Events & Volunteer Assistant
Part-Time, Year-Round | Approximately 12–24 hours per week seasonally | $20.00–$23.00 per hour
Help Us Bring People—and Nature—Together!
Do you enjoy meeting new people, starting conversations, and bringing people together? Are you the kind of person who remembers a volunteer’s name, notices when someone needs a little help, and follows through when you say you’ll take care of something?
The Allan Brooks Nature Centre (ABNC) is looking for a warm, organized, and resourceful Events & Volunteer Assistant to help us create memorable community events and build a strong, engaged volunteer team.
We’re looking for a relationship builder—someone who is comfortable reaching out, asking questions, inviting people to get involved and nurturing those connections over time. The right person will bring positive energy to the team, enjoy building genuine relationships and know how to have fun while still making sure the details get done.
You might be early in your career and ready to develop your skills, or you may bring years of event, volunteer, administrative, or community experience and be looking for meaningful part-time work. What matters most is your ability to connect with people, stay organized, take initiative, and follow things through.
What You’ll Be Doing
Reporting to the Executive Lead, you’ll be the primary administrative contact for ABNC volunteers and provide hands-on support for events, public programming, and onsite operations.
Your Responsibilities Will Include
- Welcoming volunteer enquiries and building positive relationships with prospective and current volunteers
- Coordinating volunteer applications, onboarding documentation, orientation requirements, records, placements, and schedules
- Learning about volunteers’ interests, skills, and availability so they can be connected with meaningful opportunities
- Providing volunteers with clear, timely information, reminders, instructions, and follow-up
- Helping volunteers use scheduling apps and other digital tools, including providing practical support on their cell phones or devices
- Supporting volunteer recruitment, engagement, appreciation, and retention activities
- Helping organize event timelines, registrations, contact lists, vendors, presenters, supplies, permits, signage, and other event details
- Communicating and following up with volunteers, participants, vendors, presenters, sponsors, and community partners
- Assisting with event setup, registration, volunteer coordination, guest service, troubleshooting, teardown, and follow-up
- Supporting sponsor research, outreach, recognition, and fulfilment activities as assigned
- Maintaining accurate event, volunteer, sponsor, and participation records using ABNC’s software, databases, and shared digital systems
- Gathering event information, photographs, and highlights for ABNC’s contracted marketing support
- Assisting with front desk, visitor service, public programs, and other onsite needs when required
- Using quieter periods to update databases, templates, volunteer resources, event files, and future event plans
You’ll Be a Great Fit If You
- Are friendly, approachable, and genuinely enjoy connecting with people
- Feel comfortable initiating conversations in person, over the telephone, and by email
- Build relationships through warmth, responsiveness, and dependable follow-through
- Bring a positive, collaborative attitude and contribute to a supportive team environment
- Take initiative, ask questions, and look for what needs to be done
- Are organized, detail-oriented, and able to keep multiple activities moving
- Are comfortable using everyday software, shared digital tools, and mobile apps and are willing to learn new systems
- Can balance administrative work with active, hands-on event support
- Respond positively when priorities, schedules, or event needs change
- Understand that nonprofit work requires flexibility, resourcefulness, and a willingness to pitch in where needed
- Create a welcoming experience for volunteers, visitors, guests, and community contacts
- Take your responsibilities seriously without taking yourself too seriously
- Have a genuine appreciation for nature and are excited to contribute to ABNC’s environmental education and conservation mission
What You’ll Bring
- Relevant experience in event planning or support, volunteer coordination, administration, hospitality, customer service, community programming, or another people-focused environment
- You may bring extensive practical experience, or you may be newer to the field with strong transferable skills, initiative and the potential to grow into the role.
- Comfort using email, shared documents, spreadsheets, databases, online forms, scheduling platforms, and mobile applications
- A valid driver’s licence and reliable personal vehicle; the Nature Centre is not accessible by public transit, and the role may involve attending community events or completing event-related errands
- Successful completion of a criminal record check, including vulnerable sector screening, is required
- Previous experience in a nonprofit or community-based organization is an asset
- Post-secondary education or training related to events, volunteer management, administration, recreation, communications, hospitality, nonprofit management, or community development is an asset but is not required; practical experience and demonstrated ability are equally valued
- Current First Aid and CPR certification is an asset
Schedule
This is a year-round, part-time position with hours that vary seasonally.
From approximately November to March, the position is expected to average 12–18 hours per week, generally over three days. From approximately March through early November, hours will increase up to 24 hours per week, typically spread across five shorter workdays.
Availability for a varied schedule, including some weekends and occasional evenings connected with special events, will be required. Specific scheduling expectations will be discussed during the interview process.
Work Arrangement
From November to March, approximately 90% of the work may be completed remotely, with occasional onsite attendance required for meetings, planning, special events, and other operational needs. From March through early November, approximately 95% of the work will be onsite at the Allan Brooks Nature Centre or at event locations.
ABNC will provide a laptop and dedicated telephone line for both remote and onsite work.
What We Offer
- $20–$23 per hour, based on the successful candidate’s relevant experience, skills and qualifications.
- Three weeks of paid vacation annually, based on your regular part-time hours
- A paid one-week Christmas closure, based on your regular part-time hours
- An annual Health Spending Account
- A seasonal hybrid work arrangement, with most work completed remotely from November to March
- An ABNC-provided laptop and dedicated telephone line
- The opportunity to build meaningful relationships, contribute to memorable community events, and help strengthen a growing volunteer program
- Meaningful work with one of the most spectacular views in the Okanagan as your workplace
- A welcoming, collaborative team that cares deeply about ABNC’s mission and the work we do
About Allan Brooks Nature Centre
The Allan Brooks Nature Centre is a charitable environmental education organization located in Vernon, British Columbia. The Centre is committed to promoting the enjoyment of nature and increasing awareness of habitat conservation through environmental education and nature-related activities in the Okanagan region. The Centre offers school programs, summer camps, public programs, and community events that help people of all ages connect with nature and learn about the diverse ecosystems, wildlife, and habitats of the Okanagan, including its unique grasslands.
Our events and volunteers are an important part of how we bring nature to life in the Okanagan—and we’re looking for someone enthusiastic who can help both thrive.
Learn more about our programs, mission, and beautiful Nature Centre at www.abnc.ca.
We’d Love to Hear From You!
If you’re reading this and thinking, “This sounds like me,” we’d love to hear from you.
Please send your resume and a brief cover letter to:
Stacey Davidson, Executive Lead
Your cover letter doesn’t need to be overly formal. Tell us what caught your attention, what you would bring to the role, and why working with ABNC’s volunteers, community, and team appeals to you.
This position will remain open until the right candidate is found.
The Allan Brooks Nature Centre is committed to creating a welcoming, inclusive, and respectful workplace. We encourage applications from people of all backgrounds, identities, and lived experiences, including Indigenous Peoples, racialized individuals, members of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community, persons with disabilities, and people of all gender identities and expressions.
No phone calls, please. We appreciate every application; however, only those selected for an interview will be contacted.
Pay: $20.00-$23.00 per hour
Benefits:
- Casual dress
- On-site parking
- Paid time off
Ability to commute/relocate:
- Vernon, BC: reliably commute or plan to relocate before starting work (preferred)
Application question(s):
- What interests you most about supporting events and volunteers at the Allan Brooks Nature Centre?
- Are you available to work approximately 12–18 hours per week from November to mid-March and up to 24 hours per week from mid-March through early November during ABNC’s public season?
- From mid-March through early November, are you available to work five shorter shifts per week, including some weekends and occasional evenings for special events?
- This role involves proactively reaching out to volunteers, starting conversations and building ongoing relationships in person, by telephone and by email. Please briefly describe an experience that demonstrates your comfort with this type of relationship-building.
- Do you have a valid driver’s licence and a reliable personal vehicle that you can use to travel to the Nature Centre and off-site events?
Work Location: In person
