Job Description

Human Environment Specialist

Do you enjoy working with an engaged team towards a common goal? Do you regularly come up with creative solutions to problems? Do you want more opportunity to put those solutions to work? Are you excited to support and advance work at the interface between Indigenous and western perspectives? If you've answered yes to any of these questions, we might have the perfect role for you!

PGL is looking to hire a Human Environment Specialist who can help our team and our clients characterize impacts to communities and cultures. The person hired for this role will work mainly with our large (and growing!) list of Indigenous clients as they engage on major projects through Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) processes. Depending on your interests and client needs, you may also become involved in government-to-government negotiations, resource management planning, land use studies, socio-cultural studies, policy development, and community-based monitoring programs.

We are seeking an intermediate or senior professional with consulting experience who wants to grow their career within our PGL Village. Based in our Victoria, Vancouver or Langley Office, this role is part of our Environmental Planning Group (EPG): an established, experienced group of mostly long-tenured professionals serving our diverse client set in a wide range of sectors.

Over the last decade, PGL is proud to have been at the forefront of the expanding and evolving field of environmental and regulatory support for Indigenous clients. The successful candidate for Human Environment Specialist Role will support our work in this area.

We are seeking an individual with a strong background in the social sciences/humanities related to human-environment interactions. They have expertise of the regulatory and Indigenous context of development in Canada and experience applying it in an Environmental Impact Assessment and permitting context. They will be looking to apply and grow their knowledge in a variety of project types and enjoy the diversity offered by environmental consulting.

The ideal candidate has some blend of the following experience:

• working with Indigenous Nations doing socio-economic / environmental planning and traditional land use and indigenous knowledge studies;
• supporting regulatory consultation;
• supporting development and implementation of Impact Benefit Agreements (IBAs)
• facilitating meetings and community engagement;
• providing training and capacity building;
• holding interviews with community members and Elders in a culturally appropriate and ethical manner;
• analyzing qualitative data collected through multiple methodologies;
• collecting and working with Indigenous Knowledge and Indigenous land use information in an ethical manner;
• applying knowledge of Indigenous Rights in the context of land and resource development in Canada;
• integrating information from scientific disciplines; and/or
• supporting Indigenous governance and decision making.

We are looking for a self-starter. You will be expected to work both independently and within project groups, undertaking tasks from start to finish with full team support.

You are a resourceful problem solver and organized practitioner. In complex systems you can identify root causes and interlinkages. You use your own expertise to address what you can and connect with the right people and resources to address what you cannot.

Responsibilities:
You will be expected to:

• Work within a team to scope, budget, conduct and coordinate diverse projects with our clients
• Apply your technical skills and creativity to coordinate and execute environmental planning projects
• Prepare professional reports describing projects, outcomes, and recommendations, often for diverse audiences
• Carry out technical fieldwork, depending on area of expertise, including interviews and community meetings
• Conduct Environmental & Social Impact Assessments, background research, and report writing
• Manage Projects and communicate with clients and regulators
• Note that as a consultant, business development and client care are important components of the role.

Job Requirements:

• 2-10 years of experience working in professional capacity;
• Consulting skills: project management, client service, verbal and written communication, situational awareness, conflict management, and business development skills;
• Technical skills: social science, human geography or environmental discipline with focus on the human dimension; community engagement; facilitation

• Experience researching and interpreting Indigenous Rights within the context of the Canadian resource economy
• Experience in EIA process and methods in Canada;
• Knowledge of environmental and land use policies and regulations for development in Canada;
• Experience collecting and working with Indigenous Knowledge and Indigenous land use information, understanding the context of western scientific disciplines, and supporting Indigenous decision making.
• Experience conducting environmental, socioeconomic, or cultural studies following professional standards of practices;
• Excellent client service and networking skills an asset;
• Experience working with Indigenous groups as clients and/or project partners is essential;
• Other strengths:

• Inter-cultural sensitivity training (ideal, but will provide);
• Professional accreditation is desirable, if applicable to your field;
• Proficiency with computers and Microsoft Office suite products;
• Willingness to travel to our clients' communities to conduct work as needed;
• First aid certification (ideal, but will provide);
• A valid driver's license.

If you are looking to join a great team that values creativity, collaboration and employee engagement please apply online ( ).

About PGL Environmental Consultants
PGL is committed to advance our people and company by creating a sense of belonging for every employee and by being equitable, diverse, and inclusive. We recognize that our community will be strengthened by the inclusion of a wide range of views and perspectives, informed by different backgrounds and life experiences. We want every employee to feel they have equal opportunities for growth at PGL and strive to include, embrace, promote, and celebrate differences of race, religion, age, gender, sexual orientation, physical, and mental abilities.

We are a full-service environmental consulting firm with offices in BC and Ontario. Since 1991, PGL Environmental has provided environmental services such as environmental planning, contaminated site assessments, remediation, environmental impact assessment, environmental monitoring, sustainability assessments environmental permitting and agrology. PGL is an employee-owned company with 80+ employees including environmental scientists, geoscientists, biologists, social scientists, and engineers, plus a dynamic and customer-oriented support team.