Position Title : Key Biodiversity Areas Indigenous Outreach Associate

Program : WCS Canada’s Key Biodiversity Areas Program

Position Type : Full-time, 12 months

Salary : $50,000 – $55,000 annually, plus benefits

Position Location : This position is remote. If the candidate is located near any of WCS Canada’s main offices, there may be opportunities for them to work in office.

Start Date : August 15, 2023

Reports to : Dr. Peter Soroye, Key Biodiversity Areas Canada Assessment and Outreach Coordinator

Supervises : Not applicable

Deadline for application : July 7, 2023

Position Summary

Wildlife Conservation Society Canada (WCS Canada) is a national, non-profit charitable organization established in 2004. Our mission is to save wildlife and wild places through science, conservation action, and inspiring people to value nature.

WCS Canada’s Key Biodiversity Areas (KBA) program is seeking an Indigenous Outreach Associate to join a dynamic team on a national effort to identify places in Canada that contribute the most to the persistence of biodiversity. KBA sites are identified using a global quantitative and scientific standard that requires extensive research into species distributions, population sizes and biology. The KBA program is overseen by a coalition of partners including NGOs, academic scientists, governments and Indigenous communities. WCS Canada and the KBA initiative are committed to supporting Indigenous values and stewardship efforts, to respecting Indigenous knowledge, and to enabling informed participation of Indigenous Peoples throughout the KBA identification initiative.

The KBA Indigenous Outreach Associate will work with the KBA Assessment and Outreach Coordinator to research, identify, and reach out to First Nation, Métis and Inuit communities around KBAs being identified in Canada, to let them know of this work and invite questions, participation and collaboration as part of the KBA process. After becoming familiar with the history, technical details and strategies/processes of the KBA Canada initiative, the Indigenous Outreach Associate will support the organization of Indigenous advisory groups and (virtual) workshops within regions, provinces and territories, and will seek and develop advice and guidance on how the KBA initiative or process could be useful to Indigenous communities and organizations. Where there is interest, outreach may include the facilitation of learning about, and review or development of, individual KBAs with Indigenous experts and organizations, and discussion around how specific KBAs are relevant to communities in terms of the range of values found there.

Position Funding

This position is supported by Science Horizons Youth Internship Program . Eligible candidates:

•  must be between 15 and 30 years old at the start of the internship;
•  must be legally entitled to work in Canada; must be a Canadian citizen, permanent resident or have been granted refugee status;
•  must not be in receipt of Employment Insurance during their internship;
•  cannot be currently enrolled in school; and
•  must be a graduate of degree or diploma programs from universities, colleges, post-secondary schools of technology, post-secondary institutes and CEGEP (collège d’enseignement général et professionnel, Québec).

Position Objectives

This position will support the WCS Canada KBA Program through the following primary objectives:

•  Support the engagement of First Nation, Métis, and Inuit groups and communities in the KBA process.
•  Develop advice and guidance about how to ensure the greatest relevance of KBA information and the KBA initiative to Indigenous communities, based on discussions with communities and organizations.
•  Gain experience and develop skills that will support the development of a long-term career in conservation.

Principle Responsibilities

Support Indigenous engagement and involvement in WCS Canada’s KBA program through the following activities:

•  Become familiar with KBA methodology and KBA Canada processes
•  Identify and contact appropriate representatives of Indigenous communities and groups around candidate KBA sites, and organize meetings to discuss engagement and collaboration
•  Liaise with KBA Secretariat members and regional coordinators around Indigenous outreach at sites
•  Organize and keep track of outreach and communications with Indigenous communities and groups around KBAs, as well as information and outreach needs
•  Liaise with Indigenous communities and groups around engagement and collaboration with KBA Canada program
  •  Ensure Nations are aware of KBA program and potential sites in their territories
  •  Facilitate sharing of data and information from KBA program to communities
  •  Facilitate co-development of KBA proposals and/or participation in review of KBA materials with Nations
  •  Ensure input into site delineations, KBA information, place and species names and more
  •  Facilitate discussions on how KBA information may be relevant in supporting community goals and decisions, and informing lands management or conservation decision-making
  •  Begin discussions around long-term community-led monitoring/surveying and stewardship of KBAs
•  Planning and logistics for meetings and workshops (including those in virtual settings)
•  Provide input on how to improve Indigenous participation and involvement in the KBA process

Qualifications

•  Experience working with Indigenous communities and groups in Canada, especially in an environmental conservation context
•  Previous work experience/relevant experience (education) focused on environmental conservation, biodiversity conservation or other related fields
•  Strong interpersonal, verbal, and written communication skills
•  Excellent organizational and project management skill
•  Passion for the conservation of nature and wildlife

How to apply: Please submit your CV with cover letter explaining your interest in this position and relevant skills and experience.

For questions regarding the position, please contact Dr. Peter Soroye at psoroye@wcs.org .

For questions regarding the application process, please contact Okechukwu Ezibe at oezibe@wcs.org

Deadline for applications: July 7, 2023

WCS Canada is committed to creating an accessible and inclusive organization. We are committed to providing barrier-free and accessible employment practices. Applicants with a disability or any special needs may make a request for accommodation at any stage of the recruitment process, and we will work with you to meet your needs. Such requests should be communicated to Okechukwu Ezibe ( oezibe@wcs.org ) or by phone 437-770-2776.

Office Safety Plan Compliance: WCS Canada is committed to providing and maintaining a safe environment for our employees, contractors, and partners. As part of this unwavering commitment to safety, it is a condition of employment that Office-based WCS Canada employees be compliant with the respective Office Safety Plan, which includes being fully vaccinated against COVID-19 with a COVID-19 vaccine series approved by Health Canada or the World Health Organization. This condition is subject to the requirements of applicable human rights legislation.

About WCS Canada

WCS Canada (www.wcscanada.org) was established as a Canadian conservation organization in July 2004. We are committed to championing accessibility, diversity, and equal opportunity. Our mission is to save wildlife and wild places by improving our understanding of and seeking solutions to critical problems that threaten key species and large wild ecosystems throughout Canada. We implement and support comprehensive field studies that gather information on wildlife needs and then seek to resolve key conservation problems by working with a broad array of actors. WCS Canada has a track record of our science being recognized as relevant, credible and legitimate by researchers, NGOs and agencies. WCS Canada is independently registered and managed, while retaining a strong collaborative working relationship with sister Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) programs in more than 60 countries.

Diversity and inclusion are core WCS Canada values. We value the diversity of the people we employ and work with and we strive to provide an inclusive and equitable workplace in which we recognize the unique characteristics, skills and experiences of all employees. We are committed to engaging our employees in our diversity, equity and inclusion work and together we aim to create a workplace where all staff feel they belong and can grow.

WCS Canada’s programs occur on the homelands of Indigenous Peoples whose relationships various governments are described in historic (numbered) Treaties, modern land claim agreements, and negotiations around unceded lands. We recognize and support the international ecological and social commitments and responsibilities to Indigenous Peoples that Canada has signed, including the Convention on Biological Diversity, Convention on the Trade in Endangered Species, the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, and the recommendations of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. Our commitment to engagement with Indigenous Peoples ranges from notification of research to the provision of scientific advice, to co-creation of research. We respect Indigenous knowledge systems and include this knowledge in our research and conservation programs where possible. We engage in land use planning and impact assessment processes that affect Indigenous Peoples, seeking ways to advance conservation as well as opportunities to sustain the livelihoods and cultures of Indigenous communities. We seek to motivate positive conservation outcomes by supporting effective governance and decision-making processes by Indigenous communities, particularly by supporting Indigenous and Community Conserved Areas.