Twelve-Month Paid Internship Opportunity

UNYA is looking for an outgoing, organized, and professional individual with exceptional communication skills to join our Community Support team.

As the Community Support & Impact Intern you’ll often be one of the first people community members, donors, volunteers, businesses, and partners connect with when reaching out to UNYA. You’ll help create welcoming experiences, coordinate communications, support community events, maintain administrative systems, and assist with the many behind-the-scenes activities that help strengthen opportunities for Indigenous youth.

You’ll work closely with the Fundraising Manager while collaborating with staff across the organization.

Regular working hours are Monday through Thursday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Highlights of this opportunity:

The Community Support & Impact Intern is a paid Internship designed for someone who already has a foundation in office administration, communications, or customer service and is ready to build a meaningful career in the non-profit sector.

Working alongside experienced leaders, you’ll gain practical experience supporting community engagement, donor stewardship, communications, administration, and special events while developing professional skills that are highly transferable across the charitable, community, and public sectors.

You’ll also gain an understanding of the vital role donors, community partners, businesses, foundations, and volunteers play in helping UNYA create opportunities for Indigenous youth. By supporting these important relationships, you’ll contribute to the organization’s growth, sustainability, and long-term impact in the community.

This Internship combines meaningful work, mentorship, and career development with real responsibility from day one.

While this Internship is offered as a one-year term position, there may be opportunities for extension or future employment within UNYA, depending on organizational need and successful performance.

A Week in the Life of a Community Support Fellow

No two weeks at UNYA are ever the same.

On Monday morning, you may be welcoming a community member interested in supporting Indigenous youth while responding to emails from donors and community partners.

Tuesday might find you preparing thank-you letters, updating our community relationship database, and helping UNYA teams coordinate logistics for an upcoming youth event.

Midweek, you could assist with organizing an UNYA presentation for a local business, prepare materials for a volunteer activity, work alongside UNYA’s internal website and social media teams to gather Community Support stories, prepare updates, and help share how donors, partners, and community members are creating opportunities for Indigenous youth.

By Thursday, you may be helping celebrating a community partnership, or ensuring the administrative details behind an UNYA event are ready to go.

You may also spend part of your week:

- Participating in a paid online professional development course, building new skills and knowledge that support your growth throughout the Internship.
- Building a deeper understanding of UNYA by spending time with different teams and programs, learning how our 20+ services work together to provide holistic, culturally grounded support for Indigenous youth.

Every week is different—but every day contributes to building stronger relationships that create opportunities for Indigenous youth.

Qualifications and Conditions:





We’re looking for someone who enjoys working with people, takes pride in being organized, and wants to build a career where community relationships make a meaningful difference.

The ideal candidate will have:

- A diploma in Office Administration, Business Administration, Communications, or a related field (graduates of recognized administrative programs are encouraged to apply), or a combination of relevant education and experience.
- Approximately two years of experience in office administration, customer service, community engagement, or a related role.
- Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities while maintaining exceptional attention to detail.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
- Strong computer proficiency, including Microsoft Office, Microsoft Teams, Canva, social media platforms, and the ability to learn new software.
- A professional, positive, and welcoming approach when interacting with the public.
- The ability to work independently while contributing effectively within a collaborative team.
- An understanding of, or willingness to learn about, Indigenous cultures, communities, and the intergenerational impacts of colonization and residential schools.
- Experience working with Indigenous youth or Indigenous organizations is considered a strong asset.
- A valid Criminal Record Check satisfactory to UNYA.
- Proof of COVID-19 vaccination.
- A valid BC Driver’s Licence is considered an asset.
- As permitted under Section 41 of the BC Human Rights Code, preference will be given to qualified Indigenous applicants, including First Nations, Métis, and Inuit candidate.

Duties and Responsibilities

Community Engagement

Welcome donors, community partners, volunteers, and members of the public in person, by phone, email, text, and social media, providing professional, culturally safe, and responsive service.

Respond to general inquiries regarding UNYA’s programs, services, and community initiatives, connecting people with the appropriate staff when needed.

Help create positive and meaningful experiences for everyone engaging with UNYA.

Administrative Support

Prepare donor acknowledgement and thank-you letters and maintain accurate records within UNYA’s community relationship database.

Support day-to-day administrative operations, including program and office systems, and maintaining organized records.

Coordinate program, campaign logistics, presentation materials, product donations and program administrative documentation.

Organize tours of UNYA with a Senior Leadership Team member for a donor and or stakeholder.

Assist the Fundraising Manager and UNYA Team members with administrative projects and special initiatives as needed.

Community Outreach & Events

Assist with planning and bringing to life inspiring community events such as Native Youth Day, Orange Shirt Day, donor appreciation activities, presentations, and other community engagement initiatives.

Support UNYA staff the behind-the-scenes coordination that helps community gatherings, volunteer experiences, meetings,



and partnership activities run smoothly and create memorable experiences.

Work collaboratively across departments to ensure community engagement activities are well coordinated and delivered professionally.

Communications

Assist with providing community information and updates for UNYA’s website and social media channels.

Support communications that celebrate donors, volunteers, community partners, and the impact of community support.

Team Responsibilities

Maintain confidentiality regarding youth, staff, donors, and organizational information.

Consult regularly with supervisors regarding priorities and operational needs.

Foster a welcoming, respectful, and non-judgmental environment that reflects UNYA’s values.

Perform other related duties as required to support the Community Support program. to support the day-to-day administrative operations of the NYHWC.

What we offer:

- Salary of CAD $49,340.00/year
- A 32-hour (4-day) work week
- Comprehensive benefits package
- Paid vacation, sick, and wellness days
- Access to our Employee Assistance Program (EAP), offering no-cost counselling services for UNYA staff
- Cultural and spiritual support from UNYA’s Elder in Residence
- Monthly staff development opportunities

How to Apply:

Ready to make an impact?
If you’re passionate about creating meaningful opportunities for Indigenous youth and want to be part of a dynamic, supportive team, we’d love to hear from you! Please send your cover letter and resume—clearly indicating the position you’re applying for—to the attention of the Program Manager at [email protected].

This posting will remain open until the position is filled. We thank all applicants for their interest—only those shortlisted will be contacted.

UNYA is an Indigenous youth organization committed to uplifting Indigenous voices and futures.
We strongly encourage applications from qualified Indigenous individuals—including First Nations, Métis, and Inuit candidates. If you identify as Indigenous, please feel free to share that in your application—we’d love to know!

UNYA acknowledges that we are gathered on the ancestral, traditional and unceded territories of the Coast Salish Peoples, including the territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish) and sel̓íl̓witulh (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations. We are honoured and grateful to be able to do our work on this land.

Who we are:

UNYA has been supporting the health and wellbeing of Indigenous youth in the Metro Vancouver area for over 30 years. As a respected non-profit, charitable organization, we recognize Indigenous youth as experts in their own lives and strive to provide youth with programs and opportunities that are relevant and meaningful to them.

At Urban Native Youth Association (UNYA) we have developed a Philosophy of Care foundation, drawing from best practices. These philosophies are the grounding framework that shapes all of our decisions and every interaction we have with the youth we serve. Following these philosophies empowers our staff to meet youth where they are at, by giving them the ability to balance flexibility and structure. This allows us to meet our youth’s needs, and ensure that our youth experience a consistent quality of care across all UNYA programs. Our 5 key philosophies are:

- Trauma-Informed Practice
- Two-Eyed Seeing
- Harm Reduction Practice
- Youth/Person Centered Practice
- Culture as Therapy

📌 Community Support & Impact Intern (Canada)
🏢 Urban Native Youth Association
📍 Canada