Department: Community Planning & Development Team

Position: Unionized

Classification: Coordinator

Term: One year with the possibility of extension

Hours: 35 hours/week Rate: $36.94/hour 

About the Jane/Finch Centre

The Jane/Finch Centre is a multi-service, community-based organization with a strong focus on poverty reduction through resident engagement, capacity building, and anti-oppression. Our vision is a healthy Jane Finch community—strong, inclusive, and civically engaged through diversity, opportunity, and participation.

Our Community Planning and Development team works with residents, community organizations, institutions, and others to address local priorities and systemic issues to create more inclusive and equitable spaces.

One of our main areas of work is improving access, comfort, and belonging in the public realm and community spaces through projects like Corner Commons. Coordinated by the Jane/Finch Centre, Corner Commons is a community-led project that has been transforming the Jane Finch Mall parking lot for the last five years into a vibrant public space that is safe, welcoming, and accessible to all. It has become a well-loved and award-winning community gathering space and arts/culture venue every summer for residents and visitors alike, supported by a working group of resident leaders, local community groups, and partners.

The Position

The Jane/Finch Centre is currently seeking a passionate Community Design Coordinator to help bring collective community visions to life.

Accountability: This position reports directly to the Manager of Community Planning and Development.

General Responsibilities

You will act as the lead on various public realm, community space, and mobility projects, primarily in the Jane-Finch area. This role encompasses project development, collaborative design, community engagement, and implementation. We need an individual who can translate local priorities into tangible designs, physical features, and other public deliverables. A major component of the role involves supporting the construction and operations of Corner Commons in Summer 2026, as well as planning for future iterations of the space.

Specific Responsibilities

• Project Management: Coordinate the development, implementation, and evaluation of various public realm, community space, and mobility projects.
• Corner Commons Leadership: Coordinate the construction, operations, and maintenance of Corner Commons, including volunteer team management and public programming.
• Design & Visualization: Develop materials for different phases of the design process, including site studies, maps, drawings, models, and design guidelines based on community input.
• Community Engagement: Organize and facilitate in-person and online activities such as interviews, workshops, design sessions, and interactive installations.
• •Relationship Building: Cultivate and maintain strong relationships with artists, community leaders, grassroots groups, organizations, local businesses, and government officials.
• Space Activation: Work directly with partners and resident leaders to support access to local community spaces and host a range of activities.
• Research & Reporting: Conduct research (e.g., case studies) to inform project work. Prepare summary reports, presentations, and communication materials.
• Evaluation & Knowledge Sharing: Facilitate evaluation activities, maintain detailed project documentation, and contribute to ongoing knowledge-sharing initiatives.
• Perform other related tasks as required.

Key Qualifications

• Education or work/lived experience in architecture, urban planning, urban design, landscape architecture, design (e.g., environmental, industrial).
• Current or former resident of the Jane-Finch neighbourhood (or the larger Humber River- Black Creek area) and/or experience living or working with other low-income, racialized communities.
• Proficiency with at least one visualization software (e.g., Adobe Creative Cloud, AutoCAD, Revit).
• Knowledge of and passion for arts and culture, community infrastructure, public space initiatives, and/or urban mobility.
• Ability to bring a critical, equity-driven, and anti-oppressive framework to planning and design work.
• Exceptional interpersonal skills; comfortable talking with and engaging people of all ages and backgrounds.
• Self-starter with strong attention to detail, excellent organizational skills, and project management experience.
• Strong written, verbal, and presentation communication skills.
• Ability to work both independently and collaboratively with diverse stakeholders.
• Adaptability to juggle multiple priorities and shifting plans.
  
• Asset: Experience in community engagement, participatory research, facilitation, or consulting.
• Asset: Ability to communicate in another language commonly spoken in the Jane-Finch community (e.g., Spanish, Vietnamese, Cantonese, Tagalog, or Arabic).
• Flexible availability, including the ability to work evenings and some weekends as needed.

Other Job Requirements

This position is highly hands-on. Candidates must be comfortable with the following:

• Working outdoors in all kinds of weather conditions (heat, sun, rain, wind).
• Performing repetitive physical tasks (bending, crouching, reaching).
• Walking, standing, and working on your feet in a parking lot environment.
• Lifting heavy objects up to 30 lbs (e.g., wood furniture, tables, tents).

DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND ACCOMMODATION

Jane/Finch Centre is committed to having a workforce that is reflective of the diversity of the Toronto community and of our participants. We strongly encourage applications from: racialized persons, Indigenous persons, persons with disabilities, persons of minority sexual orientation or gender identity, and all those who can provide different perspectives.

Jane/Finch Centre is committed to hiring practices that are inclusive and barrier free, and will provide reasonable and appropriate accommodation during all stages of the hiring process in accordance with the Ontario Human Rights Code in order to ensure the equal and fair assessment of all job applicants. Applicants are asked to make any accommodation request in advance