Ontario Northern Boreal Freshwater Field and Research Associate

Position Title: ONB Freshwater Field and Research Associate

Position Type: Full-time

Term: 1-year contract with potential for extension

Level: 6

Program: Ontario Northern Boreal (ONB)

Location: Thunder Bay, ON (Hybrid)

Date written/revised: October 3, 2024

Reports to: Dr. Constance O’Connor, Director of Ontario Northern Boreal Program

Supervises: Field Assistants, Students, Interns, Volunteers, and other Field staff, as required.

Salary: $60,000 to $65,000 annually based on experience

Start Date: January 13, 2025

Position Contact: Dr. Constance O’Connor, Director of Ontario Northern Boreal Program

Benefits: 4 weeks’ vacation, Paid sick and Personal emergency leave, Self-care days, Health and Dental care, Life insurance, RRSP match, DEIJA Team, Weekly Wellness sessions, Mentorship program.

Application Closing Date: November 19, 2024 EDT

Position Summary

This is a full-time, 1-year contract with potential for extension, for a Freshwater Field and Research Associate to assist with WCS Canada’s Ontario Northern Boreal (ONB) conservation programs. The ONB landscape program is focused geographically on the far north region in Ontario. ONB program activities include applied and field-based research on terrestrial and aquatic socio-ecological systems, often co-created with Indigenous communities; engaging with decision-makers to make scientific information more available for land-use planning, management, and best practices to improve outcomes for nature and people; and empowering and supporting the next generation of conservation professionals.

The Freshwater Field and Research Associate will support current and future freshwater programs. The current freshwater program is in collaboration with Moose Cree First Nation (MCFN), which uses acoustic telemetry and physiological measurements to understand the impacts of hydroelectric activities on lake sturgeon ecology, in addition to running a youth program (www.learningfromlakesturgeon.ca). During the duration of this role, future programs may be developed with other First Nations. Within the freshwater program, the Freshwater Field and Research Associate will primarily work closely and support research led by Dr. Haley MacLeod, a Postdoctoral Fellow with WCS Canada and Trent University

Responsibilities will include coordinating schedules, resources, equipment, and information between partners for freshwater activities, primarily fieldwork in partnership with Indigenous communities, but may also involve youth programming, workshops and meetings, and other freshwater activities as they arise. The Freshwater Field and Research Associate will also be expected to assist or lead on-the-ground fieldwork with Indigenous partners, and to contribute to data analyses and manuscript writing, and may have opportunities to assist with other on-the-ground activities such as youth program activities or workshops. Meals and accommodations will be provided while in the field and during work-related travel with all programs.

Additional responsibilities may as also include contributing to WCS Canada fundraising (e.g., commenting on grant applications) and communication efforts (e.g., writing blog posts, contributing photos, etc.) as opportunities arise. Opportunities to support other field programs within the ONB conservation program may also arise.

Position Objectives

The primary objective of the Freshwater Field and Research Associate is to support equitable, co-created conservation programs between WCS Canada and First Nations in the ONB landscape by:    

• Assisting with freshwater research logistics, which may include but is not limited to coordinating schedules, travel, permits, and waivers as appropriate for fieldwork, coordinating and maintaining equipment, and may also include associated activities such as youth programming, workshops, and meetings.    


• Leading and assisting with on-the-ground freshwater fieldwork in partnership with First Nations, including but not limited to leading on-the-ground aquatic research activities such as maintaining an existing underwater acoustic telemetry array, capturing and taking samples from fish, benthic invertebrate sampling, taking water samples, and including ensuring data and samples are handled appropriately.   


• Assisting in data analyses and manuscript writing.


• Opportunities may also arise for assisting with on-the-ground youth program activities, including but not limited to assisting with youth scientific learning during fieldwork, supervising youth in the field, and assisting with chaperoning and mentoring during youth programming events.


• Opportunities to support other ONB field programs may also arise.

Principal Responsibilities

• Support WCS Canada’s goal of transforming WCS Canada’s conservation practice through reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples.


• Contribute to creating a diverse, equitable and inclusive workplace that promotes engagement and belonging.


• Develop positive working relationships with program collaborators and partners.


• Engage respectfully and appropriately with Indigenous peoples and local communities to advance shared priorities for conservation.


• Lead or assist field crews and lead or assist with on-the-ground aquatic fieldwork with a diverse team, including Indigenous research partners, at remote field sites to successfully complete tasks related to fisheries and aquatic research.


• Supervise fieldwork and multiple field assistants.


• Coordinate travel, accommodation, and other logistics related to freshwater activities such as fieldwork, youth programming activities, workshops, and meetings.


• Manage field expenses and expense reporting.


• Purchase, organize, and maintain equipment.


• Transfer field-collected data to an R database.


• Contribute to study design, data analysis, and writing through discussions, by providing comments on manuscripts, etc.


• Contribute to outreach and communication efforts by taking photos, writing blog posts, etc.


• Opportunities to assist with youth programming events including, but not limited to, Indigenous youth participation in fieldwork and on-the-land learning events alongside Indigenous community members and Elders may also arise.
  

Required Qualifications/Skills/Experience

• MSc in a related field of study.


• Minimum of 2 years of experience working in an environmental role, or equivalent.


• Ability to work both independently and within a team on multiple projects concurrently.


• Experience with project management and coordinating schedules, resources, equipment, and information between multiple partners and activities.


• Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail.


• Strong problem-solving skills, detail oriented, and resourceful.


• A passion for the conservation of nature and wildlife.


• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills and ability to work positively with diverse teams in remote environments, including with Knowledge Holders, Elders, and youth.


• Experience conducting field-based aquatic research.


• Ability to perform physically demanding work, including hiking with a heavy pack over varied terrain, getting in and out of boats and transferring equipment onto and off boats on riverbanks with varying terrain, paddling canoes for multiple hours, pulling up submerged anchors, and similar activities.


• Ability to travel to remote areas of northern Ontario for field- and community-based work.


• Familiarity with camping.


• Proficient with Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Word, and the statistical program R.


• Interest in physically and mentally challenging work.


• Ability to obtain a Police Records Vulnerable Sector Check (costs to be covered by employer).
  

Other Desirable Qualifications/Skills/Experience

• Experience operating, towing, and launching medium-sized boats (~50hp).


• Experience working in around water, particularly in large and medium-sized rivers and around hydropower facilities.


• Relevant training, including wilderness first aid, bear safety training, and swift water rescue training are considered assets.


• Experience supervising field staff.


• Experience working and camping in remote areas.


• Experience working on and around water.


• Experience working in partnership with Indigenous communities on environmental and science and stewardship initiatives.


• Experience working with youth during youth-focused education, programming, camps, or other events.


• Experience with statistics, experimental design, and communication of science to various audiences.
  

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 all WCS Canada employees be 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.

How to apply

Please submit your CV and a cover letter explaining your interest in this position and relevant skills and experience.

For questions regarding the position, please contact Dr. Constance O’Connor at coconnor@wcs.org.

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

Application Closing date: November 19, 2024 EDT

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.

WCS Canada is committed to contributing to the field of conservation science and the professional development of its employees. Employees are encouraged to participate in professional societies and present their research at conferences and meetings, as well as participate in relevant workshops and training opportunities. Employees are likewise encouraged to mentor graduate students, participate in relevant graduate student committees, and pursue adjunct status with universities as appropriate.