Location

East Vancouver: Kensington-Cedar Cottage/ Grandview-Woodland Neighborhoods (office location TBD).

Posting Period

May 12, 2026 - May 29, 2026

Job Description

In partnership with Mosaic, the Community Navigator delivers services through the Community-Based Employment Services (CBES) model—an outreach-focused approach designed to support individuals facing complex barriers to employment. CBES emphasizes flexible, participant-centered service delivery, meeting people where they are and connecting them to employment, training, and wraparound supports in their communities.

In this role, the Community Navigator provides individualized, trauma-informed, and culturally safe pre-employment supports to women experiencing barriers such as mental health challenges, homelessness, substance use, poverty, and systemic exclusion. Working within Vancouver’s Kensington-Cedar Cottage and Grandview-Woodland neighbourhoods, the Community Navigator builds strong relationships with community organizations, employers, and Indigenous partners to ensure coordinated and accessible services.

This role is grounded in a participant-centered approach that recognizes each woman’s unique pathway. Through personalized navigation, advocacy, and connection to services, the Community Navigator supports improved wellbeing, increased employment readiness, and positive employment and education outcomes.

What you’ll be doing:

• Provide individualized, trauma-informed, and culturally safe employment support to women, including women with children, who are navigating complex barriers such as homelessness, substance use, mental health challenges, childcare responsibilities, and systemic inequities.

• Deliver flexible, outreach-based services in community settings where women feel safe and supported, including partner agencies, shelters, and Indigenous organizations, as part of the CBES model delivered in partnership with MOSAIC.

• Build trusting, respectful relationships with participants, meeting women where they are and supporting them at a pace that reflects their strengths, goals, and lived experiences.

• Complete holistic needs assessments and co-create personalized action plans that address employment readiness alongside essential needs such as housing, food security, childcare, income supports, and safety.

• Connect women to employment services, skills training, and wraparound supports, including but not limited to housing services, food programs, counselling, legal supports, childcare resources, and peer support networks.

• Facilitate peer support opportunities by connecting participants with others who have shared or similar lived experiences, fostering encouragement, hope, and mentorship, and supporting continued healing through connection to relevant services and resources.

• Support navigation to WorkBC services and Indigenous Skills and Employment Training (ISETS) providers, ensuring clear and accessible pathways aligned with each participant’s goals and readiness.

• Offer flexible, responsive service options that reflect diverse experiences, caregiving responsibilities, and employment pathways.

• Build and maintain collaborative relationships with community service providers, Indigenous organizations, employers, and wraparound supports to ensure coordinated, person-centred service delivery.

• Provide ongoing coaching, advocacy, and practical support to help women navigate systems, strengthen confidence, and reduce barriers to wellbeing and employment.

• Monitor progress and maintain accurate, strengths-based participant case notes, including writing reports and documenting impact stories and testimonials.

• Contribute to reporting and shared learning across programs or partners to improve wellbeing, increase employment readiness, and achieve meaningful outcomes.

• Other duties as required

What you’ll need:

• 2–3 years of experience supporting individuals facing complex barriers to employment through career development, employment services, or related roles.

• A degree in social sciences or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education, training (e.g., career development), and professional or lived experience.

• A strong commitment to trauma-informed, culturally safe, participant-centred practice, grounded in equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility.

• Experience working alongside women and/or people navigating intersecting barriers such as homelessness, mental health challenges, substance use, childcare responsibilities, and poverty.

• Strong knowledge of community-based supports and services, including housing, income assistance, childcare, counselling, legal services, and peer/community supports.

• Familiarity with local resources and service providers in Vancouver’s Kensington-Cedar Cottage and Grandview-Woodland areas.

• Familiarity with employment systems and programs such as WorkBC is an asset; awareness of Indigenous Skills and Employment Training (ISETS) providers is an asset.

• A collaborative approach to building trusting relationships with participants, community partners, Indigenous organizations, and employers.

• Experience supporting individuals to develop and follow personalized action plans, with thoughtful follow-up and encouragement toward self-defined goals.

• Experience developing and facilitating engaging, strengths-based workshops and providing one-on-one coaching and navigation support.

• Strong communication and organizational skills, with the ability to work independently in a flexible, outreach-based environment while maintaining accurate documentation and reporting.

• Ability to travel within the community to provide outreach-based services in a variety of settings.

• A valid clear criminal record check (including working with vulnerable populations) is required.

Bonus qualities (but not required)

Experience speaking additional languages is considered an asset in supporting diverse communities.

What we offer:

We offer our eligible employees the following benefits as part of their total rewards package:

• Extended medical and dental benefits

• A defined benefit pension plan (MPP)

• Pregnancy, parental and adoption leave top up

• 15 vacation days and 3 personal days, in addition to paid sick leave

• Flexible working arrangements for applicable positions

• Employee Family Assistance Program, a confidential and voluntary support service for employees and their eligible family members

• A workplace that prioritizes employee health, safety and well-being, including many learning and growth opportunities such as our employee mentorship program and three equity committees that help to support our goals towards achieving meaningful equity and inclusion.

• Free staff membership to our Health & Fitness Centre

• Discounts at our Hotel Willo

• Priority in YWCA Child Care centres

Pay Rate: $31.94 per hour

How to Apply

If you're seeking a workplace where your values align with your work, and where every voice drives meaningful change, we’d love to hear from you. Please submit your resume and cover letter by May 29th, 2026, 5pm, to:

Christine Jang, Manager (she/her)

Email: cjang@ywcabc.org

We’re committed to increasing representation and equity across our organization. We strongly encourage applications from women, Black, Indigenous, People of Colour, 2SLGBTQIA+ individuals, people with disabilities and others from marginalized communities. We’re also focused on creating leadership opportunities for Indigenous, Black, and gender-diverse individuals. If you'd like to learn more about our inclusive culture before applying, feel free to contact our Equity and Engagement Manager at people@ywcabc.org.

Accessibility is a priority for us. If you need any accommodations to apply or have questions about the process, please reach out to the hiring manager listed. We make hiring decisions based on qualifications, transferable skills, lived experience and organizational needs. Thank you to everyone who applies — only those selected for an interview will be contacted.

Want to learn more about working at the YWCA? Explore our careers page.

We respectfully acknowledge that our main office and many of our programs are located on the traditional, ancestral and unceded territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish) and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations, and that our work across British Columbia spans the territories of more than 200 First Nations. We also acknowledge the First Nations, Metis and Inuit peoples who live in our communities.