You or someone you know might be interested in this opportunity. Like everywhere else, transportation cycling is growing significantly in Calgary. The City has stepped up its efforts to plan and roll out facilities but so far has not put any effort behind education and promotion of cycling. This position, one of three included in Calgary's 2011 Cycling Strategy, hopefully will remedy that. Bike Calgary and the other major alternative transportation advocacy groups have long pushed for an official promotion & education effort to complement the community's own initiatives (e.g., the Calgary Commuter Challenge, Cyclepalooza, Bike Calgary's Urban Cycling Skills courses, the work of our community bike shops Good Life, Bike Root, and Life Cycle, Open Streets Calgary, etc.)
Job Description:
http://www.calgary.ca/CS/HR/Pages/Careers/Career-Opportunities.aspx (see job number 201717 under “Planning”)
Basic Job Information
Posting Title: Active Transportation Education Specialist
Business Unit/Section: Transportation Planning/Transportation Solutions
Location: 800 Macleod Trail S.E.
Union/Position: CUPE Local 38/Permanent #TBD
Compensation: Pay Grade 10
$33.23 - 36.55 - 38.38 - 40.29 - 42.31 - 44.42 per hour (2013 rates)
Hours of Work: This position works a standard 35 hour work week.
Business Unit Information
- Lead the development and implementation of a City-wide education and safety campaign on how to use new active transportation projects, educating bicyclists and motorists on their rights and duties, and how to share the road safely.
- Lead the development and implementation of a City-wide marketing campaign that is geared towards promoting the bicycle as a healthy, economical, safe and fun way to get around.
- Assist active transportation projects by developing 'how-to' messages for new facilities or to raise awareness of the new facilities.
- Facilitate development of public and private partnerships such as transportation management associations, business and citizen groups on bicycling issues.
- Coordinate or assist with events and activities such as Bike Month, Ciclovia, Bike Classes, targeted outreach and other events.
- Provide accurate and timely information about program area to policy makers, businesses, outside agencies and the public.
- Coordinate media buys for public service announcements and develop materials for website and social media.
- Analyze statistical trends to help with marketing and encouragement efforts.
- Attend meetings with community organizations, advocacy groups or neighbourhood associations related to assigned projects.
- Plan and organizes the work of volunteers.
- A degree in Planning, Public Health, Public Administration, Communications, Public Relations, Education, Marketing, Landscape Architecture, or a related field and a minimum of three years of experience; OR
- An equivalent combination of training and experience.
The following would be considered assets for the position; interest and experience in active transportation, a graduate degree in one of the aforementioned fields, media training, CAN-BIKE (Canadian cycling skills course) or League Cycling Instructor (LCI) training.
Calgary Education and Promotion Coordinator
Submitted by Jack Becker on
It is great to see that the City of Calgary is effectually setting up a cycling office. Much needed. Now will this quasi office be responsible for cycling infrastructure and networks from the planning stage to construction and then to maintenance programs? If not, then the silos of municipal governments will water down the effectiveness of any cycling investment.
What does puzzle me is the education qualification that interested parties need. This role is really about selling infrequent cyclists and non-cyclists on using cycling as a form of transportation and, hopefully, their main form of transportation or as a combined mobility form of transportation (cycling-transit, cycling-car).
This position should be aimed at people who are good at selling ideas, concepts, products, and services. They do include communications as one of the education requirements. Now, why are planning and landscape planning people eligible for this position? What is in their education curriculum that prepares them for a selling job?
It would seem to me that this position should be targeted for people having experience in communication, marketing, selling, advertising, media writing and presentation, and teaching adults.
There are some competent people in Canada that perform this type of function for non-profit groups that provide services to municipalities whose education background may not fit those listed in the job description. Are they excluded from consideration?
Reaching out to different demographics?
Submitted by metropetrolitan on
With the concept of reaching out to infrequent cyclists in mind, I think someone with a sales or teaching background may be more valuable than someone from a planning or landscape architecture background. I'd also *prefer* to see someone who is perhaps a non-traditional cyclist. This would include groups such as as not white-collar, prefer women, and would like to see a senior perhaps in this position. Someone who can reach out through other media channels besides blogs and social media (i.e: community association newsletters).