

Provides professional expertise and advice to Management in the development and implementation of organizing drives, campaigns and education programs and membership engagement strategies.

Assists the CAUT Executive, CAUT member associations, and Management with organizing new members and increasing membership engagement.

Coordinates the work of a team comprised of Organizing Officer(s), Education Officer(s), and any other assigned staff; and leads regular team meetings to ensure alignment on goals, progress on priorities, and two-way communication.

Develops and oversees campaigns and education programs that address complex issues, build awareness, drive member engagement, and supports member associations’ bargaining and organizing.

Build member capacity by coordinating the development and delivery of a quality program of membership education offerings and organizing resources Identifies member education needs and designs programs to meet these needs.

Plans, develops, coordinates, delivers, and maintains an extensive member education program, that is relevant, comprehensive, innovative, and dynamic and increases member engagement and organizing abilities.

Researches, creates, develops, writes, presents and/or facilitates original adult education material, workshop and conference material, on a wide range of issues/subjects related to member needs and challenges or delegates these tasks to supervised employees.

Assists with the organization of conferences, workshops, and other educational events.

Coordinates the member facilitator/train-the-trainer program to identify and train a diverse pool of member volunteers, support member facilitators’ development, and give feedback when needed.

Develops feedback and learning assessment mechanisms and participates in on-going evaluation of education modules and material, review of course content, and amendments as required.

Establishes and maintains an annual schedule of education activities.

Brings ideas, energy, and knowledge of best practices to campaign and education efforts to ensure continuous improvements.

Keeps abreast of adult learning techniques, online learning technology and strategies, and relevant issues affecting labour relations and other terms and conditions of employment.

Develops and implements a strategic organizing plan to identify and recruit new CAUT member associations and to provide organizing support for existing associations

Leads, delegates, or assists with the organization of organizing drives and campaigns at the local, regional, and national level.

Provides specialized advice on strategies and methodology for CAUT campaigns.

Coordinates, writes, and edits campaign materials, articles, leaflets, information kits, and advisories, in conjunction with other relevant members of the Political Action & Communications and Legal Services & Labour Relations teams.

Liaises with affiliates, partners, community organizations, coalitions, government agencies and officials as required.

Oversees CAUT’s membership engagement database.

Develops, maintains, and supports a network of local organizers and activists.

Monitors emerging and ongoing issues relevant to the post-secondary education sector.

Actively seeks and recommends enhancements to improve quality or efficiency of workflow and value to CAUT members.

Contributes to a range of cross-unit and cross-departmental activities and events.

Coaches and supports the development of junior staff.

Works collaboratively with management to represent the needs of the Organizing and Education team and champions cross-functional initiatives within the team.

Participates in Political Action and Communications team activities including operational planning, development and execution of cross-functional initiatives, and regular team meetings to ensure alignment on goals, progress against priorities, and two-way communication.

Other related duties as assigned by CAUT management.

Hours

Full-time position, 35 hours per week

May be required to work overtime on occasion

Some travel within Canada may be required

Qualifications

Education & Experience:
Completion of post-secondary education degree in adult education, political economy, industrial relations, or other relevant field.

Master’s degree or higher preferred.

At least 7 years of professional experience in a similar capacity including a minimum of 2 years of supervisory or management experience.

Extensive experience providing advice and guidance to senior leadership.

Significant experience in developing organizing, campaign and/or education strategies, projects, and plans.

Significant experience in adult education and popular education, including developing participatory materials and coordinating meetings and educational events.

Significant experience with membership engagement and organizing, preferably in a trade union environment.

Experience working with CRM and/or Member Database Management, websites, and online registration systems.

Professional experience in an association, trade union, and/or not-for-profit organization preferred.

Language Requirements:
Ability to work in both official languages at an advanced level is a strong asset; fluency in verbal and written English essential.

Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities:
Knowledge of online campaign techniques and digital tools.

Knowledge of the labour movement, trade union practices and organization, principles of labour and human rights legislation, and the current social, political, and economic issues that affect CAUT members.

Ability to work independently in consultation with the Director while exhibiting a high degree of initiative and sound judgment.

Effective communication skills with the ability to communicate clearly verbally and in writing to a range of audiences.

Excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to build appropriate and constructive relationships with internal and external contacts, founded on credibility and trust.

High degree of specialized organizing and adult education knowledge.

An accessible, consultative leadership style.

Strong supervisory and conflict management skills.

Demonstrated ability to work cooperatively and with tact as part of a team.

Strong planning, time management, and project-management skills to effectively develop solutions to balance competing requirements and manage multiple priorities and deadlines across complex projects with minimal supervision.

Ability to exercise sound judgment and deal with high-level issues in a balanced and fair manner.

Ability to facilitate group meetings and events, including the ability to assess group process, to analyze individual behaviour and group dynamics, to synthesize group thoughts and opinions, to solve problems, build consensus and promote effective teamwork.

Ability to communicate clearly to a range of audiences, including the proven ability to develop and write innovative and clear education modules and workshops.

Ability to develop educational materials (including the ability to assess learning needs, formulate objectives, create innovative and participatory methodology, and write facilitators’ notes and participants’ handouts).

Ability to produce memos, letters, reports, analyses within deadlines.

High degree of professional ethics and integrity.

Excellent political judgment and analytical skills.

Strong knowledge of the Canadian post-secondary education sector.

Strong knowledge of Canadian labour and social movements and organizations.

Significant awareness of the current Canadian political and media environment.

Understanding of and commitment to CAUT’s policies, practices and procedures and alignment with CAUT’s values and objectives, including social justice, equity, and human rights.

CAUT is committed to the principles of employment equity in hiring and in all of its employment practices and seeks to diversify its workforce. Aboriginal People, people with disabilities, people who identify as LGBTQ2S, racialized people, and women are actively encouraged to apply.

This position has been classified as Category 5 in the Collective Agreement between CAUT and COPE Local 225. The current hire rate for this category as of July 1, 2022, is $139,953.00. The position includes five (5) weeks of vacation annually as well as a generous benefits and defined contribution pension plan.

The position is based out of Ottawa.

Interested candidates should submit their applications by October 31, 2022, via CAUT’s Career Centre at www.caut.ca/careers. All applications must be addressed to the Executive Director including a cover letter and resumé.

CAUT is committed to creating and maintaining an accessible, barrier-free work environment including working with applicants with disabilities requiring accommodation during the recruitment, assessment, and selection processes. If applicants require accommodation, they should communicate this to Human Resources when contacted.