Program Coordinator - Justice Connect

About Africa Centre

The Council for the Advancement of African Canadians in Alberta (Africa Centre) is a Black-led, community-based organization committed to advancing the well-being, participation and inclusion of the People of African Descent. Through culturally responsive programs, partnerships, advocacy and community engagement, Africa Centre works to reduce systemic barriers and strengthen access to opportunities and essential services.

About Justice Connect

Justice Connect is an access-to-justice initiative designed to improve access to culturally appropriate legal information, timely legal advice and individualized navigation supports for racialized communities. Building on Africa Centre's existing Legal Clinic, the project integrates Public Legal Education and Information (PLEI), legal clinics, community outreach, navigation and referral support into a coordinated year-round service model.

The initiative includes in-person and online legal education, plain-language legal resources, recurring legal clinics, community consultations and strengthened referral pathways across Alberta.

Position Summary

Africa Centre is seeking a highly organized, community-oriented and results-driven Program Coordinator to support the implementation of Justice Connect.

Reporting to the Community Engagement Manager, the Program Coordinator will be responsible for coordinating the day-to-day delivery of the project, including community engagement, workshops, legal clinic activities, partnerships and referrals, participant coordination, data collection and project documentation.

The successful candidate will work closely with legal professionals, community organizations, program staff, the Program Communications Coordinator and other internal teams to ensure activities are delivered effectively, inclusively and in accordance with the approved project plan.

Key Responsibilities

Program Coordination and Delivery

• Coordinate the day-to-day implementation of Justice Connect activities in accordance with the approved work plan and project timelines.
• Maintain the project activity calendar and coordinate upcoming workshops, legal clinics, online sessions, consultations and community engagement activities.
• Coordinate logistics including venues, participant registration, schedules, accessibility requirements, materials and event-related arrangements.
• Support the delivery of “Know Your Rights” workshops and other Public Legal Education and Information activities.
• Coordinate recurring legal clinic activities and support effective interaction between participants, program staff and participating legal professionals.

Community Engagement & Participant Access

• Support community outreach, focus groups and stakeholder consultations to identify emerging legal needs and inform program delivery.
• Engage African, Caribbean, Black and other racialized communities to increase awareness of Justice Connect services.
• Support participant registration and access to workshops, clinics and other project activities.
• Identify participation barriers, including language, transportation, accessibility and scheduling needs, and support appropriate accommodations.
• Build relationships with community organizations and networks to strengthen program reach and participation.
• Gather participant and community feedback to inform continuous program improvement..

Partnership and Stakeholder Coordination

• Maintain regular communication with participating lawyers, legal organizations, community partners and referral agencies.
• Support the Community Engagement Manager in strengthening legal and community referral pathways.
• Coordinate partner participation in workshops, clinics and other project activities.
• Maintain up-to-date partner and referral information and follow up on agreed actions.

Legal Navigation and Participant Follow-Up

• Support participants in navigating Justice Connect services from intake through referral and follow-up.
• Coordinate participant access to appropriate legal professionals based on identified needs.
• Facilitate warm referrals to legal aid, specialized lawyers and relevant community and social services.
• Support participants with non-legal administrative aspects of accessing services and required documentation.
• Follow up on referrals, where appropriate, to identify whether participants successfully accessed the recommended service.
• Maintain accurate and confidential navigation and referral records.
• Identify recurring service gaps and barriers and report these to the Community Engagement Manager.
• Clearly distinguish navigation support from legal advice and refer all matters requiring legal interpretation or advice to qualified legal professionals.

PLEI and Resource Development

• Work with legal professionals and the Communications team to coordinate the development of plain-language legal resources.
• Support the development and dissemination of guides, fact sheets, navigation toolkits, workshop materials and other Public Legal Education and Information resources.
• Support accessibility and translation of project resources where required.

Monitoring, Documentation and Reporting

• Maintain accurate records of project activities, participants, workshops, clinics, referrals and community engagement.
• Administer or support participant surveys, feedback tools and other data-collection processes.
• Maintain appropriate disaggregated data to support project monitoring and evaluation.
• Track progress against project activities and expected results and provide regular implementation updates to the Community Engagement Manager.
• Contribute program information, statistics, activity summaries and supporting documentation required for funder and organizational reporting.
• Maintain organized and confidential project files and records.

The approved approach specifically requires disaggregated monitoring and participant feedback to identify gaps in reach and improve programming.

Equity, Accessibility and Client-Centred Practice

• Apply culturally responsive, trauma-informed and GBA Plus principles throughout project delivery.
• Ensure interactions with participants are respectful, confidential, non-judgmental and sensitive to individual circumstances.
• Support accessible programming for participants facing language, mobility, financial, immigration or other barriers.
• Maintain appropriate privacy and confidentiality when handling participant information.

Qualifications and Experience

The ideal candidate will have:

• A post-secondary degree in Community Development, Social Sciences, Human Services, Public Administration, Legal Studies or a related discipline; an equivalent combination of education and relevant experience may be considered.
• At least 3–5 years of experience coordinating community programs, projects or services.
• Experience working with African, Caribbean, Black, newcomer, immigrant or other racialized communities.
• Demonstrated experience coordinating workshops, events, community engagement or stakeholder activities.
• Strong organizational, planning and time-management skills.
• Strong interpersonal and relationship-building abilities.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to maintain accurate records and work with program data, spreadsheets, surveys and reporting tools.
• Demonstrated discretion when handling confidential and sensitive information.
• Ability to work independently while collaborating effectively with multidisciplinary teams and external partners.
• Knowledge of barriers affecting racialized communities in accessing legal, government and social-service systems is an asset.
• Experience in legal services, settlement, navigation or access-to-justice programming is an asset.
• French or another language commonly spoken within the communities served is an asset.

Additional Requirements

The position may require occasional evening or weekend work to support community activities and workshops, as well as limited travel within Alberta.