Community Engagement Officer

Department: School of Languages and Literatures
This position is represented by the agreement between the Professional Staff Association and the University of Guelph

Temporary part-time from  09/02/2025 to 09/01/2026 
(Less than 24 hours a week) 

If you are a current employee of the University of Guelph you must apply on the internal Career Page in order to be considered as an internal applicant. 
Career Opportunities (sapsf.com)

General Purpose

The International Institute for Critical Studies in Improvisation (IICSI), a SSHRC-funded partnered research institute housed at the University of Guelph, seeks a part-time (15 hours per week) Community Engagement Officer 

About us: IICSI acts as a central hub for a vibrant interdisciplinary field of inquiry that centres on improvisation’s resonance across the arts and beyond, in accordance with the goal to research, imagine, and implement new paradigms for confronting the pressing issues of our time. The Institute’s network is comprised of partner sites at McGill University, University of British Columbia, Memorial University of Newfoundland, University of Regina, Carleton University, 17 – Instituto de Estudios Críticos, and Queen’s University Belfast. It includes 70+ researchers, and an equal number of community partners (from social service organizations to music festivals, health care organizations, arts collectives, and government agencies, among others), engaged in projects that span 20+ cities and 10+ countries.

The duties of the C-E Officer are divided into three major areas: (1) Community Partnership and Liaison Activities, (2) Research Management, as well as (3) Grant Writing and Development. Additionally, (4) the C-E Officer may occasionally assist with Experiential Learning and Internship Coordination; (5) General Administration and Support represent a fifth area.

The C-E Officer participates actively in a multi-institutional, interdisciplinary project: a SSHRC Partnership Grant titled “Improvising Futures” that is hosted at the International Institute for Critical Studies in Improvisation (IICSI). The position requires a strong background in academic research and publication, including experience and familiarity with community-engaged partnered scholarship. Given the broad scope of IICSI’s mandate and activities, the C-E Officer must be able to communicate effectively in a variety of media to foster productive and collegial relationships with community partners, students, staff, and high-profile researchers who, collectively, represent a broad range of knowledges and interests at dozens of national and international institutions.

The C-E Officer will work 15 hours per week with the Director (Partnership Grant PI) and Project Manager, reporting directly to the former, to execute and move forward ongoing projects, while also identifying and pursuing avenues and new partnerships for future initiatives. 

Duties and Responsibilities

Activity 1: Community Partnership and Liaison Activities

• Maintains and develops relationships with community partners and assist in implementing community-engaged projects, occasionally preparing reports on partnered research activities.
• Communicates partnership and community engaged research activities to academic and non-academic audiences.
• Fosters and develops current and new community partnerships, which may include co-organizing events, where applicable, and recommending future research initiatives.
• Identifies and recommends effective content, timing, and distribution channels to optimize opportunities for shared promotion and media coverage of partnered research activities.

Activity 2: Research Management

• Helps manage core activities related to the Institute’s partnered research (residency programs, workshops, etc.).
• Solicits contributions from project researchers and partners to assist in identifying and conceptualizing new areas of research.
• Codevelops strategic plans for research development in collaboration with partners and other research team members.
• Reviews and offers feedback on protocols to ensure they are in alignment with best practices and Research Ethics Board guidelines.
• Reviews and offers feedback on community-generated and community-facing materials submitted to the archive and research library.
• Co-creates content for the research and public portions of the website.
• Develops and manages a database of project participants (students, researchers, and partners), to track ongoing work, encourage team members (including students and community partners) to meet project deadlines, and help with the soliciting or assigning of future projects.

Activity 3: Grants and Development

• Participates in Director-led, long-term strategic planning sessions.
• Updates and expands a list of internal and external funding opportunities.
• Participates in grant writing and development, including partner liaising as well as research and project design.
• Participates in grant tracking and reporting of research and community engagement activities.

Activity 4: Student Experiential Learning, Research, and Internship Coordination

• Helps organize, supervise, and/or mentor students during internships and community placements (as needed in relation to the IMPR graduate program).
• Orients students to the process and ethical considerations of community-engaged scholarship (as needed in relation to the IMPR graduate program).
• Familiarizes students with community partners and prepares them for their community placements (as needed in relation to the IMPR graduate program).

Activity 5: General Administration and Support

• Supports project team as required.

Requirements

• Master's Degree preferrably in arts, humanities, social sciences, communications or community engagement
• 3-5 years of prior experience (graduate student research experience qualifies as job experience)
• Graduate-level expertise in interdisciplinary research, writing, editing, and publishing.
• Graduate-level expertise and knowledge of community-engaged research, teaching, and scholarship.
• Strong understanding of university research environment.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills in a rigorous academic environment.
• Ability to work independently with minimal supervision.
• Ability to work in a complex, collaborative, multi-institutional, and interdisciplinary research environment.
• Ability to respond immediately to unforeseen challenges with innovative solutions.
• Highly developed skills in administration, organization, time/project management, and problem solving.
• Strong interpersonal skills, particularly an ability to deal productively and courteously with people in varied positions, in many different contexts, and diverse communities.
• Word processing (Microsoft suite).
• Interest in (and knowledge of) Critical Studies in Improvisation.
• Fluency in spoken and written French an asset.

Employee Type: Temporary 
Position Number: 10912786 
Classification: P&M PT- Band 04    
Professional/Managerial Salary Bands 
The target hiring salary for this position is minimum and up to 96% of midpoint for the salary grade.

*Tentative evaluation; subject to committee review.

At the University of Guelph, fostering a culture of inclusion is an institutional imperative. The University invites and encourages applications from all qualified individuals, including from groups that are traditionally underrepresented in employment, who may contribute to further diversification of our Institution.

Posting Date:  08/08/2025  
Closing Date:  08/22/2025