Contract, Health and Safety Technician

As we serve vulnerable youth, all employees working for Covenant House Vancouver must be fully vaccinated for COVID-19. Proof of vaccination status will be required prior to your start date.

About Covenant House Vancouver

Since 1997, Covenant House Vancouver has provided relentless support for youth experiencing, or at-risk of experiencing, homelessness. We provide support to young people age 16 to 24 who have experienced a wide range of early life and ongoing, complex trauma; including physical, sexual and emotional abuse and neglect. Our purpose is to serve all youth with absolute respect, to help youth experiencing homelessness, and provide a safe and supportive environment for all youth in need.

Working at Covenant House will be one of the most meaningful things that you’ll do in your life. However, you will be confronted with significant issues in this work and frankly, this work is not for everyone. In the course of doing your work, particularly for those doing frontline work, you will be exposed to the trauma of others. The youth we serve may also experience overdose, physical harm perpetuated by self or others and even death. Because we provide a relational model of care, the harms our youth experience can impact us in varying degrees.  

While we provide training for youth workers on avoiding what we call vicarious trauma (namely, the trauma you can experience or take on by hearing other’s traumatic stories), and a generous allowance for counselling, it is still difficult work that can and does take its toll on many employees. Self-awareness and self-care are key. Some candidates and employees decide during the recruiting and probationary periods that this work isn’t for them, and that is totally fair. 

We will provide more information on vicarious trauma during recruiting and on-boarding, to help you decide if Covenant House is the place for you.

The Impact the Contract, Occupational Health and Safety Technician can have:

The Contract, Health and Safety Technician will support the development and implementation of a comprehensive Health and Safety Program at CHV. This entry-level position is ideal for a student currently studying Occupational Health and Safety (e.g., at BCIT) who has foundational knowledge and is seeking meaningful, practical experience. The role involves gathering and organizing existing policies, procedures, and resources across programs, and assisting in building a structured health and safety framework under the guidance of the Occupational Health and Safety Advisor.

How you will contribute:

  • Policy and Procedure Review:
    • Collect and review existing health and safety policies, practices, and staff orientation materials from various programs.
    • Identify gaps and inconsistencies in current documentation.
  • Program Development Support:
    • Assist in organizing and consolidating health and safety resources into a cohesive program.
    • Contribute to drafting and formatting new procedures and guides with supervision.
  • Research and Best Practices:
    • Research relevant health and safety standards and regulations.
    • Suggest improvements or additions to the program based on findings.
  • Focus Areas (Examples):
    • Communicable disease protocols
    • Emergency preparedness plans
    • Hazardous materials handling and documentation
    • Other areas of interest aligned with student learning goals
  • Incident Overview
    • Under the guidance of the Occupational Health and Safety Advisor, conduct basic reviews of incidents to identify root causes and corrective actions (under guidance).
  • Administrative Support
    • Maintain organized records of policies, training materials, and safety documentation.
    • Assist in preparing reports and presentations for management.
  • Other:
    • Focus areas could include Communicable diseases, emergency preparedness plans, hazardous materials handling documentation

This position is offered as a fixed-term, 2 month Summer Contract, expected to start as early as June 1, 2026

Who are we looking for?

Education and Experience:

  • Student currently studying Health and Safety 
  • Please include current and past volunteer experience on your resume

Competencies:     

  • Strong administrative, and organizational skills
  • Ability to exercise tact and discretion in dealing with confidential and sensitive information
  • Excellent verbal and written communication skills
  • Well organized with attention to detail and accuracy

Canada Summer Jobs Requirements:

  • Be between 15 and 30 years of age at the beginning of the employment period ;
  • Be a Canadian citizen, permanent resident, or person to whom refugee protection has been conferred under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act for the duration of the employment ; and,
  • Have a valid Social Insurance Number at the start of employment and be legally entitled to work in Canada in accordance with relevant provincial or territorial legislation and regulations.

*International students are not eligible. Recent immigrants are eligible if they are Canadian Citizens or permanent residents.

Compensation

The successful candidate can expect an hourly rate of $19.20

Total Rewards

In 2024, we were recognized as one of Canada’s Top 100 Employers

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

Covenant House Vancouver is a secular organization that welcomes and serves young people from all backgrounds. While the international federation to which we belong was founded in the 1970s by members of the Catholic Church, we are not aligned with any specific faith traditions.

CHV is committed to upholding diversity, equity, and inclusion in our workplace. We actively encourage applications from members of groups with historical and/or current barriers to equity, including, but not limited to:

  • Persons from groups marginalized due to race, ancestry, colour, religion/spiritual beliefs, or place of origin;
  • Persons with visible (physical) and/or invisible (mental) disabilities;
  • Persons who identify as women;
  • Persons of marginalized sexual orientations, gender identities, and gender expressions; and
  • Indigenous persons.

We recognize that many of these identities intersect and that therefore, diversity, equity, and inclusion can be complex. We value the contributions that each person brings and are committed to ensuring full and equal participation for all at Covenant House Vancouver.

We love what we do and try to make a difference every day. Covenant House Vancouver offers a competitive salary with a great benefits package and excellent opportunity for training and career advancement. If you are looking to join a place where we have a purpose and aim to achieve positive outcomes, please join us by applying.

If our recruitment process does not work for you, let us know. Let’s see how we can work together to get to know you and see what might be a great fit!

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