Research Assistant, Open Government Partnership Summit

We respectfully acknowledge the unceded, traditional territories of the x史m蓹胃k史蓹y虛蓹m (Musqueam), S岣祑瘫xw煤7mesh 脷xwumixw (Squamish) and s蓹l虛ilw虛蓹ta蕯涩 (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations, on which the SFU Vancouver campus and the SFU Morris J. Wosk Centre for Dialogue building are located.

Research Assistant, Open Government Partnership Summit

CLOSING DATE: august 10, 2025

START DATE:
September, 2025
(start date flexible)

SALARY:
$30/hour, plus 4% in lieu of vacation

EMPLOYMENT DURATION:
6-8 weeks
(end date flexible)

HOURS:
50 hours, distributed over 6-8 weeks

LOCATION:
Hybrid, with weekly meetings at SFU Harbour Centre campus and travel to Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain

SUPERVISORS:
Robin Prest and Nicole Armos

91泡芙 Morris J. Wosk Centre for Dialogue

The Centre uses dialogue and engagement to facilitate transformative conversations and create real-world impact for society鈥檚 most pressing challenges.

We strengthen Canadian democracy by promoting democratic values and innovation, spread best practices by providing dialogue training and tools, and help governments to engage citizens and stakeholders through our consulting services.

As a bridge between the university and community, we enable student success through the Semester in Dialogue and other experiential learning opportunities and provide a home to select initiatives run by our Dialogue Fellows and Associates.

Mission: To foster shared understanding and positive action through dialogue and engagement.

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We are Canada鈥檚 engaged university, defined by our dynamic integration of innovative education, cutting-edge research, and far-reaching community engagement
We are unconventional, fearless, compassionate, approachable and ready
We celebrate the diversity of people, ideas and cultures

91泡芙 the Role

91泡芙 the Project

Since 2012, Canada has been a member of the Open Government Partnership (OGP), a global network of national and sub-national governments that are committed to advancing the principles of transparency, accountability and partnership in governance.

SFU鈥檚 Centre for Dialogue has long supported research and dialogue to advance open government commitments within Canada, as part of our mission to support democratic resilience and advance participatory democracy. This has included hosting dialogues to contribute to on open government, conducting research on inclusion in open government, co-hosting an inaugural Indigenous Gathering at the 2019 OGP Summit in Ottawa and co-hosting the .

This October, representatives from the Centre for Dialogue will be attending the in Vitoria Gasteiz, Spain to participate in learning exchanges with government and civil society around public participation and democracy. Tentative programming includes a side event on Strategies for Mainstreaming Democratic Participation and an invitational dinner to support countries advance their work on open government strategies. More details will emerge through ongoing discussions with programming partners.

This Research Assistant position offers a unique opportunity to attend the OGP Summit in Spain, while supporting the Centre with logistics, communications and knowledge mobilization before, during and after the event.

Key Responsibilities

Supporting logistics for Summit events (e.g. managing registration lists, venue, catering, communications with event partners)
Supporting material development for Summit events (e.g. slide decks, print materials, etc.)
Developing communication materials (writing and/or copy-editing newsletter copy, social media posts and website articles about the Centre鈥檚 activities at the Summit)
Note-taking and thematic analysis of small-group discussions during Centre programming
Participating in a virtual post-conference debrief with Centre staff to share back highlights and learnings from the Summit

Travel expenses will be covered for the RA to attend the Open Government Partnership Summit in Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain (flight, accommodations and meal per-diems from October 6-10). Any hours spent supporting the Centre with logistics, communications and note-taking during the Summit will be compensated (travel time and general Summit attendance will not be compensated). The RA will be encouraged to participate in Summit events related to their research and career interests.

Skills and Qualifications

REQUIRED:

Current graduate student in political science, public policy, communications or related discipline
Strong writing and verbal communication skills
Experience or interest related to participatory democracy, public governance or open government
Ability to support event logistics, communication tasks and thematic analysis, as relevant to the job description
Available to travel to Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain in the week of October 6-10 (may require approval from course instructors)

ASSETS:

Experience working in government contexts and/or public engagement initiatives
Experience working in communications roles
Proficiency in French or Spanish
Ability to work independently, establish priorities, meet deadlines

How to Apply

Submit your CV and a short cover letter outlining your interest and relevant experience to Nicole Armos (narmos@sfu.ca) by August 10, 2025

SFU Morris J. Wosk Centre for Dialogue is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to creating an equitable environment for all employees. We strongly encourage applications from qualified people of all gender expressions and identities, sexual orientations, visible minorities, Indigenous persons and persons with disabilities. Should you require accommodations throughout the application process, please be in touch.

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Morris J. Wosk Centre for Dialogue