Join our team!
Full time inclusion strategist
QuakeLab is on the search for Inclusion Specialists! This is a full-time role with an annual salary of CA$65k - 78k a year (based on experience). The role will include group benefits including medical, dental, and EAP, 4 weeks of paid vacation, 2 weeks off at the end of the year, and unlimited mental health days. QuakeLab provides Inclusive Benefits, an annual budget meant to build a life and environment that allows you to bring your best self to work. This is a fully remote role but may require some travel.
What is an Inclusion Strategist
An Inclusion Strategist is a member of the QuakeLab team focused on supporting clients to identify and redesign inequitable structures, processes, policies and procedures. They bring together their expertise and creative problem solving to the work we do. The expertise they bring from their chosen fields allows them to bring a lens to QL projects, especially around assessing how we can redesign industries and structures to be more equitable. Inclusion Strategists also have an understanding of how the systems that have been built throughout history have served very few and marginalized many. They understand that in order to reduce or eliminate barriers that create inequity, we must redesign these very systems.
How do Inclusion Strategists work with each other and clients?
Most QL projects require at least a team of three people (2 strategists, 1 data specialist) to be completed successfully. These teams predominantly work on the Design Thinking for Inclusion process, a 6-12 month process that includes rigorous assessment and data collection, a design thinking workshop and an action plan. QL also takes on special projects focused on embedding equity into an organization and using an equity lens and framework to tackle a number of different challenges.
We must stress, this job requires a lot of brain power. It's often tough work in content and demands. Successful applicants should feel confident in their ability to stay organized, motivated and excellent while managing multiple projects.
Must have competencies for this role:
These are competencies that must be demonstrated in your application in order to qualify for an interview.
Strong communications + writing skills;
Experience analyzing data and conducting desk research;
Proven knowledge and deep understanding of structural inequity and how. they function;
Strong project management experience.
Below is a breakdown of the core role of an Inclusion Strategist that gives some guidance about the skills and competencies desired, as well as the kinds of activities that they will be expected to take on as an Inclusion Strategist.
Ok, we know the table below looks super intimidating, but please note, successful candidates are not required to have all these competencies, we ask that you are open to coaching, learning on the job and being transparent about what you do not have experience doing.
| Core job role | Competencies + what Inclusion Strategists be assessed on | |
|---|---|---|
| Inclusion Strategists are expected to engage directly with clients and main points of contact. This may include, but is not limited to: - Potential client sales meetings - Proposal discussions - Project kick off meetings - Project scope meetings (defining and aligning on scope of work) - Email communications during a project - Status updates and presentation of findings |
Strong communication skills, timely responses, knowledge of QL’s offerings and method, project management | |
| Inclusion Strategists will need to have an understanding of the QL method, approach and ethos in order to speak to stakeholders about what we do, and what we don’t do this will include, but is not limited to: - Our stance on diversity trainings (eg. unconscious bias training) and the behaviour change approach in general - Structural change approach vs. Behaviour change approach - Trauma mining - Best practices for collecting data - Indigenous pedagogies |
Research, fluency with QL’s approach | |
| During projects, Inclusion Strategists will be expected to have a clear understanding of how to source, analyze and communicate secondary data to support our work and overall assessment. This will include sourcing secondary data from academic sources, research papers and initiatives, government provided statistics eg. census data, etc. Usually, on most project teams, we have a point person who is tasked with mining data and sharing insights from primary data sources . However, it’s important that all Inclusion Strategists can support this process and have a clear understanding of data ethics, and how to draw meaning from raw data sources, and speak about data in a meaningful and impactful way. |
Data ethics, desk research, secondary data review and sourcing, analysis. | |
| Inclusion Strategists will find that writing is a large part of their role. This includes emails, meeting notes, ideas shared in Slack communications, creating Data Stories, reports, case studies, etc. Inclusion Strategists should do their best to ensure their written communication is clear, concise, grammatically correct, simple and avoids jargon. We want our written work to be accessible and impactful. This means we want to use simple language and ensure we are not creating barriers to accessing information. Bilingual (EN/FR) competency is considered an asset, but not a requirement. |
Writing, editing, written communication. | |
| Inclusion Strategists are required to put together various written documents for clients and other external stakeholders. This can include, but is not limited to: - Writing and reviewing data stories or any final reports - Building tools and resources for clients - Delivering project work plans - Delivering timely status updates - Reviewing any written documentation - Conducting organizational assessments - Writing action plans and recommendations - Delivering organization-wide communications throughout the entire project life-cycle (e.g. kick-off call, mid-point assessment presentation, and town hall). For this work, Inclusion Strategists will need to have an understanding of design principles and accessibility (eg. text being clear, colour coordinating, lines being clean, etc.). Inclusion Strategists will also need to ensure final products are aligned with the QuakeLab brand. |
Canva, G-suite | |
| Inclusion Strategists will often be responsible for planning, designing and running empathy interviews and functional interviews. This will include: - Draw insight from document reviews and analysis to decide on questions to be raised in interviews; - Build out the insights and ideas you want to explore with respondents; - Run interviews with a trauma informed lens, empathy and care without trauma mining; - Analyze interviews individually and in collaboration with all primary and secondary data collected. |
Questions development, analysis, active listening, note taking, effective communications, trauma informed interviewing | |
| Data analysis and segmentation will be a collaborative exercise for Inclusion Strategists. A significant aspect of this role will include: - Drawing insights from multiple primary and secondary sources; - Synthesizing academic, peer reviewed, informal and formal data from multiple sources in service of articulating and identifying client challenges and solutions; - Collaboratively work through primary data, hundreds of data points to select pain points and articulate them for clients. |
Data analysis, critical thinking, secondary review, analysis, written communication, collaboration, brainstorm | |
| Inclusion Strategists will have some responsibility in the design and implementation of custom projects. This can include: - Meeting with potential clients to understand needs, ask necessary questions to facilitate understanding, translate those needs into project ideas; - Articulate those project ideas to the client, Account Director and other relevant parties; - Design a work plan that includes timelines. *Inclusion Strategists are not expected to do the work of costing. |
Active listening, needs analysis, project design, effective communication | |
| Inclusion Strategists are responsible for workshop design and facilitation. We understand the approach QL takes to workshops is unique and may include a learning curve. This work will require: - Comfort with online workshop tools (e.g. Miro, Zoom, Jamboard); - Designing workshops with a focus on intended outcomes, best use of time, care for participants, capacity considerations for participants, and actionable outcomes; - Ensuring that workshop participants receive effective prep work on time; - Facilitating engaging and impactful workshops with 10-15 participants. |
Workshop facilitation, workshop design, technology comfort, project management, communications | |
| A large part of this role will include using an equity lens to assess structures and make recommendations. | Understanding of structural inequity, well read in anti-racism theories and social movements | |
| Although bilingual competency is not a requirement for this work, some Inclusion Strategists will be bilingual and may work in multiple languages for multiple projects and clients. | ||
Non-client work
| Non-client work | How it will affect your core role | |
|---|---|---|
| Inclusion Strategists are expected to take on at least one non-client focused project at any time. This project can be assigned, however, it is preferred that Strategists take some time to identify a project that is aligned with QuakeLab’s work/needs with their areas of interest/expertise. Non-client projects can include: - Product development - Research and studies - Innovative structure design (ie. new ways to manage conflict, etc.) QuakeLab will do its best to ensure this non-client work does not turn into another job eg. Inclusion Strategists taking on the role of accountant at QuakeLab. However, we will need the support and candidness of Inclusion Strategists to flag when they’re work is beginning to reflect a whole new role. |
This is considered development work that will have a positive effect on your ability to do your work and have an added level and understanding to the insight you bring to your colleagues and clients. We recommend managing these as a project (workplan, start and end date, deliverables, etc.). |
|
Application process
Send your resume and cover letter to hello@quakelab.ca. Your cover letter should clearly articulate how you meet the must-have competencies and if relevant, the desired competencies. Because one of the skills w'e’ll be looking for is writing and attention to detail, take you time to ensure grammar and spelling are double checked.
We’ll be reviewing applications on a rolling basis so we’ll contact you after reviewing your application and will invite you to an interview. Here’s what you can expect from the interview:
A 45minute long interview with pre-sent questions focusing on your skills and experience;
You may be asked to provide a writing sample;
A second interview may be required for follow up questions. There is a chance we may just do this over email though!
If you are successful in the first two interviews, you will be invited to participate in a third interview that will give you an opportunity to interview us! We think of the recruitment process as a reciprocal and you should take this opportunity to establish if we’re a good fit for you;
At this stage we will be requesting and checking your references;
If you are successful we will make you an initial offer over email, if you accept, we will share a contract and together, determine a start date;
You will be compensated for your time interviewing with us.
Diversity, Equity, Justice and Accessibility
We aren’t perfect.
We’ve gone through some really strong, and not so strong recruitment processes in an effort to walk the talk and build an equitable recruitment process and overall work environment. We try to be proactive about how to make this happen, but your feedback and your requests for accommodations are welcomed and encouraged. You can submit your requests for accommodations to hello@quakelab.ca along with your applications, and we’ll do our very best to meet your needs. Remember, accommodations can be expansive and individualized, this can include video-off interviews, phone call instead of video call, closed captions, and so much more!