Program Assistant, Indigenous Canada Program (Canada Summer Job Program)

Location: Ottawa, Ontario (Hybrid)

Reports to: Manager, Indigenous Canada Program 

Program: Canada Summer Job

Position Type: Temporary, Full-time (up to 8 weeks)

Language requirements: English is required; French or an Indigenous language is an asset

Preference would be: those who identify as FN, Metis or Inuit

Salary: $17.60/hourly (plus 4% vacation pay as a benefit)

ABOUT CUSO

Cuso International is a Canadian-founded and led global development organization dedicated to addressing poverty and creating opportunities for equity. At Cuso, we believe in the transformative power of collaboration and action. For over six decades, we have worked alongside communities - in Canada and around the world – to create sustainable change, fostering economic growth, social well-being, and resilience. Find out more at www.cusointernational.org  

ABOUT THE ROLE

This role will support the delivery of Cuso International’s Indigenous Canada Program during a high-activity summer period, including youth micro-grants, community outreach, storytelling, and support to summer recreation and leadership initiatives across northern communities.

WHO ARE WE LOOKING FOR?

We are looking for an enthusiastic and organized individual with a strong interest in youth programs, community engagement, and social impact. The ideal candidate is eager to learn, adaptable, and comfortable working in a collaborative, relationship-based environment

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Support the promotion and administration of youth micro-grants
• Assist youth applicants in developing project ideas, budgets, and simple grant proposals
• Follow up with grantees to support project implementation, reporting, and troubleshooting
• Support outreach and relationship-building with communities, youth groups, and partners
• Assist with summer program coordination
• Collect stories of impact, photos, quotes, and testimonials from youth and partners
• Support monitoring, evaluation, and learning activities, including basic data entry and reporting
• Help prepare briefing notes, reports, presentations, and internal updates
• Contribute ideas to strengthen youth engagement and community-led initiatives
• Provide administrative support as needed

POSITION QUALIFICATIONS

• Strong interest in youth leadership, community engagement, and social impact initiatives
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple tasks and deadlines
• Ability to work both independently and collaboratively in a dynamic team environment
• Strong interpersonal skills and comfort engaging with youth, partners, and the community
• Basic experience in program coordination, administration, or event support is an asset
• Experience with storytelling, communications, or social media content gathering is an asset
• Demonstrated cultural humility, sensitivity, and respect when working with Indigenous communities
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite
• Creativity, initiative, and willingness to learn

ELIGIBILITY
This position is funded through the Canada Summer Jobs program. Applicants must:

• Be between 15 and 30 years of age.
• Be a Canadian citizen, permanent resident, or have refugee protection status in Canada.
• Be legally entitled to work in Canada.

HOW TO APPLY 

Please click the “Apply for This Job” button to submit your application no later than May 1, 2026, at 11:59 PM (EST). Expressions of interest should be sent in English. Your résumé and one-page cover letter should demonstrate how you meet all the essential and any desirable qualifications. Please note that a confirmation email will be generated once you submit your application, but it may be directed to your spam or junk folders in your email inbox. 

Cuso International is committed to the integrity of our volunteers, interns, staff, managers, board members and subcontractors in preventing sexual violence in the way we operate. This is done through a defined framework, code of conduct, values and guiding principles, as well as Cooperation Canada’s Leaders’ Pledge.