Staff - Non Union

Job Category

Miscellaneous Staff

Job Profile

Misc Staff Hourly - Workshop Facilitator

Job Title

Gardening and Cooking Instructor

Department

Cresswell Laboratory | Centre for Brain Health | Faculty of Medicine

Compensation Range

See details below.

Posting End Date

March 26, 2026

Note: Applications will be accepted until 11:59 PM on the Posting End Date.

Job End Date

February 28, 2027

This position is expected to be filled by promotion/reassignment and is included here to inform you of its vacancy at the University.

This position is subject to the satisfactory completion of required background checks.

The expected pay for this position is $90/hour.

At UBC, we believe that attracting and sustaining a diverse workforce is key to the successful pursuit of excellence in research, innovation, and learning for all faculty, staff and students. Our commitment to employment equity helps achieve inclusion and fairness, brings rich diversity to UBC as a workplace, and creates the necessary conditions for a rewarding career.

Job Summary
The BC Brain Wellness Program (BWP) intends to change the way British Columbians live and age with chronic brain conditions. We have created a comprehensive and integrated approach to brain wellness around lifestyle interventions as the foundation of brain health, complementary to and integrated with traditional medical care and with the potential to improve our current healthcare system.

Our Vision is Brain Wellness, Beyond All Boundaries.

Our Missions is we are leveraging the collective power of clinical care, lifestyle programs, education, and research to design a comprehensive and integrated approach to brain wellness for people with chronic brain conditions, care partners and healthy agers.

The BWP is an interactive effort to establish clinically relevant lifestyle approaches to complement medical treatment in the clinics at the Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health. By combining clinical care with interventions that support healthier lifestyles, The BWP team hopes to improve and sustain quality of life for people living with brain disorders and their care partners, as well as to offer healthy agers the opportunity to enhance their wellness and engage in preventative lifestyle measures.

The BWP offers over 30 virtual classes for individuals living with chronic brain conditions, their care partners and healthy agers. Majority of the classes are exercise based with a range of intensity levels and modalities including: chair-based classes, strength and balance, yoga, functional strength and interval training. We have a user base of approximately 2,500 individuals, delivering over 4,500 hours of free programming to people across British Columbia.

The position is for part-time “Gardening and Cooking Instructor” to deliver gardening and cooking classes and workshops to participants of the BWP. The individual will design, deliver, and evaluate gardening and cooking programs offered by the BWP. The individual will be interacting with people with a variety of different chronic brain conditions (e.g., Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, stroke, MS, etc.) and will be required to safely offer their classes virtually via Zoom and in-person at various sites including UBC and Youville Long Term Care Facility.

Organizational Status
The BWP is seeking an individual with 2+ years of related experience to join our team as a part time Gardening and Cooking Instructor (~6h/week). The individual will work closely with the Program Manager, Program Director, and the multidisciplinary team of healthcare professionals and research staff at the Center for Brain Health to contribute to our current programs. The individual will work closely in a multidisciplinary team environment. They will report directly to the Program Manager and the Program Director.

Work Performed

• Instruct gardening and cooking classes for program and research classes in remote setting over Zoom and in-person.
• Contribute to program designing of in-person garden project at various sites including those at long term care facility and community gardens across Vancouver region.
• Provide support on infrastructure development and consideration for building a garden.
• Support the planning of promotion for long term care residents involvement in gardening program.
• Design a gardening curriculum that allows participants to engage in outdoor physical activities, social connection, and education on gardening benefits
• Prepare appropriate class programming to facilitate an engaging class that is inclusive.
• Offer supervision to other staff and student volunteers on site to effectively and safely deliver gardening program.
• Provide appropriate plants and materials for building the garden.
• Prepare and deliver a workshop on gardening and cooking as a teaching kitchen style, educational webinar, or interactive workshop.
• Work alongside Registered Dietitian to create resources on gardening and nutrition, and recipe books.
• Contribute to evaluation of existing and new program by offering insights in meetings and over email.
• Other related tasks assigned by the program manager and program director.

These duties and responsibilities will be performed independently under the general supervision of the Program Manager and Program Director.

Consequence of Error/Judgement
Poor decisions/errors in judgment may compromise the BWP, breech the trust and confidentiality of participants, and may result in financial loss to the Director, the Centres and the University. Even simple typographical mistakes may result in distress to stakeholders and be damaging to the program and the reputation of the team and Director. They may influence the ability of the Director to meet critical deadlines and affect funding applications and ongoing program obligations.

Supervision Received
The Gardening and Cooking Instructor will work closely with a multidisciplinary staff as well as students at the BC Brain Wellness Program. Individual will report to Program Manager and Program Director.

Supervision Given
May provide supervision to student volunteers.

Minimum Qualifications

• Willingness to respect diverse perspectives, including perspectives in conflict with one’s own
• Demonstrates a commitment to enhancing one’s own awareness, knowledge, and skills related to equity, diversity, and inclusion

Preferred Qualifications

Previous experience teaching gardening and cooking classes is required. Excellent interpersonal skills are required as the applicant must be sensitive to the issues faced by individuals living with neurological disease and be able to communicate compassionately with patient participants. The need for accuracy in reporting, and attention to detail cannot be overstated. The applicant needs to be well organized event planning, scheduling, and record keeping. The desire to make a positive difference in the lives of participants and their families is essential. The applicant must enjoy working as part of a large multidisciplinary team. However, they will also have the ability to work independently (albeit under general supervision) once they have demonstrated the ability to show initiative. The applicant must be adept in written and verbal English. Computers skills are of crucial importance: Word Processing, Internet (Zoom), email experience is required. Standard Level First Aid, and CPR C are assets.

About Us

The University of British Columbia is a global centre for research and teaching, consistently ranked among the top 20 public universities globally. A large part of what makes us unique is the community of engaged students, faculty, and staff who are collectively committed to shaping a better world.

Recognized as a leading employer in British Columbia and Canada, UBC supports inspired students, faculty and staff on their journey of discovery, and challenges them to realize their greatest potential. New ideas, changing infrastructure, innovative technology, and fresh approaches are opening up possibilities for the future of research, teaching, and work. Are you ready to embrace the future together?

Equity and diversity are essential to academic excellence. An open and diverse community fosters the inclusion of voices that have been underrepresented or discouraged. We encourage applications from members of groups that have been marginalized on any grounds enumerated under the B.C. Human Rights Code, including sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, racialization, disability, political belief, religion, marital or family status, age, and/or status as a First Nation, Metis, Inuit, and/or Indigenous person.

All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however Canadians and permanent residents will be given priority.

If you have any accommodation or accessibility needs during the job application process, please contact the Centre for Workplace Accessibility at

workplace.accessibility@ubc.ca

.