Job Posting: Marketing & Communications Coordinator

The Vancouver Japanese Language School and Japanese Hall has been located in Vancouver’s historical downtown eastside since 1906. The school, which is a not-for-profit organization as well as a charity, offers children and adults opportunities to learn Japanese language and experience a variety of cultural activities.

The Coordinator’s role will be to share the stories of the school and boost enrollment in some of the high-quality but under-subscribed classes. The Coordinator will also be able to make a big difference in helping the organization share its mission and build momentum as it develops new projects and experiments with new course offerings.

The position offers many opportunities to develop skills in collaboration, cross-cultural understanding, data analysis, and communication for the purpose of growing the community and developing shared understanding in a busy, supportive, and positive work environment.

Tasks will include:

• Working with teachers, managers, committees, board of directors, and other team members to determine both internal and external communication and marketing objectives;
• Communicating with awareness and sensitivity for the diversity of stakeholders in the school’s community and as community partners in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside;
• Creating and coordinating a communication plan and standards for graphic design;
• Creating assets for print and digital media;
• Creating and updating website content to offer program information for new and returning students;
• Coordinating, and when necessary, preparing content monthly for publications including the Bulletin/Geppo magazine and VJLS-JH e-news.
• Helping to organize and promote events;
• Collecting and reporting on data collected through the marketing and communications activities;
• Assisting with and complete related administrative tasks as required;
• Contributing to the sense of community and increased awareness of its strengths, history, commonalities, and extend that awareness to build bridges to other communities locally, regionally, and internationally.

Ideal for the organization would be someone who is community-minded with graphic design expertise, and a certificate or degree in public relations, communications, graphic design, marketing, journalism, or similar areas. Interest in diverse perspectives, Japanese culture, and Japanese Canadian history is required. Japanese language skills would be an asset.

If you are a youth with a disability, Indigenous, a member of a visible minority, or new Canadian, we encourage you to apply for the position if you think you would be right for the position, even if you do not meet all the criteria.

Located in Vancouver’s historic Downtown Eastside, VJLS-JH is conveniently located near a variety of public transit options.

• Open date: April 15, 2025
• Close date: open until filled
• Term: May 29, 2025 to January 29, 2026
• Wage: $22/hour, 35 hours/week (a combination of hybrid and in-person work may be considered for the right candidate)

Eligibility

An individual may be eligible for this internship, which is funded by Young Canada Works, if they:

• are a Canadian citizen or a permanent resident, or have refugee status in Canada (non-Canadians holding temporary work visas or awaiting permanent resident status are not eligible);
• are legally entitled to work in Canada (have a valid social insurance number);
• are between 16 and 30 years of age inclusively at the start of employment; and
• are a college or university graduate (certificate, bachelor’s, master’s or doctorate).

To Apply

Please send a CV and cover letter (which must indicate how you meet the eligibility requirements) to admin@vjls-jh.com with the subject: “VJLS-JH Marketing and Communications Coordinator”. Candidates must also create an account on the Young Canada Works website and indicate their interest through the online portal. If you have questions, please write to Yoshi Sugiyama, the VJLS-JH General Manager, at admin@vjls-jh.com. Thank you for your interest!