We’re Hiring: Website and Information Systems Manager

Position: Website and Information Systems Manager
Organization: The Organic Council of Ontario 
Location: Anywhere in Ontario – preference for Guelph and/or GTA, Ontario
Eligibility: This position is made possible through government funding. To qualify, you must be:

• between the ages of 15 and 30 inclusive when the internship starts
• a post-secondary graduate (this is not required for participants who live in Yukon, Northwest Territories or Nunavut);
• legally entitled to work in Canada (i.e. Canadian citizen, permanent resident or person who has been granted refugee status); and,
• self-assess as underemployed, meaning they are employed below their level of education, outside their field of study, hold part-time employment, or unemployed.

Hours: 30 – 40 hours a week
Contract: 6 month contract with possible extension pending funding
Compensation: $25/hr to $32/hr
Benefits: OCO compensates staff for personal device use, internet and other small office expenses pending approval. After 6 months, staff may be offered a health savings plan.

Are you a tech-savvy self-starter with an interest in local food systems?

Do you love taking complex informations systems and designing elegant and stream-lined solutions? 

Are you eager to build networks and connections with organic entrepreneurs across Ontario?  

If so, then this job is for you.  

About the Job:

OCO is revamping our Ontario Organic Directory to be even more user-friendly and searchable.  We want to make it easier than Amazon to find local  organic products in Ontario.  However, the new application we are building is still a work in progress and it requires an eager problem solver and systems thinker to help us work through our data categorization and syncing process.  

Responsibilities: 

User Experience

• Work with OCO staff and contractors to identify improvements and problem solve fixes in the new application;
• Support user testing of the new application, manage and track feedback;
• Design new features and processes to increase efficiencies and improve overall user experience;
• Problem solve issues with app integration and conduct research to achieve the desired outcomes;
• Research new tools/systems to support improved functioning;
• Support SEO improvements for both the application and OCO’s website.

Data Portal Development

• Acquire, clean and import organic membership and product data;
• Work with partners to identify gaps in data and conduct research to fill holes;
• Perform regular updates to the Ontario Organic Data Portal using custom-built tools;
• Work with OCO staff, partners and data specialist to determine tagging and categorization architecture for improved searchability and functionality;
• Determine new sources of organic data (e.g. livestock, consumer processed goods) and design reports to feature relevant analysis. This may involve discussions with partners, designing surveys and/or forms and some business strategy;
• Analyze and assess the data collected to highlight trends and insights;
• Process membership data to populate and maintain the Ontario Organic directory;
• Oversee ongoing data management and process optimization using OCO’s member database and custom-built membership management tools.

Knowledge and skills

The ideal candidate will be an enthusiastic problem solver and project manager with both digital skills and good design sensibilities. They will possess an impressive ability to see both the big picture and delve into the details; to work with numbers and people. They do not need to be a developer, but rather someone who can program manage our development contractors. We encourage candidates who possess at least 75% of the below qualities: 

• Initiative, drive and a high degree of self-motivation;
• Ability to work independently and in a team environment;
• Excellent problem solving skills and information architecture thinking;
• Ability to research, understand and translate technical concepts/digital requirements to other team members;
• Excellent customer service and negotiation skills;
• A change management mindset, willing to look for out-of-the box solutions for triangulating data and/or filling a technology gap;
• User Experience Design and/or other graphic design skills an asset;
• Some experience coding and/or an ability to read source code;
• Some experience using CRM, page-builders, and/or Business Intelligence applications;
• An eye for detail;
• Proficiency in using excel and/or other spreadsheet applications;
• A curious mind with an ability to imagine new possibilities;
• An ability to simplify complex systems, identify redundancies;
• An eager willingness to learn and/or improve systems;
• Some data manipulation experience an asset;
• Excellent communication – oral and written;
• Some knowledge of organic agriculture and/or the Ontario agri-food landscape an asset;

OCO is committed to upholding the values of equity, diversity, and inclusion. OCO actively encourages applications from those who experience barriers to equity such as BIPOC and LGBTQ2S+ people. We invite you to inform us should you have any accessibility or accommodation needs.

To Apply: Please submit your resume and a cover letter in one PDF to hiring@organiccouncil.ca by September 10th at 5pm. We thank all applicants for their interest, however only those selected for an interview will be contacted. 

About the Organic Council of Ontario:

The Organic Council of Ontario (OCO) is the Voice for Organics in Ontario. We are the only full value chain association operating at the provincial level. OCO represents over 1,300 certified organic operators, as well as the businesses, organizations, and individuals that bring food from farm to plate. OCO works to catalyze sector growth, support research, improve training, increase data collection, encourage market development, protect the integrity of organic claims, and inform the public of the benefits and requirements of organic agriculture.