Research Support Officer (Food Security Assistant) – Canada Summer Jobs
external posting
job title: Research Support Officer (Food Security Assistant) – Canada Summer Jobs
job ID #: CSJ RSO FSA 26- 0415
department: Community Program and Capacity Building Initiatives
reports to: Director, Community Program and Capacity Building Initiatives
salary range: $20 per hour
status: Fulltime, Contract (8 weeks Contract, Canada Summer Jobs)
hours: 35 hours per week
Who we are:
Sherbourne is a leading provider of quality health care and transformative support to people who face social, economic, and other systemic barriers. Our mission is to be a dynamic provider of integrated health services, community programs and capacity-building initiatives that enable people and diverse communities to achieve wellness.
Sherbourne provides innovative health care and social services to the diverse urban population of southeast Toronto. While our doors are open to everyone, we focus on people experiencing homelessness or who are under-housed; 2SLGBTQ+, and newcomers to Canada. We are funded by the Ministry of Health, Ontario Health, Ministry of Community, Children and Social Services, the City of Toronto and many generous donors and foundations.
Working at Sherbourne
At Sherbourne Health, we care about our staff and recognize that our biggest strength is our people. We have a solid commitment to life-long learning which is demonstrated through our professional development program. We invest in collective work and staff training to improve client care. We supplement this by creating a low-barrier work environment built on equity and respect, while working together in caring, cohesive teams and providing opportunities for advancement.
about the role:
The Food Security Assistant (Research Support Officer) will work with the Community Program and Capacity Building Initiatives Team in the areas of community health and food security. Research activities will include primary and gray literature, key informant interviews, data analysis, generation of recommendations, and report writing.
Tasks and responsibilities include:
- Support with the design and implementation of efficient processes and workflows to support the successful launch of the Food for Good café, ensuring all operations run smoothly from day one.
- Assessment and data collection
- Stakeholder identification and engagement
- Analyzing published and gray literature
- Collecting and analyzing qualitative data
- Writing up findings
This job offers direct and relevant work experience opportunities which can be considered career-related experience for youth looking for future employment in this field.
Supervision and mentoring plan
The position will be supervised by the Senior Program Manager, Community Program and Capacity Building Initiatives, who has experience and skills in mentoring health-placement students from various post-secondary institutions. Supervision will include regular check-ins, weekly meetings with the supervisor, plus the option for informal support regarding the project and its deliverables at times identified by the candidate will be available.
The mentoring opportunities for this position include:
- Individual supervision and check-ins on a regularly scheduled basis
- Access to a multi-disciplinary team to develop the project which includes nurses, doctors, social workers, psychotherapists, and community resource workers, all of whom will provide direction and share insights into the completion of the project.
- An interdisciplinary team from various health disciplines, that has skills in mentoring students which include goal setting, practice reflections, support and feedback.
- A team with experience in health promotion, conducting research, teaching adults, and will mobilize these skills to support the candidate in successfully completing the proposed projects.
Health and Safety
Health and Safety training is an important component of employment at Sherbourne. The staff person will complete the Ontario Hospital Association (OHA) online training modules which include topics on workplace violence and harassment, Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System (WHMIS), hand hygiene, emergency communication codes, and accessible customer service. The staff person will also complete Ministry of Labour Health and Safety training modules online.
Workplace hazards are listed in an SDS (Safety Data Sheet) and binder that is accessible on each floor at Sherbourne Health.
Workshops on anti-oppression, diffusing anger and cultural competencies may also be available to the youth employee.
Skills development
- Teamwork: the work will require consultation with/learning from and consensus building with/incorporating feedback from interdisciplinary team members, skills that will be useful in any future project development work the youth may undertake
- Communication: including in person, written and visual communication styles, the candidate’s project will dictate developing ways of communicating but also a deeper understanding of how to communicate respectfully with and about Sherbourne’s priority populations – 2SLGBTQ communities, immigrant, refugee and newcomer communities, and persons experiencing homelessness.
- Digital Skills: the resource bank may involve multiple methodologies for communication that require different digital skills; research activities will help the candidate to develop skills using in-person interviews, literature and gray literature searches.
- Other: the candidate will be given the opportunity to complete training modules in cultural competence.
National and local priorities
Ideally, this role would be filled by a candidate who has a strong understanding of social determinants of health and connection to one of Sherbourne’s priority populations – 2SLGBTQ communities, immigrant, newcomer and refugee communities and persons experiencing homelessness. This opportunity will assist the successful candidate to develop skills that could contribute to their success in the employment market. Having lived experience of our priority groups (i.e., visible minority youth) will assist the project in a deeper understanding of social determinants of health and related intersectionality that impact our clients. For local priorities in our riding of Toronto Centre, the position specifically supports Sherbourne Health in providing services and health care supports in high-risk neighbourhoods, youth, low-income individuals and families, immigrants including refugees, 2SLGBTQ communities, Indigenous peoples and services to seniors
to apply: Please forward a cover letter and resume (saved as one document) quoting Job ID # CSJ RSO FSA 26- 0415 to myjob@sherbourne.on.ca by May 15, at 5:00 pm.
Sherbourne is dedicated to building an organization that reflects the diversity of our clients and the communities we serve. This includes diversity in languages spoken, culture, race, sexual orientation, and gender identity. Requests for accommodation due to disability can be made at any stage in the recruitment process.
We thank all applicants for their interest but only those selected for further consideration will be contacted.
BOLD. KIND. REAL. OPEN. WE CARE.