Do you want to spend your summer in the backcountry, engaging in face-to-face conversations and boots-on-the-ground stewardship? Do you relish the challenge of communicating scientific information to diverse audiences? If you are looking to improve your outreach & communications skills, while making a difference in your watershed, read more about this exciting position and how you can apply.
Position Description:
Who: The OWC is seeking three (3) outgoing, dynamic leaders to increase our outreach this summer.
What: Outreach Assistants will assist with the implementation of OWC’s Engaging Recreationists project and other outreach programs.
Why: OWC’s challenge is to raise awareness about watershed issues and encourage backcountry off-roaders and random campers to adopt solutions, which requires communicating scientific information in an engaging manner. This exciting position requires exceptional communications skills.
When: The successful candidates will work 40 hours/week, under the direction of the team lead and reporting to the Education Program Manager.
Where: The positions are based in downtown Lethbridge but will require extensive travel throughout the watershed. Weekends (Friday-Sunday) will be spent in the backcountry, camping in tents, with few facilities and little to no cell service.
Key Duties and Responsibilities
- Approach random campers and motorized recreationists, conduct questionnaires, converse about watershed issues, and data collection.
- Assist with restoration & stewardship activities in the backcountry, possibly including (but not limited to) weed pulls, garbage pickups, willow harvesting & planting, bridge & sign installation, and bioengineering.
- Attend outreach events, organize and lead educational activities, and deliver presentations.
- Write blogs, social media postings, newsletter articles, reports, and other written materials. Photograph activities and add to digital archive. Some data entry/management as needed.
- Additional related duties as needed.
Salary: $19-21/hour, depending on qualifications and experience, at the discretion of the OWC
Qualifications
- Must be willing to work all weekends and some evenings in May-August.
- Comfort and experience with backcountry conditions: travel by vehicle and on foot, navigating, and camping in variable weather. Familiarity with southwestern Alberta—and the eastern slopes particularly—is an asset. Detail your backcountry experience in cover letter.
- Experience operating off-highway vehicles (OHV) and knowledge of Alberta off-roading/random-camping community required.
- Must be hard-working, take direction, able to problem-solve, take initiative, and work with minimal supervision.
- Must be organized with strong attention to detail, ensuring high quality of data collection.
- Physically fit, able to spend long hours standing, walking, or in a vehicle.
- Experience listening to, motivating, encouraging, and empowering others.
- Experience related to public engagement, particularly in outdoor, informal settings.
- Extremely personable with very strong face-to-face, verbal, and written and communication skills.
- Experience working with a broad range of audiences, including youth.
- An appreciation for the environment, familiarity with the local environmental community, and basic understanding of environmental science. Experience with environmental education/outreach an asset.
- A valid driver’s license and willingness to travel throughout the watershed. Defensive Driving certificate is an asset.
- Proficient with MS Office, internet use, social media, photography, common IT issues.
- Standard First Aid & CPR/AED is required prior to commencing employment. Additional safety training and supplies will be provided.
- Completion of high school required; post-secondary (current or complete) an asset, with preference for studies in natural sciences, biology, environmental sciences, resource management, or a related field. In your cover letter, please specify if you are a full-time student under age 30, and whether you intend to continue your studies in the fall.
- Must be legally entitled to work in Canada.
How to Apply
Please specify your availability (start and end dates) as well as your plans for the fall (September-October).
Please email your cover letter and resume to OWC’s Human Resources Consultant, Wendy Giuffre, at Wendy@wendyelleninc.ca as a single PDF file entitled “OWC Outreach Assistant YOUR NAME.”
Thank you for your interest. Only those applicants selected for an interview will be contacted.
