Job Description

Competition # : 39024

Department: Environment and Climate Change

Location: HALIFAX

Type of Employment: Term

Union Status: NSGEU - NSPG

Closing Date: 5/17/2023 (Applications are accepted until 11:59 PM Atlantic Time)

About Us

Nova Scotia Environment and Climate Change\xe2\x80\x99s role is to protect the environment, human health and animal health through regulatory excellence, conservation, partnerships, and promotion. To achieve this, we strive to develop legislation, regulations and policies, process notifications, applications, and approvals for regulated activities based on sound scientific knowledge and expertise.

Our goal is to educate, inspect and enforce to ensure compliance with legislation and regulations. We also proactively respond to environmental, conservation, animal, and human health risks and work to develop programs and deliver services to enhance protection in these areas.

About Our Opportunity

Reporting to the Manager, Protected Areas & Ecosystems, you will be responsible for overseeing key elements of a three-year, multi-million-dollar, partner-based conservation project. This a collaborative project supported by Environment & Climate Change Canada (ECCC) through the Federal Nature Smart Climate Solutions Fund. The primary purpose of this funding stream is carbon accumulation and averting carbon emissions, with biodiversity conservation as a co-benefit.

Primary Accountabilities

As Project Coordinator, you will be responsible for coordinating efforts to purchase and designate old-growth forests for protection, as well as prioritise areas for treatment against Hemlock Woolly Adelgid (HWA). This will include tracking movement of the pest and prioritising areas to be treated. You will work with others to coordinate the efforts of staff and contractors who are directly undertaking chemical treatment of high priority hemlock stands against HWA. You will be working closely with partners to also oversee private land securement and HWA treatment under carbon agreements and working forest easements. Part of the role will also be to ensure key research is undertaken to support these efforts.

You will work in a team environment with staff from this and other provincial departments, municipalities, Nova Scotia Mi\xe2\x80\x99kmaq representatives, and various contractors and conservation groups. You may also interact with industry and non-government partners, community groups, conservation and recreation organizations, and others to advance project goals.

Additionally, you will develop and oversee project documents including contribution agreements, grants, contracts and the project\xe2\x80\x99s budget and workplans. You will work closely with multiple partners to develop grant proposals and reporting requirements. You\xe2\x80\x99ll ensure all partners are meeting budget and timeline requirements and are implementing work in accordance with negotiated contracts and Federal and Provincial reporting requirements.

You may also be involved in stakeholder and public partnerships and consultations and will develop public communication materials.

Qualifications and Experience

To be successful in this role, you will have a bachelor\xe2\x80\x99s degree such as Environmental Management, Ecology, Land Conservation or a related natural resource management-based science an equivalent combination of training and experience.

You will have demonstrated competency and experience in land conservation or protected areas planning and have a practical understanding of current issues and best practice approaches in protected areas establishment and management. Familiarity with the Nova Scotia Protected Areas Program is essential.

You will be experienced in collaborative conservation planning, communicating with project partners and stakeholder groups, dealing with concerns and facilitating partnerships, and have superior written and verbal communication skills. You will be self-directed, have excellent problem solving and organizational skills, sound judgement and critical thinking skills that are necessary to resolve complex and sensitive issues. You must also be highly proficient with computer word processing and spreadsheet software.

This position will require knowledge of Geographic Information Systems (GIS), and competency in creating interactive maps and related features using ArcGIS Online.

You will have knowledge of provincial and federal legislation, regulations, policies, programs, and processes relevant to protected areas, private land conservation and land management in Nova Scotia.

Assets include experience in public land use planning, policy development, public consultation, Indigenous consultation and facilitation. Knowledge of protected areas management, integrated forest pest management or environmental planning is also an asset.

Other assets include experience in public land-use planning, subject matter expertise and knowledge in the field of forest entomology/pest management; knowledge of monitoring and forecasting pest populations and determining protection and treatment needs; policy development, public consultation, Indigenous consultation and facilitation. Knowledge of protected areas establishment processes, management and environmental planning is also an asset, as is an understanding of global, regional, and local drivers of biodiversity loss.

Equivalency

Applicants relying on education and experience equivalencies must demonstrate such equivalencies in their application.

Benefits

Based on the employment status and Union agreement, the Government of Nova Scotia offers its employees a wide range of benefits such as Health, Dental, Life Insurance, Pension, General Illness (Short and Long Term), Vacation and Employee and Family Assistance Programs. Click to learn more about our various benefits offering and eligibility criteria.

Other Considerations

You must be willing and able to travel throughout Nova Scotia including occasional work in remote locations such as wilderness areas and work irregular hours when deemed necessary.

Please note, this is expected to be a term status position with an end date of December March 31, 2026; however, the position status (\xe2\x80\x9cterm\xe2\x80\x9d, \xe2\x80\x9ctemporary\xe2\x80\x9d or \xe2\x80\x9ccasual\xe2\x80\x9d) is dependent on the start date of the successful candidate.

Offer of employment is conditional upon the completion of all applicable background checks and confirmation of credentials, the results of which must be satisfactory to the employer.

What We Offer

• Career development where you have access to career guidance, tools, resources, and ongoing training for every stage of your career
• Engaging workplace: our employees feel valued, respected, connected, and tuned in, we have forward-thinking policies and strategies
• Countless career paths
• Department specific flexible working schedules

Pay Grade: PR 08 - PR 14

Salary Range: $2,074.62 - $3,215.50 Bi-Weekly

Employment Equity Statement:

Our goal is to be a diverse workforce that is representative, at all job levels, of the citizens we serve. The Government of Nova Scotia has an Employment Equity Policy, and we welcome applications from Indigenous People, African Nova Scotians and Other Racially Visible Persons, Persons with Disabilities and Women in occupations or positions where they are under-represented. If you are a member of one of these equity groups, you are encouraged to self-identify on your electronic application.

This is a bargaining unit position initially restricted to current civil service employees represented by the Nova Scotia Government Employees Union (NSGEU). If applying from outside a government office, employees must apply correctly via this link:

Failure to apply correctly means that your application will not be given first consideration as a bargaining unit applicant, and will only be included if external applications are pursued.

External applicants and current casual employees will only be considered if there are no qualified civil service bargaining unit candidates. PLEASE NOTE: Candidates will not be considered for an interview if applications are incomplete or are missing information.

Offer of employment is conditional upon the completion of all applicable background checks and confirmation of credentials, the results of which must be satisfactory to the employer. We thank all applicants for the interest, however, only those selected for an interview will be contacted. All questions and concerns may be directed to Competitions@novascotia.ca.

Government of Nova Scotia