Company Description
Empower students to make their schools and communities safer, more equitable, and inclusive.
The Federation of Canadian Secondary Students / Fédération des élèves du secondaire au Canada (FCSS-FESC) is an entirely non-partisan youth-led charity that aims to inform, educate, and ultimately empower high school students to foster social justice initiatives in their schools and local communities.
We use a mutual aid model where students are at the centre of our programs and initiatives. We encourage students to challenge systems of power that perpetuate social disadvantage and actively ground our work in an anti-oppressive and intersectional framework.

Job Description
As an Education Policy Researcher for System Navigation, you will play a critical role in enhancing the accessibility and effectiveness of educational support systems for Canadian high school students and their families. This role does not involve direct referral work or system navigation. Instead, you will conduct in-depth research on provincial and municipal education policies across various Canadian provinces and territories. Your research will support the development of a comprehensive guide designed to assist educational professionals and system navigators in addressing key student and family needs within the education system.
Responsibilities and Tasks

• Conduct thorough research on education policies related to system navigation issues such as individualized education programs (IEPs), school boundary adjustments, discrimination, harassment, grade appeals, and student club/team applications.
• Analyze and document the procedures and channels available for escalating issues within schools and school boards.
• Develop detailed process documents for the top identified issues, outlining step-by-step guidance for navigating these challenges.
• Create templates and checklists to streamline the system navigation process for educational professionals.
• Compile findings into a comprehensive guide that will serve as a resource for system navigators and related stakeholders.
• Collaborate with a team of researchers and educational experts to ensure the accuracy and relevance of the information provided.
• Plan and facilitate ad hoc consultation sessions with FCSS-FESC alumni, interested students, school boards, and other education stakeholders as needed to inform the direction and development of the work product.

Qualifications
Minimum Qualifications:

• a post-secondary degree in education, public policy, politics, or a related field (either in-progress or completed).
• some experience in policy research, preferably within the education sector (0.5 to 2 years).
• some understanding of the Canadian education system and its governing policies across provinces and territories (0.5 to 2 years).
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills (1 to 4 years).
• Proficient in document and report preparation with a keen attention to detail (1 to 4 years).
• Ability to work independently and manage multiple tasks effectively within tight deadlines (1 to 4 years).
• Strong communication skills, both written and verbal (1 to 4 years).

Ideal Qualifications

• a graduate degree (including a master's degree, graduate diploma, or graduate certificate) in education, public policy, politics, or a related field.
• intermediate experience in policy research, preferably within the education sector (2 to 5 years).
• intermediate understanding of the Canadian education system and its governing policies across provinces and territories (2 to 5 years).
• working proficiency in French.

Note : Le bilinguisme anglais/français n'est pas une exigence pour ce poste. Toutefois, les candidats ayant au moins un niveau B2 en français auront la préférence pour ce poste.
Note: English/French bilingualism is not a requirement for this position. However, candidates with at least a B2 working level of proficiency in French will receive preference for this position.

Additional Information

• Work location: remote/from home
• Hours: 32 hours per week (flexible scheduling)
• Compensation: $80,000 per year (gross, pre-tax)
• Contract: 1 year, non-renewable
• Number of positions: 1

Equity Statement
At the FCSS-FESC, we are committed to building and fostering an environment where our Members, volunteers, and staff feel included, valued, and heard. Our belief is that a strong commitment to diversity and inclusion enables us to make our student advocacy work and services better for everyone. We strongly encourage applications from Indigenous Peoples, Black and other racialized people, people with disabilities, people from gender and sexually diverse communities, linguistic minorities in their respective province/territory, and/or people with intersectional identities.