Job Posting: Tenant Legal Advocate
Permanent | Full-Time | Nanaimo office
Together Against Poverty Society is hiring a full-time, permanent position for a Tenant Legal Advocate in our Nanaimo office. The deadline for applications is Sunday, November 19th, 2023. TAPS is one of the largest anti-poverty organizations on Vancouver Island. TAPS specializes in face-to-face legal advocacy services. Through our work, we seek to have a positive impact on people's lives in ways that honour and promote human rights, justice, and a healthy, sustainable community.
Interested applicants can apply by sending a cover letter and CV by email to our Executive Director, Douglas King: (dking@tapsbc.ca).
Job Description (Nature of the Position)
The primary job responsibilities for this position are as follows:
1. Provide legal information and summary legal advice to low-income tenants who are in a residential tenancy contract governed by the Residential Tenancy Act;
2. Provide legal advocacy representation at the Residential Tenancy Branch for low-income tenants who are engaged in residential tenancy disputes;
3. Assist with public legal education presentations to community organizations and their clients concerning residential tenancy rights and responsibilities;
4. Help prepare activity reports and statistics for potential funders and for the TAPS annual report;
5. On occasion, draft literary pieces for our newsletter Taproot and our website; and in consultation with management help with the drafting of press releases and communications relating to our work;
6. On occasion and with consultation of management help with fundraising appeals and grant applications relating to our tenant legal advocate work; and,
7. Assist the rest of staff with the general duties of the office (for example: kitchen cleanliness, front desk coverage, TAPS fundraising events).
Required Qualifications, Knowledge, Education, and Skills
There are no specific educational qualifications for this position, but experience with residential tenancy matters and client representation will be considered.
All applicants must have a positive and non-judgmental attitude towards low-income clients, and understand the importance of confidentiality and professional ethics in representing clients.
Hours of Work and Compensation
This position is full-time (5 days/week or 35 hours/week). TAPS staff are members of the Canadian Union of Public Employees, Local 374, and this position is covered by the TAPS Collective Agreement. 4 days/week (28 hours) may also be possible if desired.
Under the TAPS collective agreement, this position currently pays $30.50/hr ($55,510 annual). Employees work a 7-hour work day with an unpaid 1-hr lunch and paid breaks.
TAPS full-time employees are given an annual allotment of 20 paid vacation days and 15 paid sick days. After 1-year of employment TAPS employees are eligible for participation in our RRSP matching program.
Start Date and Duration of Position
The start date for the position is as soon as possible. This position is permanent and has no determined end date.
Applications and Interviews
To apply please send cover letter, CV, and if desired an optional short writing sample (3 pages or less) to:
Douglas King
Executive Director
Writing samples may be of any type and applicants are encouraged to submit any sample which would help show the ability to advocate on someone's behalf or provides analysis/opinion. Some examples could be:
-
letter on behalf of yourself or another advocating for a change or a specific outcome
-
academic piece from any level of study
-
journalistic piece like a letter to the editor or review
-
legal documents or legal argument
TAPS is committed to employment equity. We encourage qualified applicants from members of visible minority groups, Indigenous Peoples, people with diverse cultural backgrounds, people with disabilities, LGBTQQIP2SAA+ people, people with lived experiences of poverty and homelessness, and others with the skills and knowledge to engage productively with diverse communities.
While not required, applicants are encouraged to self-identify in their cover letter as lived expertise is a valued skillset.
TAPS recognizes that experience comes in many forms, many skills are transferable, and passion goes a long way. If your experience is close to what we’re looking for, please apply. We know that diversity of thought makes for the best problem-solving and creative thinking, which is why we’re dedicated to adding new perspectives to the team.
If your application is impacted by systemic barriers such as ableism, by your language background being other than English, or by any other factors that make applying less accessible to you, please let us know as we are happy to accommodate.
If you have any questions about the position before applying please contact the Executive Director directly at dking@tapsbc.ca
The deadline for applications is Sunday, November 19th, 2023.