Program Coordinator, Mother Tree

Job Summary

The Program Coordinator, Mother Tree plays a vital role in supporting the continued growth, visibility, and impact of Mother Tree research, a UBC-based initiative at the forefront of Indigenous-led Forest stewardship, regenerative forestry, and conservation. As Mother Tree’s activities, partnerships, and public profile continue to expand, this position provides scheduling coordination, engagement logistics, communications implementation, event support, inquiry triage, and related administrative support to help ensure Mother Tree activities are organized, responsive, and well-coordinated.

A key coordination responsibility of the role is supporting the scheduling and logistics required for Mother Tree-related research, engagement, partnership, and public-facing commitments.

The Program Coordinator also supports communications workflows, event and engagement logistics, public-facing correspondence, meeting materials, and engagement-related trackers that maintain continuity across Mother Tree activities. These activities help amplify Mother Tree’s research and engagement, strengthen the visibility of the Faculty of Forestry & Environmental Stewardship and UBC, and advance shared priorities related to research impact, partnerships, sustainability, climate-focused work, and environmental stewardship.

Working in a collaborative and evolving environment, the Program Coordinator exercises sound judgment, discretion, initiative, attention to detail and strong organizational skills while coordinating competing priorities and supporting cohesive work across the Mother Tree team, Faculty collaborators, partners, and external audiences.

Organizational Status
Reporting to the communications lead, Mother Tree Project & Program, the incumbent works independently on most tasks, seeking guidance from the communications lead with new or complex issues. The incumbent works with faculty, staff, students, researchers, and liaises with numerous external organizations and the general public.

Work Performed

Program Coordination, Scheduling & Logistics

In consultation with the communications lead:

• Coordinates Mother Tree-related calendar, including internal and external meetings, engagements, conferences, stakeholder and partner engagements, travel-connected public outreach commitments.
• Supports logistical planning for scheduled Mother Tree engagements, partnership, and meeting commitments, liaising with hosts and internal team members to confirm timelines, itineraries, registration details, preparation needs, and supporting materials.

Communications Implementation & Content Administration

• Provides day-to-day communications support to the communications lead, including drafting correspondence to complex inquiries, and conducting routine background research on topics related to Mother Tree activities, partnerships, and public engagement.
• Supports communications implementation by coordinating information, timelines, approvals, and follow-up for Mother Tree updates, stakeholder correspondence, approved donor-facing materials, newsletters, website updates, reporting inputs, and public engagement materials.
• Maintains approved communications materials and reference records, including research activity updates, partnership information, and public-facing resources, ensuring they are accurate, current, and accessible to the communications team.

Event & Engagement Logistics

• Coordinates logistics for public events, meetings, speaking engagements, and partner engagements.
• Supports RSVP tracking, participant communications, itineraries, venue coordination, speaker coordination, and preparation of event materials.
• Maintains event-specific files, contact lists, schedules, briefing materials, correspondence, and follow-up notes for assigned public-facing and partner engagement activities.
• Supports coordination for engagement activities connected to First Nations partnerships, public engagement, knowledge-sharing, and co-production protocols.

Program Records

• Maintains shared trackers, contact lists, briefing materials, event files, communications records, and shared planning documents related to scheduling, engagement, public inquiries, and communications activities.
• Supports continuity across scheduling, engagement, and communications activities by ensuring assigned records and materials are organized, current, and accessible to the communications lead and relevant team members.

Inquiry, Stakeholder & Partner Support

• Responds to routine inquiries from public, professional, and community audiences using approved language and established processes.
• Assesses and triages inquiries to the communications lead or appropriate team member.
• Performs other related administrative, coordination, communications implementation, and project support duties as required.

Consequence of Error/Judgement
The nature of the work demands planning the sequence of duties, the work methods to be employed, and the action to be taken, often on unusual problems. The incumbent requires independent judgment, tact, discretion, and initiative, based upon a thorough knowledge of procedures, guidelines, and regulations. Errant decisions or communications could have a serious impact on operations and the reputation of the department and University

Supervision Received
Reporting to the communications lead, Mother Tree Project & Program, the individual works independently under broad direction. The communications lead may provide direction when assigning new duties, facing complex situations, or in need of support.

Supervision Given

Is not required to supervise; may explain work procedures to new or inexperienced staff.

Minimum Qualifications

High School graduation, plus one year of related training, plus two years of related experience, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.

- Willingness to respect diverse perspectives, including perspectives in conflict with one’s own

- Demonstrates a commitment to enhancing one’s own awareness, knowledge, and skills related to equity, diversity, and inclusion

Preferred Qualifications

· Bachelor of Science in Natural Resource Conservation is an asset.

· Academic and/or applied experience in conservation, forest ecology, ecosystem-based management, Indigenous governance, sustainable development, applied ecology, food systems, or related social-ecological approaches to land stewardship.

· Preference will be given to candidates with experience supporting research partnerships, community-engaged work, or co-produced communications for Indigenous-led or Indigenous-partnered research initiatives, including demonstrated awareness of cultural knowledge-sharing guidelines, community protocols, and relationship-based approaches to collaboration.

· Preference will be given to candidates with experience working in or with communities on Haida Gwaii or research contexts, including familiarity with Indigenous stewardship, community perspectives, applied ecology, and ecosystem-based management approaches relevant to Haida Gwaii.

· Experience supporting field-based forest research, including soil sampling, vegetation analyses, ecological data collection, or related work in coastal and interior forest environments in British Columbia.

· Preference for candidates with a demonstrated understanding of the Mother Tree Project & Program, including its relational, values-based approach to forest stewardship; its science communication, partnership, and public engagement priorities; and the adaptability required to support its continued growth.

· Experience developing accessible communications materials that translate scientific, ecological, or conservation-related information for broader audiences, including news articles, research briefs, social media content, event materials, or public-facing summaries.

· Ability to synthesize scientific information, research findings, and project updates into clear, accurate, and engaging communications for academic, community, donor, partner, and public audiences.

· Experience supporting events, panels, screenings, workshops, or public engagement activities involving researchers, community partners, activists, professionals, students, or other external audiences.

· Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and related database, records-management, or project-tracking systems.

· Familiarity with email marketing platforms such as Envoke is an asset.

· Strong ability to exercise initiative, sound judgment, tact, discretion, and diplomacy while managing sensitive information, community relationships, and competing priorities.

· Ability to work under pressure, meet deadlines, resolve problems, prioritize tasks, and take responsibility for timely follow-through.

· Strong attention to detail, accuracy, organization, and record-keeping.

· Ability to gather, review, and summarize information, identify implications, and provide practical recommendations to support project coordination, communications, reporting, and relationship management.

· Valid driver’s license and comfort travelling to field sites, research plots, rural communities, and remote locations in British Columbia. Experience driving trucks or field vehicles on forestry roads, logging roads, or remote access roads in coastal and interior forest regions is an asset.

· Willingness and ability to travel to remote and rural communities for extended periods of time, including Haida Gwaii, Vancouver Island, the Central Coast, the North Coast, the Kootenays, and other forest research or partner-community locations across British Columbia.

· Experience working respectfully and collaboratively in team-based environments involving faculty, students, staff, community partners, Indigenous partners, external organizations, volunteers, and members of the public.

· Demonstrated ability to support teaching, mentorship, training, or group facilitation activities, including creating a supportive environment for students, youth, volunteers, or community participants.