We’re Hiring a Technology Coordinator

Community Technology Coordinator

The Centre for Community Organizations (COCo)

The Centre for Community Organizations (COCo) is a provincial non-profit organization that works to build an inclusive, social justice-oriented Quebec community sector where grassroots organizations can thrive. We believe that is an important part of creating a more just and equitable society overall. To this end, COCo provides training, accompaniment, and technological support to small, ground-up, and social-justice focused organizations. We also use our research to steward dialogue and change on issues of inclusion and diversity in the Quebec non-profit sector.

**Application deadline extended to June 5th at noon!

About the Job

Overview: The Tech Coordinator’s primary responsibility will be to manage COCo’s technological services to community groups, in alignment with our anti-oppressive values. Along with their team of affiliates, the tech coordinator will work to guide, support, and empower Quebec-based community groups to improve their technological capacity and autonomy. They will help groups think about their needs holistically in the context of their existing tech systems, level of resources, and overall organizational health.  Active since 2012, the Tech program offers a range of communications and technology services and support, with an emphasis on hands-on training, knowledge-sharing and collaboration. Some of our most common requests relate to:

• Technology planning and strategy
• Cloud computing
• Website development
• Contact Relationship Management (CRMs) systems

As a member of COCo’s highly collaborative team, the person in this role will actively take part in internal conversations on organizational development, participate in co-supervision and contribute to other collective management tasks.

  

Type and term of contract: One year, renewable. Hours: 30 hours per week. Early morning, evening, and weekend work may be required from time to time with advance notice Compensation: $33.92 per hour Benefits: Health insurance, pension plan, 4 weeks vacation and 2 weeks paid leave in December.

Duties and Responsibilities

Technological Services Coordination: 

• Lead tech assessments and oversee tech contracts, and design processes with community groups to help identify their core needs and areas for growth and then play matchmaker with our team of skilled facilitators
• Coordinate the tech affiliate team, including: hiring and training new team members, supporting facilitators in professional development, and designing opportunities for connecting and learning as a team 
• Carry out the regular administrative tasks needed to sustain our technology services, including managing contracts, estimates, and invoices and updating our database.
• Provide oversight and strategic orientation for our technology services, including conducting evaluations, monitoring finances of the program, and leading and implementing changes to our services or processes

Organizational Technology Consultant: 

• Support the technological development of grassroots community organizations by offering critical perspectives and information grounded in anti-oppressive and social justice values
• Accompany organizations through technological planning and implementation of organizational change processes
• Design and facilitate workshops and training around technology tailored to community group needs
• Perform maintenance tasks on COCo client websites.

Internal IT Support: 

Support the Communications Coordinator in implementing technical updates, changes and features to the COCo website

• Manage and track the inventory of technological equipment used by COCo team members and coordinate purchases and initial set-up of new equipment as needed
• Manage renewal of paid licences and subscriptions for COCo

Collective Collaboration

• Actively contribute to collective management discussions, as well as to COCo’s organizational development
• Provide human resources support and participate in co-supervision
• Participate in collective tasks including office and phone coverage and office maintenance

• Actively engage in critical reflection (both individually and organizationally) about anti-oppression, social justice and accessibility principles and their implementation in the workplace

What We’re Looking for in a Candidate

The ideal candidate is someone who is passionate about implementing technology for the greater good. You are passionate about embodying social justice values through technology. You combine curiosity about new tools and platforms and familiarity with old ones, and are able to critically assess the advantages and drawbacks of both. You are able to learn quickly in order to troubleshoot tech problems creatively. You are patient, and able to break down complex concepts for community groups with little or no tech experience. 

You understand the community sector and the unique challenges and contexts it presents for grassroots organizations. You know that good work can take time. You are platform-agnostic; you choose not one platform but the one that best suits the groups’ needs. You are able to sense organizational development issues that may be hiding behind a technological development request that may hamper future processes. You enjoy thinking critically about tech issues as they relate to the community sector, such as data privacy, sovereignty and confidentiality, through an anti-oppressive lens. 

At COCo, we recognize the value of paid or volunteer work experience. We encourage applicants who meet all or some of the following criteria to apply. If you don’t have direct experience in some of these areas, we encourage you to let us know about any other experience that would fulfill these aspects of the position.

Qualities and Attributes

• A passion for social justice issues, an aptitude for technology, and strong interpersonal skills. 

• A keen interest in learning and improving their own technology skills

• An ability to break down complicated technological concepts and to train individuals and groups in a clear, patient, and non-judgmental way

• A passion for technology and facilitation in the service of community groups and social movements

• An understanding of anti-oppression frameworks (e.g. anti-racist, decolonial, queer and trans inclusive, disability justice, feminist approaches) and a proficiency in integrating these ideas into their work and responsibilities

• Ability to work both autonomously and with others in a highly collaborative work environment

• Ability to be organised, creative, prioritise tasks and be flexible

Skills and Experience

• Experience and/or knowledge of Quebec’s nonprofit sector or social movements

• Experience in project management and managing technology systems

• Experience administering contracts and maintaining relationships with clients

• Understanding of technology planning, strategy and assessment

• Experience developing, maintaining and/or troubleshooting WordPress websites

• Experience using Contact Relationship Management (CRM) systems; experience implementing and developing them is a strong asset

• Knowledge of other tech areas such as cloud computing implementation an asset

• Strong oral and written communication skills in English and French

• Experience and interest in working in collaborative settings, including experience in collective decision-making processes and more horizontal working structures
• Interest in fostering well-being in the workplace
• An understanding of barriers experienced by racialized and other marginalized communities in Quebec

Work Environment

You will join a team of 7-9 staff members and a dozen affiliated facilitators in:

• A highly collaborative and non-traditional work environment with horizontal foundation
• ●  A Leadership Circle of 3 Executive Co-Coordinators
• A dynamic team that is comfortable working at different paces
• Currently, COCo is working remotely, collaborating across virtual platforms. We are working on a hybrid and collective return-to-work policy. We can share our thoughts on this during the interviews
• In regular times, COCo staff work out of an open office environment in downtown Montreal/Tiohtià:ke/Mooniyaang 

 

Accessibility

COCo currently conducts its business virtually, with occasional hybrid or in-person meetings. COCo’s physical offices and bathrooms are wheelchair accessible. As we are in a shared building, we cannot guarantee a scent-free space. However, we aim to have a scent-reduced space. We are still learning about online accessibility as it relates to our work from home practices. If you have specific questions relating to the accessibility of our work from home practices or our physical office space, please email Naïma at naimap@coco-net.org.

Hiring Process

To Apply

For best consideration, apply by May 28 June 5, 2023 at noon. Applications will remain open until the position is filled. All candidates are invited to complete this form, in English or French, instead of a cover letter. The form will also ask you to include your resume in PDF format. Note that you cannot edit your responses after they have been submitted. If you have any problems with the form or if you need to make any adjustments, please contact: Parker Mah at parkerm@coco-net.org.

 

Our Hiring Process 

We evaluate all applications anonymously to ensure the highest possible degree of objectivity in our selection process. Only the candidates selected for an interview will be contacted. Interviews will be conducted in both English and French and are expected to begin during the week of June 12, 2023. 

 

If You Wish to be Considered for Employment Equity 

At COCo, we believe our work is stronger when it benefits from the experience, knowledge and wisdom of people who have faced systemic barriers. We encourage, among others, Indigenous, Black, and people of colour, people with disabilities, people identifying as LGBTQI2, women, formerly incarcerated or institutionalized people, immigrants and people from working class backgrounds to apply. We also understand that applicants may experience a number of these identities simultaneously in ways that reinforce and nuance their experience. We are committed to creating an organization as diverse as the communities we serve.

If you wish to be considered for employment equity, you can let us know in the application form.