Employment: Full-time
Salary: $50,000–$55,000 per year, based on experience
Location: Historic Downtown Abbotsford; primarily in person
Schedule: The regular work week will include some scheduled evening and weekend hours to lead planned events, with working hours adjusted accordingly.
The Opportunity
The Abbotsford Downtown Business Association is seeking an energetic, organized, and community-minded Events & Activations Coordinator to help make downtown Abbotsford active, welcoming, and engaging throughout the week.
This new role is focused on building a dependable calendar of recurring activities in Jubilee Park, West Railway Plaza, downtown businesses, and other public spaces. The Coordinator will develop ADBA programming while making it easier for artists, performers, facilitators, cultural groups, and community members to bring their own ideas downtown.
The position is well suited to an event professional who is ready to take ownership, build relationships, and grow alongside an ambitious downtown organization.
Key Responsibilities:
- Develop a regular schedule of recurring, recognizable activities that gives people more reasons to visit downtown throughout the week.
- Plan and deliver small-scale ADBA events and activations, such as art and wine walks, sip-and-shop events, block parties, performances, workshops, and seasonal activities.
- Help adapt and expand exhibitions, workshops, cultural programming, and other community-led activities from Open Space into public spaces and downtown businesses.
- Operate a concierge-style activation process by receiving ideas, assessing suitable locations, connecting organizers with businesses or public spaces, and coordinating practical details.
- Make participation easy for businesses by bringing forward suitable activities and minimizing the work required from business owners.
- Coordinate busking, small performances, curated markets, pop-ups, and other plaza or park programming.
- Identify and support artists, contractors, volunteers, and community members who can lead activities on behalf of the ADBA through paid contracts, honoraria, or volunteer positions, as appropriate and within approved budgets.
- Serve as the ADBA’s primary coordinator for collaborative and partner-led events.
- Coordinate permits, road closures, highway-use requirements, insurance, vendors, equipment, schedules, safety planning, and other event logistics.
- Provide clear permitting and logistical information to community organizers whose activities are supported, but not directly hosted, by the ADBA.
- Maintain event calendars, budgets, contact information, documentation, and post-event evaluations.
- Work closely with ADBA staff, downtown businesses, community organizations, artists, cultural groups, volunteers, and municipal partners.
The Ideal Candidate
We welcome candidates with a wide range of backgrounds, experiences, and educational paths. You do not need to meet every qualification listed below to apply. What matters most is that you share our enthusiasm for downtown Abbotsford, recognize its potential, and are ready to take initiative and follow through.
The successful candidate will be dependable and comfortable initiating conversations and building relationships with people they may not yet know. They will enjoy turning early-stage ideas into organized, achievable activities and be equally comfortable contributing creative ideas and working through the practical details of an event.
They will be:
- A self-starter who can move work forward independently while communicating clearly with the team.
- Highly organized, with strong attention to detail and consistent follow-through.
- Creative and practical, with an interest in testing and improving new ideas.
- Comfortable managing several activities, relationships, and deadlines at once.
- Collaborative and enthusiastic about contributing to a small team.
- Skilled at building positive relationships with businesses and community partners.
- Calm, adaptable, and resourceful when plans change or challenges arise.
- Open to feedback and eager to continue learning.
Qualifications
- Some hands-on experience coordinating events, community programs, arts or cultural activities, markets, festivals, hospitality, recreation, or related projects. Volunteer and post-secondary experience will be considered.
- Strong interpersonal, written, and verbal communication skills.
- Demonstrated ability to organize schedules, people, and logistical details.
- Comfort using standard digital tools for calendars, documents, spreadsheets, and project coordination.
- Availability for occasional evening and weekend work.
- Post-secondary education in event management, recreation, arts and culture, tourism, hospitality, or a related area is an asset, but not required.
- Ability to travel between downtown locations and, when needed, arrange the transportation of event materials. A valid driver’s license, access to a vehicle, and event-related certifications are assets.
What Success Looks Like
During the first year, the Events & Activations Coordinator will:
- Establish a dependable calendar of recurring activities that encourages people to visit downtown throughout the week.
- Create a clear and accessible process through which businesses and community members can propose and participate in downtown activities.
- Build a growing network of businesses, artists, performers, facilitators, cultural groups, volunteers, and community partners.
- Deliver well-organized activities that are safe, welcoming, and responsive to participant and partner feedback.
- Help create a downtown where activity is regular rather than occasional, businesses can participate without taking on significant additional work, and community members know that the ADBA can help turn a promising idea into a successful downtown experience.
To Apply
Please email your résumé and a brief cover letter of no more than one page to [email protected] by September 25th. Use the subject line “Events & Activations Coordinator – [Your Name].”
In your cover letter, please tell us:
- Why this role and working in downtown Abbotsford appeal to you.
- What skills, experiences, or perspectives would make you a strong fit.
- About an event or group activity you helped organize, including your role, what you contributed, and what you learned.
Examples from employment, volunteer work, community involvement, or post-secondary studies are all welcome.
Please include both a résumé and cover letter with your application. Candidates will be interviewed on a rolling basis until the role is filled. Thanks for your interest!
