Job Posting: Water Quality Coordinator
Raincoast Conservation Foundation is looking for a full-time Coordinator to help with our Healthy Waters Program.
We are seeking an energetic and committed candidate who will coordinate sampling and analysis of samples as part of the Healthy Waters community-oriented water pollution monitoring program. The successful candidate will coordinate the collection and analysis of water samples in the field, at a laboratory, and/or through partnering labs. The candidate will oversee data tabulation, the application of appropriate statistical methods, and the interpretation of results in support of data visualisation, and web platform sharing.
The position will involve field and lab work with a small team, onsite activities with community partners, and the interpretation of water quality in support of fish habitat. Results will be shared with the partnering communities in BC watersheds, and via a user-friendly website that allows for intra and inter-watershed comparisons.
Salary and details
Job Type: Full-time permanent
Anticipated hours: 40 hours per week
Salary range: Commensurate with experience (includes benefits)
Location: Be able to travel within BC for field work, meetings and workshops. Be able to work remotely, but with reliable internet access to maintain routine communication with a well-integrated online network of internal and external colleagues for meetings, workshops, conferences and dialogues, etc.
Application deadline
March 24th, 2023.
About Raincoast Conservation Foundation
Raincoast is a team of conservationists and scientists empowered by our research to protect the lands, waters and wildlife of coastal British Columbia. We use rigorous, peer-reviewed science and community engagement to further our conservation objectives. We call this approach informed advocacy. Since 1996, Raincoast has been making progress toward our habitat and wildlife protection goals. Our on-the-ground presence has given us a deep-rooted understanding of BC’s vast coastline. We work in partnership with scientists, First Nations, local communities and NGOs to build support for decisions that protect marine, freshwater and terrestrial habitat on BC’s coast.
About the Healthy Waters Program
Raincoast has launched a new Healthy Waters initiative, which will deliver expert support to communities throughout BC. Healthy Waters will support sampling and analysis for a variety of contaminants of concern throughout the Salish Sea and Fraser Valley watersheds. Healthy Waters will engage and collaborate with Indigenous community members, conservation teams, and local authorities, building local capacity in support of water quality monitoring and stewardship. The program aims to monitor water quality from source to home, road runoff, freshwater fish habitat and marine waters, effectively documenting water contaminants from the mountains to the sea.
Duties and responsibilities
- Perform water sampling and analyses in various watersheds in BC
- Maintain and calibrate field and lab instruments
- Lead training and sharing sessions on water quality sampling and analysis in communities
- Coordinate sample submission to dedicated laboratories for additional analyses
- Collate field and lab data, perform Quality Assurance, and manage datasets
- Assist in sharing and learning activities in Indigenous communities
- Support web-based data visualisation and mapping functions
Desired skills and qualifications
- Science, environmental, Indigenous studies or related post-secondary or graduate education
- Strong interest in environmental conservation, water quality, and stewardship
- Excellent communications skills with people of all ages
- Attentive to detail and ability to multitask
- Enjoy working outdoors, rain or shine
- A self-starter with the ability to work independently and problem-solve
- Willingness to secure First Aid certification and criminal record check
- A valid BC Driver’s Licence
- Experience working with people from diverse backgrounds
- Knowledge of Indigenous communities in the Fraser River and Salish Sea region an asset
- Knowledge of ecology in BC
Experience and knowledge
- Experience working with people from diverse backgrounds
- Knowledge of Indigenous communities in the Fraser River and Salish Sea region
- Knowledge of ecology in BC
- Knowledge of safety practices in the lab and in the field
- Knowledge of watersheds, water properties, water quality and environmental contaminants
- Knowledge of laboratory instrumentation and protocols
- Knowledge of Environmental Quality Guidelines
- Experience with field and/or lab-based analysis of water
- Experience with data entry and statistical analysis
Professional interests
This opportunity will allow you to be deeply involved from the ground up in all aspects of a new program while providing you with a rich background on important ecosystems and conservation issues in BC.
How to apply
Please send a cover letter and your resume to jobs [at] raincoast [dot] org, by Friday, March 24th, 2023. Please include contact information for at least two references.
Email applications with “Water Quality Coordinator” in the subject line. Attach a single PDF file for your one-page cover letter and your resume – name it your first and last name (e.g. Mark Smith.pdf).
The cover letter should express why you want this position and identify how you are qualified. We thank all applicants, but only those selected for interviews will be contacted.
Raincoast welcomes applications from all interested and qualified candidates. Our organisation is the product of diverse visions and perspectives and we welcome the unique contributions that you can bring. Raincoast is committed to fostering and maintaining a workplace culture that is inclusive and does not tolerate or accept discrimination or harassment.
You can help
Raincoast’s in-house scientists, collaborating graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and professors make us unique among conservation groups. We work with First Nations, academic institutions, government, and other NGOs to build support and inform decisions that protect aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems, and the wildlife that depend on them. We conduct ethically applied, process-oriented, and hypothesis-driven research that has immediate and relevant utility for conservation deliberations and the collective body of scientific knowledge.
We investigate to understand coastal species and processes. We inform by bringing science to decision-makers and communities. We inspire action to protect wildlife and wildlife habitats.
