Youth Engagement Specialist, Faculty of Social Work

This opportunity is currently available for internal applicants only as THERE IS A STRONG INTERNAL CANDIDATE FOR THIS POSITION.

The Faculty of Social Work invites applications for a Youth Engagement Specialist
. This Full-time Fixed Term position is for approximately 12 months (based on length of grant funding), with the possibility of extension.

Reporting to the Principal Investigator, the Youth Engagement Specialist will support a CIHR-funded provincial initiative to develop and validate a Learning Health System (LHS) for Kickstand, Alberta's Integrated Youth Service. The role will coordinate and support youth-engaged research activities, including the co-development of a youth research lab where young people partner in the design and implementation of research. Responsibilities include coordinating youth engagement and research activities;

liaising with researchers, community partners, clinicians, and individuals with lived experience; supporting qualitative and quantitative data collection activities; and providing research and administrative support to the Principal Investigator.

The position requires up to 35 hours per week, with flexibility for occasional evenings and weekends as project needs dictate.

(job functions include but are not limited to):

• Coordinate youth and family advisor engagement activities.
• Facilitate co-design activities that integrate youth perspectives into research planning and implementation.
• Provide guidance to research team members on youth engagement best practices and principles of patient-oriented research.
• Foster inclusive, accessible, and meaningful engagement opportunities for youth and family partners.
• Build trusting relationships with youth advisors and lived-experience partners.
• Recruit, onboard, orient, and support youth advisors.
• Identify and address barriers to meaningful participation.
• Develop engagement resources and training materials.
• Coordinate advisory meetings, workshops, and engagement sessions.
• Support reimbursement processes and maintain participation records.

• Support implementation of research activities across studies.
• Assist with participant recruitment and informed consent.
• Prepare study documentation and research materials.
• Maintain participant tracking and study records.
• Assist with ethics submissions and annual renewals.
• Support data collection activities following established protocols.
• Coordinate research meetings and maintain study-related documentation.

• Build collaborative relationships with researchers, healthcare providers, community organizations, government partners, and non-profit agencies.
• Serve as one of the primary contacts for youth advisors and community partners.
• Communicate project updates and identify emerging engagement needs.
• Promote principles of patient-oriented and youth-engaged research.

• Assist in preparing reports, presentations, and knowledge translation materials.
• Contribute to educational resources for youth advisors and community partners.
• Support dissemination and knowledge mobilization activities.

• Schedule meetings and prepare agendas.
• Maintain project documentation and version control.
• Coordinate travel and engagement logistics.
• Maintain confidentiality and comply with University and ethics requirements.

• Bachelor's degree in Nursing, Social Work, Social Sciences, or a related field. Master's degree in Nursing, Social Work, Social Sciences or a related discipline completed or in progress is an asset.
• Minimum 2 years of experience coordinating research in social, behavioural, or community settings, preferably in research specific to youth populations and on a provincial scale.
• Familiarity with Integrated Youth Services (IYS) is an asset.
• Experience working with youth in community, health, education, or social service settings.
• Demonstrated experience in qualitative research (e.g., conducting interviews, focus groups, co-design methods, including qualitative data analysis and interpretation).
• Demonstrated experience supporting quantitative research activities, including data collection and management.
• Demonstrated experience liaising and communicating with internal and external research partners, including government, agencies, community organizations, and non-profits.
• Strong understanding of ethics guidelines for conducting research.
• Experience in preparing research reports and knowledge translation materials.
• Strong organizational skills, good judgment, and concern for detail and accuracy is required.
• Strong communication skills (written and verbal) is required.
• Exceptional attention to detail especially when working with research data.
• Able to work independently and with others as a part of a virtual and in-person team.
• Able to receive…