Posted 18 days ago
Operations Co-op (Hospitality)
@ Optima Living
Surrey, British Columbia
Overview
Optima Living is hiring a Hospitality co-op intern in Surrey to help build and evaluate resident-centered dining programs. The role translates nutrition and wellness research into themed meals, tasting clubs and sensory-friendly dining, for a 4 or 8 month term at $20 per hour. Eligibility is limited to domestic students enrolled in a co-op or work-integrated learning program.
Pay:
$20 an hour
Responsibilities:
- Support development and rollout of Hospitality programs
- Plan and evaluate resident-centered dining initiatives
- Turn public health and nutrition research into activities
- Create accessible materials for diverse audiences
- Track participation, outcomes and improvement opportunities
Requirements summary:
- Experience in program planning and evaluation
- Ability to translate research into practical tools
- Clear written and verbal communication skills
- Strong organization and time management
- Ability to work independently
- Interest in healthy aging and food-based wellness
Source and dates
Employer career site / ATS feed · dayforce-feed
- Employer posting date
- 2026-10-27
- First seen by our source
- 2026-11-14
- Source record updated
- 2026-11-14
These dates describe the source record, not a live verification that the employer is still hiring. Check the original posting.
Job details
| Seniority | Entry level |
| Department | Business operations |
| Travel | air: none · ground: none |
| Work setting | Office, Client sites |
| Position | Mostly sitting |
| Physical demands | physical low · computer moderate |
| Languages | English |
Summary and details written by AI from the posting; the employer’s posting is the authority.
Optima Living
Saved company profile
Historical company information from a saved The Jobs API profile (LinkedIn/Crunchbase fields). It is not live-verified; figures may have changed. Missing values remain unknown.
Let Us Welcome You Home
Full company description
Optima Living—founded in 2007—owns and operates innovative seniors’ living communities throughout Alberta and BC, taking an unprecedented approach to senior life. Their unique company culture is one where both residents and team members are family. Optima Living’s North Star, Let us welcome you home, speaks to their underlying principles and the experience seniors discover in their communities. When residents are home, they feel safe, respected, and welcome. Home is where one’s voice is heard, their views matter, and they have freedom of choice. Optima Living’s mission, vision, and values—respect, dignity, teamwork, and doing the right thing—support and build upon their North Star. Optima Living operates over 3,700 beds providing congregate living options for seniors. These options range from subsidized to luxury, Independent to Assisted Living, Long-term Care to Memory Care, and Residential Mental Health. For more information, visit optimaliving.ca. Optima Living is also an approved service provider with both the interior Health Authority (IHA) and the Fraser Health Authority (FHA), is a licensed care provider under the BC Community Care and Assisted Living Act, and is registered as an approved Assisted Living (AL) Operator with the AL Registrar of BC.
- LinkedIn followers
- 13,524
- People associated on LinkedIn
- 403
- Reported office locations
- 900-688 W Hastings St, Vancouver, British Columbia V6B 1P1, CA
- 8382 156 St, Surrey, British Columbia V3S 3R7, CA
- 806-0235 101 St NW, Edmonton, Alberta T5J 3G1, CA
- Business categories
- Hospital
- Health Care
- Other recorded names
- Optima Living
- Specialties
- Seniors Indepedant Living
- Seniors Assisted Living
- and Seniors Mental Health
- Profile identifies a recruitment agency
- No
- Reported total investment
- 0
Currency and observation date were not supplied; this is not a current valuation or a funding round.
Optima Living—founded in 2007—owns and operates innovative seniors’ living communities throughout Alberta and BC, taking an unprecedented approach to senior life. Their unique company culture is one where both residents and team members are family. Optima Living’s North Star, Let us welcome you home, speaks to their underlying principles and the experience seniors discover in their communities. When residents are…
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Industry | Hospitals and Health Care |
| Company size | 1,001-5,000 employees |
| Headquarters | Vancouver, British Columbia |
| Organization type | Privately Held |
| Year founded | 2007 |
| Specialties | Seniors Indepedant LivingSeniors Assisted Livingand Seniors Mental Health |
| Open jobs on Jobsy | 579 |
| View page |
About Optima Living
Founded in 2007 by two friends inspired by their families’ dementia journeys, Optima Living was created to provide a more home-like experience in seniors housing and care. What began as a personal mission has grown into one of Western Canada’s leading senior living and continuing care providers.
Today, Optima Living offers Independent Living, Assisted Living, Supportive Living, Long-Term Care, Brain Health, and Memory Care across Alberta and British Columbia. Our innovative approach includes Spark, Your Wellness, Your Way; our proprietary brain health and care model. As the only Top 10 Canadian senior living and care provider focused exclusively on Western Canada, we proudly serve more than 6,000 residents.
Guided by our North Star, Let us welcome you home™, we are committed to People, Place, and Community. With a resident-first philosophy and a focus on innovation, we are redefining aging with purpose creating communities where seniors live with dignity, connection, and joy.
__________________________________________
Location: SurreyTerm: 4-month or 8 months (preferred)Compensation: $20/hour
Position Summary
Food shapes health, connection, and quality of life. You will support our Hospitality programs, a company-wide initiative focused on culturally responsive, evidence-informed dining experiences. This co-op brings your academic learning into a real operating environment where decisions affect daily resident life. You will help translate nutrition and wellness research into practical programs such as themed meals, tasting clubs, menu co-design sessions, and sensory-friendly dining environments. This role combines program planning, evaluation, and leadership exposure within a growing senior living organization.
You will work closely with the Regional Manager, Hospitality and the Senior Director, Resident Experience. As a co-op student, you will not be doing side work, you will contribute to real projects that impact employees, residents, and operations across the organization
These positions are funded through WIL Digital and Co-op Grants program. To qualify for a placement under the program's funding requirements, candidates must be Canadian citizens, permanent residents of Canada, or protected persons as defined under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act. International students are ineligible for this funding program, as per the program’s eligibility criteria.
Responsibilities
Program Builder
- Support development and rollout of the Hospitality programs.
- Assist in planning and evaluating resident-centered dining initiatives.
Research Translator
- Turn public health and nutrition research into practical, engaging activities.
- Create accessible materials for diverse audiences.
Collaboration Partner
- Work with hospitality, operations, and leadership teams.
- Support menu and program adjustments based on resident feedback.
Impact Evaluator
- Track participation, outcomes, and opportunities for improvement.
- Contribute to recommendations for long-term sustainability.
Qualifications and Experience
- Experience in program planning and evaluation.
- Ability to translate research into practical tools.
- Clear written and verbal communication skills.
- Strong organization and time management.
- Ability to work independently.
- Interest in healthy aging and food-based wellness.
Eligibility
- Enrolled in a Co-op or Work-Integrated Learning (WIL)
- Currently attending a post-secondary institution
- Open to domestic students (Canadian Citizen/Permanent Residents) only.
Why Join Optima Living
- Hands-on, real ownership of meaningful end-to-end projects
- Work on real projects that impact 40+ communities across BC and Alberta
- Gain exposure to how a multi-site organization operates behind the scenes
- Learn directly from experienced professionals across functions
- Build practical skills you can use in future roles
- Contribute to work that supports seniors, teams, and communities
- Opportunity to extend your term or return for future roles based on performance
Embark on this journey with us and pave the way for a rewarding career in senior living.
Your journey starts here.
Let us Welcome You Home
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