Employment & Volunteer Opportunities

Join the Alexandra Writers' Centre Team

Our team is made up of a dynamic team of staff arts professionals, contract instructors, and volunteers who bring their own special qualities and skills to our organization and are all a part of making the Alexandra Writers' Centre the place it is today. If you are interested in working with us, current job openings are listed below. We welcome inquiries year-round and are always happy to connect. We would love to hear from you!

Contract Opportunities

Paid, short-term roles including sessional instructors and program-specific facilitators.

Employment Opportunities

Staff and longer-term positions with the Alexandra Writers’ Centre.

Volunteer Opportunities

Support our programs, events, and community through meaningful volunteer roles.

Contract Opportunities

Contract roles at AWCS are paid, short-term positions connected to specific programs or teaching terms. These roles are ideal for experienced writers, educators, and facilitators who want to support writers through instruction, mentorship, and feedback.

We have two opportunities available:

Sessional Instructors

We are currently accepting course and workshop proposals for our Spring 2026 term.

PLEASE NOTE: In an effort to streamline operations, a new submission portal for proposals is coming soon.

AWCS Programming Cycle

Winter Term: January to March
Spring Term: April to June
Summer Term: July and August
Fall Term: September to December

Teaching Formats

Micro-workshops: 2–3 hours in length
Multi-week classes: 4–12 weeks, 2–3 hours per class (daytime or evening)
One-day workshops or weekend intensives: 4–5 hours per day

Delivery Details

Online classes: Instructors must be comfortable using Zoom. AWCS will provide access to the full paid version of the platform.
In-person classes: Most classes take place at the Alexandra Writers’ Centre in Calgary. We are also accepting proposals from instructors based in Edmonton and Lethbridge. If you have a venue in mind, please let us know. If not, we may be able to assist.

You are welcome to submit multiple proposals. If a course does not fit one term, it may be considered for a future term.

Areas of Ongoing Interest
We are always looking for strong proposals in the following areas:

Memoir with workshopping included (preferred weekly)
Creative nonfiction and personal essays (preferred weekly)
Novel, short story, or general fiction courses (preferred weekly)
Poetry (especially for April, Poetry Month)
Genre-specific courses, including science fiction, fantasy, psychological thriller, horror, romance, historical fiction, and dystopian or near-future
Submitting, including query letters and synopses
Craft-based workshops such as character development, setting and world building, point of view, voice, dialogue, and showing versus telling
Creative exploration and word generation

We are also always open to fresh and innovative ideas. If you have a course concept that falls outside these formats, please feel free to send it along. Sometimes the best ideas are the ones we didn’t know we were looking for.

What to Include in Your Proposal
To make the process as smooth as possible, ideal proposals include:

Class title
Class blurb or description (you may wish to review current offerings for examples)
Class length and format
Online or in-person delivery
Days and times available (please provide multiple options)
Instructor bio

New instructors: If you have not taught with AWCS before, please also include a CV outlining relevant teaching experience and two references.

How to Apply
Please send proposals and questions to:
Robin van Eck
[email protected]

We are always looking for new writing instructors. If you know someone who may be interested in teaching with AWCS, we would love to hear from them.

Chapter by Chapter Program Instructors

Contract Position | September 2026 to June 2027

The Alexandra Writers’ Centre is currently seeking applications from potential instructors to teach our 10-month manuscript class, Chapter by Chapter. This is an intensive, cohort-based program designed to support writers through the development and revision of a full manuscript.

A full description of the program can be found here: Chapter by Chapter – Alexandra Writers’ Centre

Position Details

Contract term: September 2026 to June 2027
Remuneration: $8,500
Maximum class size: 8 students

Students apply to participate in this program, and cohorts are curated by an independent committee. Instructors will have the opportunity to familiarize themselves with student projects prior to the first class.

Class Structure

Weekly classes from mid-September to late June
No classes during the last two weeks of December or the first week of January
Approximately 38 weeks total
2 hours per class, each week

Classes alternate between learning-focused sessions and workshop-focused sessions. One week centres on craft, discussion, support, and learning, while the following week focuses on workshopping student writing.

A general course outline is provided for instructors to follow. Delivery is at the discretion of the instructor. Workshop weeks may require additional time spent reviewing student materials. Up to four students are workshopped per week, with submission word counts determined by the instructor and class.

Eligible Projects
Student projects may include:

Novels or novellas in any genre
Short story collections
Memoir or autobiography
Creative nonfiction, including essay collections

This program is not suited to picture books, play development, screenwriting, poetry, or academic nonfiction.

The Ideal Candidate Will

Be comfortable working across a variety of genres
Have teaching or mentoring experience
Have published at least one full-length manuscript

How to Apply
If you are interested in being considered for this opportunity, please apply online:

APPLY NOW

Applications close: Friday, February 13, 2026
If you have any questions, please contact Robin van Eck at
[email protected]

Employment Opportunities

There are no employment opportunities available at this time. When positions become available, they will be posted here. If you are interested in working with AWCS in the future, we welcome you to check back or reach out with general inquiries.

Volunteer Opportunities

Our volunteers bring energy and enthusiasm to what they do. From the board of directors, casino volunteers, event support, committees and individual opportunities, we thrive to make your volunteer experience one you will tell all your friends about.

There are no immediate volunteer opportunities at this time. Please check back or contact us for more information.