Job Posting – OPIRG Guelph
Position Title: People’s History Project Researcher (2 positions)
Details:
- 20 hours/week
- 5 week contract position
- Salary: $22.00/hour
Date Posted: Tuesday June 10, 2025
Application Deadline: Tuesday June 24, 2025 at 11:59 AM (noon)
Position Effective: July 7 to August 8, 2025 (five weeks)
OPIRG Guelph works on a variety of environmental and social justice issues of public interest by conducting research, developing popular education materials, and engaging in activism. We help individuals to become active in their community by providing information through our Resource Library and opportunities for hands-on training and activism.
The People’s History Project (PHP) aims to recognize and preserve the important roles that Guelphites and UofG students have played in social movements throughout the years. The stories of people who participated in activism and engagement in social and environmental justice—queer, indigenous, black, anti-racist, feminist, among many others—are often left out of narratives of our local and broader history.
The People’s History Project Researcher will:
- Continue the development of the People’s History Project (PHP) Action Archives series
- Work closely with permanent staff in developing specific goals and a work plan
- Attend staff meetings and Board meetings as appropriate
- Become familiar with OPIRG Guelph’s policies, digital communications tools, and decision-making process
- Utilize campus and local archives to research and investigate stories and histories of OPIRG Guelph’s participation in social and environmental justice movements
- Conduct interviews, examine personal documents, and explore other unconventional sources as they may relate to each history
- Gather materials to be prepared for use and storage in the People’s History Project Archive
- If/as time allows, share a history through written and audio materials such as a poster, radio show / podcast, article, or social media post) that includes its context, impact and legacy
- Support OPIRG staff by assisting with regular OPIRG communications and holding office hours
- Perform other duties as required
Qualifications:
- Passion for the history of activism and struggles for justice
- Research skills with the ability to explore stories and histories found in a wide range of places
- Desire to gain experience working with archival materials and oral history
- Strong interpersonal and active listening skills for conducting interviews
- Ability to communicate stories and histories into engaging narratives
- Knowledge of social and environmental justice issues and excitement for learning more about them
- Understanding of and alignment with the principles of OPIRG Guelph
- Strong organizational and time-management skills
- Ability to take initiative and work independently with minimal supervision
Assets
- Familiarity with the work of OPIRG Guelph or another PIRG
- Regular access to a computer and a reliable internet connection
Working hours will mostly be during the day, during the week, with some flexibility and some remote work. We are hiring two researchers; you may choose to work together if you wish but that is not required.
OPIRG welcomes the contributions that individuals from marginalized communities bring to our organization, and invites Black, Indigenous and racialized people, poor and working class people and those on social assistance, women, Intersex people, gays, lesbians, bisexuals, and queer people; transgender, nonbinary and gender diverse people, Two-spirit people; single parents, members of ethnic minorities, newcomers and immigrants, people from non-academic backgrounds and disabled, chronically ill or neurodiverse people, people with Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) or AIDS-related illnesses, people with experiences of incarceration and/or records of offences except where it relates to bona-fide employment qualifications, people involved in or with experiences in sex work to apply. We encourage applicants to describe the contributions and experiences they would bring to the OPIRG organization in their cover letter.
We regret that the OPIRG Guelph office is not currently wheelchair accessible, however arrangements can be made such that office access is not necessary.
This job is for 5 weeks (July 7 – August 8) for a total of 100 hours at an average of 20 hours per week. The pay is $22.00 per hour.
Please note that this year these positions are not funded by Canada Summer Jobs. Anyone eligible to work in Canada may apply.
To apply, please submit the following three things in pdf format to organizational@opirgguelph.org.
- Cover Letter (approx. one page)
- Resume
If you have any questions about the position, qualifications, or the application process, please email Mandy at organizational@opirgguelph.org.