Job Title: Conservation Coordinator
Where: Anywhere in the East Kootenay region, based from your home office
FTE or Hours: 0.6 FTE (22.5 hours/week)
Starting: January 6, 2025
Description:
Wildsight is seeking a Conservation Coordinator to join our team. The ideal candidate is passionate about wildlife, an avid outdoor recreationist, familiar with the Columbia Valley and Kootenay Region and has experience with community engagement, advocacy, public communications or event coordination. There is an increasing body of science that provides guidance on how to reduce impacts to wildlife; this role plays a pivotal role in translating this science to other audiences to inspire actions that support healthy wildlife populations by reducing impacts.
As a small team, our roles are strongly shaped by the skills and experience a successful candidate brings to the work. This role is dynamic and responds to opportunities to advance wildlife conservation through community engagement, policy development, education and awareness, and partnership opportunities. It also participates in ongoing fundraising efforts to support our program.The priority focus areas for this position are:
- Building strong community support for new policies and regulations to reduce impacts from recreation (commercial and individual) on wildlife through community and stakeholder engagement, partnerships, public events,
- Develop opportunities to provide education and awareness about how to effectively reduce impacts to wildlife caused by recreation activities, including but not limited to tourism agencies, stakeholders, tourism operators and professionals.
- Coordinating and hosting public events
- First Nations engagement/relationship building and supporting Indigenous-led conservation
- Commercial recreation tenure reviews
- Advancing wildlife conservation through effective policy and regulation
Significant growth has occurred over the last several decades in the variety, amount and intensity of recreation activities in our region. This has led to increased impacts to wildlife connectivity and populations. Wildsight provides information and advocacy designed to inform and educate community members about the impacts of tourism and recreation activities while raising awareness about species-specific needs. Our main focus is to bring awareness to the growing impacts of recreation to land use planning decisions in BC and regionally and to advocate for the protection of biodiversity and wildlife connectivity related to recreation issues. This could include public outreach, working directly with tourism and trail agencies, indigenous and local community leaders and members and advocacy for policy reform.
Key skills or experience:
- Experience in community engagement, running an advocacy campaign or organizing events is an asset
- Passionate and knowledgeable about local wildlife populations and outdoor recreation
You are a strong communicator, both verbal and written, and have experience engaging with the public, all forms of media and government through direct, written and multimedia channels - You have strong critical thinking and analytical skills, with a proven ability to interpret scientific data and reports
- You are able to work independently and as part of a team, including being able to work remotely.
Remuneration and Working Conditions:
This is a 0.6 FTE position with a salary range of $32,605-$37,669, depending on experience. This position is a 12 month contract, with the possibility for extension, reporting to the Conservation Director. We offer a Private Health Services Plan and a generous vacation allowance of 5 weeks annually, and support professional development and training opportunities. Preference will be given to candidates based in or willing to relocate to the East Kootenay region. Office space can be provided in our Kimberley, BC office. Wildsight is committed to diversity, equity and inclusion in our hiring processes and work environment and we encourage women, people of colour, people of indigenous ancestry and LGBTQ2S+ individuals to apply for this position.
About us:
Wildsight is a registered charity with a mission to protect biodiversity and encourage sustainable communities in the Kootenay-Columbia region of BC. Our vision is to inspire a shared community desire to protect the natural world for future generations. We envision extensive and connected wild spaces for wildlife—from grizzly bears to woodpeckers to trout. We envision clean and clear water running from mountain watersheds through our lakes and rivers. We see thriving and sustainable communities made up of engaged and educated citizens. With more than 35 years of experience, we are recognized as a leader in large-scale conservation, sustainable community initiatives and environmental education. We work closely with our network of 6 local Wildsight branches.
To Apply:
Please submit a resume and cover letter in one PDF to admin@wildsight.ca and tell us why you are the best candidate for this position. Applications will be reviewed upon receipt. Interviews will take place the week of December 2. We thank all applicants for their interest, however, we will only contact those selected for an interview.