Education Program Coordinator

Role

Education Program Coordinator

Report

Director of Education

Location

Ottawa, ON

Work Arrangement

In-office, with regular offsite visits/events

Position Type

Full-time

Department

Canadian Geographic Education

About Canadian Geographic Education

Canadian Geographic Education (Can Geo Ed) is the educational branch of The Royal Canadian Geographical Society. Can Geo Education is one of the largest non-profit educational organizations in Canada, with a goal of fostering geographic engagement among Canadians.

The Can Geo Education team develops programs and resources that help teachers and students explore Canada and the world through geography, mapping, environmental learning, outdoor education, and place-based inquiry. Through Giant Floor Maps, lesson plans, infographics, interactive learning resources, teacher supports, events, and outreach programming, Canadian Geographic Education brings engaging, curriculum-connected learning experiences to classrooms and communities across the country.

Job Description

Canadian Geographic Education is seeking a highly organized, service-oriented, and education-focused Education Program Coordinator to support essential education programming, including the Giant Floor Map Program, learning resource development, events, outreach, and in-person educational activities.

This is a full-time role with the majority of responsibilities carried out in-office, with regular offsite events and occasional travel to other provinces. The successful candidate will also be required to maintain a reasonably flexible schedule that may occasionally include evenings or weekends. The role reports directly to the Director of Education.

The Education Coordinator will provide operational, administrative, and program support across Canadian Geographic Education’s core initiatives. A major responsibility of the role will be administering the Giant Floor Map Program, including managing the circulation calendar, coordinating shipments, liaising with schools and educators, tracking inventory, and ensuring a smooth experience for map users across Canada.

In addition to map administration, the Education Coordinator will support a diverse roster of education events and initiatives, outreach activities, and in-person programming at Canadian Geographic headquarters in Ottawa and at local schools and public events.

The successful candidate will be comfortable working with educators, students, partners, vendors, internal team members, and the general public. They will have strong logistics and planning skills, excellent communication and customer service abilities, and the confidence to lead map-based educational activities for groups of students, teachers, and visitors. Comfort speaking to groups and facilitating activities is essential.

The Coordinator will be a consistent presence at Can Geo Ed’s headquarters at 50 Sussex Avenue, in the broader Ottawa community, and on Can Geo Ed’s social channels.

In carrying out these responsibilities, the Coordinator will contribute to Can Geo Ed’s commitments to geographical education and lifelong learning, environmental awareness and stewardship, cultural diversity and inclusion, and Truth and Reconciliation.

This is an ideal role for someone with experience in education, program coordination, public speaking, event support, logistics, or outreach who is passionate about geography, maps, and hands-on learning.

Salary Range: $55,000–$65,000

Duties and Responsibilities

Events, Outreach, and In-Person Programming

• Run regular map-based educational events at local schools, Canadian Geographic headquarters, and local events and festivals.
• Lead in-person group activities using Canadian Geographic’s Giant Floor Maps.
• Support educational programming for students, teachers, families, visitors, and community audiences.
• Deliver engaging, age-appropriate, and accessible learning experiences in an educational setting.
• Assist with setup, facilitation, and takedown of Giant Floor Maps and related materials at events.
• Support special events and programs hosted at Canadian Geographic headquarters in Ottawa.
• Represent Canadian Geographic Education professionally during school visits, public events, festivals, and outreach activities.
• Adapt activities and facilitation approaches for different age groups, group sizes, and learning contexts.

Giant Floor Map Program Administration

• Manage the Giant Floor Map circulation calendar for approximately 100 maps circulating from September to June.
• Coordinate three-week map loan periods for schools, teachers, and other event locations across Canada.
• Organize map shipments and returns through courier vendors.
• Liaise with teachers, school staff, event organizers, and courier contacts to ensure successful pickup and drop-off.
• Track map package inventory, including maps, storage materials, and supporting educational resources.
• Monitor the status of map shipments, returns, delays, missing materials, and damaged items.
• Maintain accurate records related to bookings, inventory, courier tracking, map condition, and supporting materials.
• Support non-calendar map deliveries for single events, conferences, partner activities, and special programs around the country.
• Help identify process improvements to support efficient map circulation and positive user experiences.

Customer Service and Program Liaison Support

• Serve as a primary liaison between Giant Floor Map users and the Canadian Geographic Education team.
• Provide timely and professional customer service responses to teachers, schools, partners, and community organizations.
• Forward curriculum, educational, technical, or program-specific inquiries to the appropriate Canadian Geographic Education team members.
• Communicate clearly with educators and partners about map bookings, shipping timelines, program requirements, and supporting materials.
• Support positive relationships with teachers, school staff, event organizers, and courier vendors.

Seasonal Inventory Responsibilities

For a two-week period between June and September, the Education Coordinator will be required to be present in the Ottawa office to lead or support the annual Giant Floor Map inventory review.

Responsibilities include:

• Reviewing the condition of all maps and map packages.
• Cleaning maps and related materials as needed.
• Checking for damage, missing items, or required repairs.
• Replenishing supporting educational resources and printed materials.
• Preparing map packages for the next year of circulation.
• Updating inventory records and reporting any concerns to the Canadian Geographic Education team.

Qualifications

• Postsecondary degree or diploma in geography, land-based studies, education, or a related field.
• Primary experience: public speaking and engagement in an educational, community, interpretive, or outreach setting.
• Secondary experience: logistics, inventory management, or service coordination.
• Strong verbal communication skills and comfort with public speaking.
• Strong customer service skills and the ability to communicate professionally with teachers, school staff, partners, vendors, students, visitors, and internal team members.
• Ability to lead in-person group educational activities with students, teachers, families, or public audiences.
• Ability to manage schedules, bookings, shipments, records, and competing priorities with accuracy and attention to detail.
• Experience coordinating with vendors, couriers, suppliers, schools, or external partners.
• Ability to troubleshoot logistical issues and communicate solutions clearly and promptly.
• Comfort using digital tools such as spreadsheets, calendars, email, shared documents, and project tracking systems.
• Ability to work independently while keeping team members informed.
• Ability to work hands-on with map packages, event materials, shipping supplies, and educational resources.
• Availability to work full-time in person at the Can Geo Education offices and offsite locations as needed.
• Bilingualism in English and French.

How to Apply

Please submit a resume and brief cover letter to info@cangeoeducation.ca outlining your experience in education, program coordination, logistics, events, outreach, customer service, inventory management, or related work.

Applicants are encouraged to describe any experience leading educational activities, speaking to groups, working with students or teachers, coordinating shipments or physical resources, supporting classroom programs, or assisting with learning resource development.