Community Development Worker

At House of Friendship, we believe in what we are doing. We get out of bed each day to make a difference in our community; to walk with and to serve. We are not happy with the status quo. We get energy from ongoing learning and growth. We lead with passion and believe without a doubt that everyone deserves to belong and thrive. We live and breathe our values of Compassion, Inclusion, Justice, Dignity and Hope. And we have fun!

Sounds pretty great, doesn’t it? It is! 

We are hiring for an individual to join our Community Services, Neighbourhoods team as a Community Development Worker. The Community Service Worker will coordinate community development and engagement activities and provide programs that build local capacity and reduce the impacts of poverty, isolation and food insecurity. 

This is a contract position, from approximately June 1, 2026 to March 5, 2027. This is a full-time position (37.5 hours per week). Schedule is Monday to Friday, 9:00am to 5:00pm, with the potential for some evening shifts. Valid G class driver’s license and access to a reliable personal vehicle required. Successful completion of a Police Records Check (Vulnerable Sector) required pre-employment.

Key Responsibilities:

• Take a lead role in planning, promotion and implementation of food and/or community programs for the community centres and partner sites 

• Take a lead role in community consultation and community leadership development initiatives 

• Complete administrative tasks related to the programs – including documentation in appropriate databases assigned to the program, registration management and record keeping, data entry, survey management and program expenses 

• Coordinate the team to maintain a clean, safe and welcoming space at the assigned community centre or programming space and to ensure that the team members are complying with Health and Safety standards in all aspect of the program 

• Lead and oversee a team of part time staff, volunteers and students on site to implement programs and initiatives 

• Provide the lead role in addressing any incidents occurring at the program, both physical and behavioural including supporting staff to complete incident reports for both House of Friendship and partner sites 

• Develop and maintain positive relationships with community partners related to the food and/or community programs

• Act as the site contact for the community centre program at partner locations 

• Complete and support other program staff, students, and volunteers to complete administrative tasks related to the programs, including registration, record keeping and managing expenses 

• Participate and support other program staff, students, and volunteers to participate in program evaluation, including administering surveys and assist the Supervisor in reporting to funders 

• Assist with other tasks as needed at the various community centres and partner locations 

Job Specific Knowledge/Skills:

• Ability to work independently with minimal supervision, acting as the site contact for a team of staff, volunteers and students 

• Ability to make decisions and problem solve independently with the support of their supervisor

• Interest in and understanding of community development principles 

• Confident leading and coordinating programs, comfort building relationships with diverse community members 

• Lived experience of and/or commitment to issues of poverty, food justice and social justice an asset 

• Proficiency with computer skills, including MS Office (MS Word and Excel), with ability to learn new programs (L2F) 

• Proficient written and verbal communication skills, working level English 

• Ability to communicate in language relevant to our communities (Arabic, Amharic, Tigrinya, Somali, Farsi) with connection to diverse cultural communities is an asset 

Education/Experience:

• Post-secondary education in a related field such as social sciences, community development, food and nutrition, recreation required  

• A minimum of 2 years’ experience in program planning, group facilitation, and community outreach with diverse populations in a community setting 

• Experience working with people on a low income is an asset 

Critical Skills:

• Commitment to understand and uphold the mission and values of House of Friendship

• Exemplary emotional intelligence, resilience, communication, conflict management and problem-solving skills required

• Ability to work professionally as a team member with staff, participants and community members

• Experience or strong interest in working with diverse populations including people from various cultural backgrounds, income levels, and sensitivity to their needs

• Experience with and commitment to using an anti-racism, anti-oppressive and trauma informed approach to consultation, program design, evaluations of processes and service delivery

• Must be dependable, professional, flexible, a team player, and have a positive attitude

• Respectful, supportive and engaging approach to persons with physical and/or cognitive disabilities, addictions, mental illness and other life challenges

• Excellent project, timeline and deadline management skills including skills in logistics, planning and detailed record keeping

Compensation:

At House of Friendship, we know that our team members are the key to the success of our organization and our ability to provide essential services to the community. In support of our mission and in alignment with our values, House of Friendship is committed to ensuring fair, market competitive, and rewarding compensation practices for all of our team members. We aspire to support our team members to create a great work environment where our team is able to thrive, succeed, and have a positive work experience.

House of Friendship compensation practices including our pay grid, have been developed using documented leading pay practices in the not-for-profit sector including Pathways to Decent Work (Ontario Nonprofit Network) and Ontario Living Wage Network. We value the experience that new team members bring to the organization and have a process in place to review previous related experience for placement on our pay grid.

We value the work that you do with fair pay and benefits: 

• Time off includes vacation pay and 2 personal days per year 

• Employee & Family Assistance Program 

Rate of Pay:

At House of Friendship all compensation ranges are categorized under a series of “grades” and we base our payment structure on internal equity. When determining rate of pay, a candidate’s past related experience will be taken into consideration.

Grade: 4

Min: $23.43

Mid: $25.65

Max: $28.90

Working Conditions: 

• Must be able to lift 20-50 lbs and stand for 3-4 hours at a time (for food programs only) 

• Generally daytime, weekday hours, occasional evenings and weekends 

• May include travel throughout the region of Waterloo 

• May encounter participants at program sites who are under the influence of drugs or alcohol, and/or experiencing symptoms of mental illness

This role is being posted to fill a current vacancy. 

House of Friendship is open and inviting to qualified candidates with lived experience.

House of Friendship supports justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion in our workplace. We strive to be a workplace free of harassment and discrimination and we are committed to removing barriers and being an inclusive, work environment. House of Friendship is a place where each person can bring their true selves and feel that they belong. We aspire to be an organization that is anti-racist and anti-oppressive so that our team, and therefore our community, can truly belong and thrive.

We invite applications from all qualified candidates and actively encourage applications from members of groups with historical and/or current barriers to accessing employment including, but not limited to Indigenous Peoples, members of racialized groups, persons with disabilities, women, and members of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community.

If you require accommodations to be able to participate fully at any stage in the recruitment process, including applying for this position, please let us know so that we can discuss accommodation options.  Accommodations will be provided upon request.

If you are as passionate as we are about serving the community, let’s talk.

To apply, please submit your resume and cover letter here:

https://house-of-friendship.hirehive.com/community-development-worker-kitchener-on-ivIQFh

By end of day May 13, 2026.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is not being used in the screening of applications.