We are hiring - summer student positions

Job Posting: the NSMA Environment Department is hiring 2 Environmental Technician positions for summer 2024.

Summary:

·         Job Type: 16 week (4-month) casual contract, full-time in-person (37.5/ hours week).

·         Number of Openings: 2

·         Dates: Start April 22, 2024 and end August 31, 2024. Dates are flexible plus or minus a couple of weeks and there may be some potential for extension (subject to funding and available work).

·         Rate of Pay: $27 to $32 / hour contingent on number of years of relevant post-secondary education completed and relevant experience. Rates subject to annual adjustment based on consumer price index.

·         Hours of Work: Regular office hours are Monday to Friday at 7.5 hours / day (includes 30 minutes of paid break and 1-hour unpaid break) typically starting at 8:30 am. Fieldwork is typically more variable due to dependence on weather. May be required to work occasional evenings or weekends.

·         Work Location: NSMA’s offices are located at 32 Melville Drive in Yellowknife, NWT. Work will take place at NSMA office locations and various field sites within the North Slave Region.

Eligibility Criteria:

·         Please note, this application is funded by Canada Summer Jobs and the following conditions apply according to https://www.canada.ca/en/employment-social-development/services/funding/canada-summer-jobs/agreement.html:

·         The applicant must be between 15 and 30 years of age (inclusive) at the start of employment;

·         a Canadian Citizen, permanent resident, or person on whom refugee protection has been conferred under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act*; and

·         is legally entitled to work according to the relevant provincial / territorial legislation and regulations.

·         *International students are not eligible. Recent immigrants are eligible if they are Canadian Citizens or permanent residents.

Priority Hiring:

·         Membership with the NSMA is not a requirement, but qualified members will be given priority over non-members.

·         Applicants with a demonstrated connection to Yellowknife and/or the Northwest Territories through current or prior residency, employment, or other connection such as a history of visiting the NWT (e.g., to maintain relationships with family or exercise Aboriginal rights) will be prioritized.

Job Description: Environmental Technician

The North Slave Métis Alliance (NSMA) is a non-profit society and Indigenous Government Organization headquartered in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories. NSMA was founded in 1996 and represents s. 35 Aboriginal rights-bearing Indigenous Métis people of the Great Slave region of the Northwest Territories. NSMA’s mandate is 1) the assertion, protection, and implementation of the Aboriginal rights of Métis people, and 2) the exercise of Métis responsibility to protect the environment and to promote and enhance Métis education, economic, social, political, and cultural development. The Environment Department is a unit within NSMA that is responsible for a variety of activities relating to consultation and co-management of natural resources, conducting environmental monitoring and research programs, and assisting community cultural activities. Our work includes providing services and opportunities for Indigenous NSMA members. You can learn more about the NSMA and the Environment Department on our website: https://www.nsma.net/environment-dept

The Environmental Technician works with various Environment Department staff including the Manager, Wildlife Biologist, Lead Regulatory Officer, and Conservation Planner on a variety of projects. Most duties will relate to consultation and co-management of natural resources, environmental monitoring and research, and community cultural activities. Paid training will be provided (including job shadow style training and formal courses).

Primary Responsibilities:

·         Assist consultation and co-management of natural resources. This may include attending meetings and workshops with staff and members, in addition to the analysis of documentation such as interviews, maps, and other regulatory documents.

·         Assist environmental fieldwork for a variety of programs including NSMA’s community-based species at risk monitoring program, a variety of community-based water monitoring programs, and various other summer environmental programs with governments, universities, and private industry. Tasks may include water sampling, eDNA sampling, deploying wildlife cameras and audio recorders, collecting and organizing field notes, preparing and caring for field equipment, operating vehicles (e.g., driving pickup trucks and small boats), tabulating/processing field data, and working with community members participating in fieldwork.

·         Assist cultural activities and other events. This includes participation in the event set-up and take down for NSMA’s annual National Indigenous Peoples Day Fish Fry celebrations. NSMA also runs a variety of other community events over the summer such as engagement sessions, barbeques, and on-the-land activities with members in wilderness locations and at NSMA’s community camp.

·         Take part in training and professional development activities (e.g., taking safety and fieldwork related courses, and on-the-job training events with NSMA).

·         Contribute to workplace occupational health and safety.

·         Other duties as required by NSMA.

Required Qualifications (mandatory):

·         Age and citizenship. Must be between 15 and 30 years of age, a Canadian Citizen, permanent resident, or person on whom refugee protection has been conferred under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act; and legally entitled to work according to the relevant provincial / territorial legislation and regulations.

·         Education. Student or recent graduate of an environmental-related post-secondary program, such as Biology, Environmental Sciences, Environmental Studies, Environmental Engineering, Geography etc. Other academic programs will be considered as long as clear links to the job duties can be demonstrated. Should have some base understanding of the scientific method, environmental issues, ecosystems, interpreting scientific literature.

·         Vehicle operation. Must be able to drive a motor vehicle for a commercial purpose. Requires a “full” driver’s license (class 5 driver’s licence in NWT or an equivalent class of license from another jurisdiction) and no license conditions that would restrict your ability to operate a motor vehicle.

·         Fitness. Must be physically and medically able to conduct environmental fieldwork. This includes the ability to work while exposed to environmental factors (e.g., pollen, water, heat, insects, rain, smoke) and the ability to lift and carry objects of an intermediate weight (e.g., items that would be used in the course of performing environmental fieldwork in a remote location such as hiking with a backpack containing field gear). Must be able to work and travel in remote off-grid locations with potential occasional overnight stays. Must be able to travel in light aircraft, boats, and all-terrain vehicles.

·         Outdoor experience. Must have some level of experience and comfort with the outdoors gained from a professional setting (e.g., you have prior environmental fieldwork experience) or gained from personal life experiences (e.g., you have done outdoor activities such as hiking, boating, camping, hunting or any other relevant on-the-land activities which would give you skills in working outdoors).

·         Communication. Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English (including the ability to review and understand instructions, protocols, technical documents, scientific reports). Must be able to summarize information and communicate to colleagues or community members verbally and in writing (e.g., writing briefing notes or emails).

·         Computers. Proficiency in the use of computers, including MS Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) or related office software.

Desirable Qualifications (optional):

·         Any prior experience in environment, scientific or other kinds of research, Indigenous governance, managing budgets and finances.

·         Experience relating to scientific field studies, including study design, logistics and planning, data collection, scientific data analysis. Includes any experience using specialized equipment (e.g., water sampling sondes, game cameras, audio recorders) and any experience using software for data management and analysis (like WildTrax or R). Any experience with mapping software is also an asset (ArcGIS, QGIS, Google Earth etc.).

·         Operation/maintenance of scientific devices, operation/maintenance of field vehicles and small engines (mainly boats, trucks, trailers, ATVs, etc.) and working with camps or in remote areas.

·         Any safety or fieldwork related certifications such as a firearms license, predator defence training, standard and wilderness first aid etc.