ANNAPOLIS ROYAL, NS

Hiring: Agro-Ecosystems Technician
Organization: Clean Annapolis River Project
Location: Annapolis Royal, Nova Scotia

Start date: October 2, 2023 (flexible)
End date: March 31, 2024 (with possibility of extension)
Remuneration: $20.00 per hour plus 4% vacation pay and statutory benefits at 35 hours per week.

Job Description/Responsibilities:

The Agro-Ecosystems Technician will primarily support CARP’s role in the Living Labs project, an agricultural research partnership aimed at promoting and investigating beneficial management practices (BMPs), specifically shelterbelts / windbreaks and forested riparian buffer zones. They will work collaboratively under the leadership of the Living Lab Coordinator and Terrestrial Program Manager. The role will include diverse and ongoing scientific monitoring and maintenance of existing agricultural research sites, as well as planting of native vegetation and other restoration actions. The Agro-Ecosystems Technician will additionally support private land stewardship and ecological restoration projects and programs under the leadership of the Agro-Ecosystems Stewardship Coordinator. Some of these tasks could include producing personalized property reports and recommendations or conducting other scientific monitoring protocols beyond those listed herein.

This position will involve following scientific monitoring protocols to assess baseline conditions or evaluate outcomes (e.g., surface water hydrology, water quality, soil greenhouse gas emissions, soil organic carbon, soil health, insect monitoring, and ecological surveys). The use of technology such as GPS, GIS, and other software products will be required for site planning, mapping, and reporting purposes.

Normal work hours will be 8:30 am – 4:30 pm. Early morning or late evening work will be necessary as project needs dictate, most often during field season. Accumulated overtime hours can be taken as time off in lieu. The position will include a mix of office work based out of CARP’s office in Annapolis Royal as well as field-based activities across Nova Scotia. The position will require access to a personal vehicle, with compensation provided according to the prevailing provincial mileage rate.

Specific tasks may include:

• Carefully following scientific protocols for the collection of soil-emitted greenhouse gases, soil for organic carbon, nutrient, and other analyses, surface water hydrology data, water samples for nutrient analysis, field-based water quality measurement, as well as terrestrial insects and aquatic macroinvertebrates using various prescribed methods.
• Maintenance, calibration, and use of sensitive field equipment such as a YSI ProDSS digital handheld sonde, surveying equipment, a small DJI Mini drone for aerial photography, tablet(s) paired with user-generated maps for navigation and data collection, GPS/GNSS devices, and other tools.
• Physically demanding work, sometimes in adverse weather conditions, over extended periods. This could include planting and maintenance of native vegetation at restoration sites, or the collection of supporting data or physical samples.
• Travel to and from participating agricultural field sites (at times over long distances), occasionally necessitating the use of a personal vehicle.
• Thorough and meticulous collection of field notes.
• Production of accurate and detailed maps using ArcGIS or other mapping software for planning, communication, or reporting purposes.
• Writing for scientific and non-scientific audiences for the purposes of planning, communicating results, or summarizing observations.
• Identification of diverse flora and fauna, either from field observation, botanical samples, or detailed field photographs.

Reporting Relationships:

The Agro-Ecosystems Technician will report to the Terrestrial Program Manager on matters specific to the delivery of programs/projects and report to the Administration Manager on all HR, contractual reporting deadlines and financial matters (e.g., travel claims, sick days, and vacation). The Agro-Ecosystems Technician works closely and in cooperation with other staff members and in accordance with all CARP policies approved by the Board of Directors. The Agro-Ecosystems Field Technician is not part of the CARP management team, and no staff report directly to them.

Responsibilities of the Employer:

The employer will provide a safe and respectful work environment free from discrimination and harassment, meet the financial obligations to the employee in a timely manner and, within the financial capacity of the organization, provide the employee with equipment, materials and supplies to carry out his/her/their duties. In consultation with the employee, the employer will carry out a performance evaluation within three months of the start of the contract and annually thereafter at minimum.

Responsibilities of Employee:

The employee will carry out their duties described above in a timely fashion, conduct themself and ensure that those reporting to them conduct themselves in a professional manner and follow all policies of the employer and ensure that those reporting to them follow all policies of the employer.

To Apply:

E-mail resume and cover letter as a single document to Administration Manager, Susan Lane, at susanlane@annapolisriver.ca . Please use subject line “Agro-Ecosystems Technician Application”. Please indicate you saw this posting at FoodWork.

Applications will be reviewed on an ongoing basis until the position is filled. Applicants are encouraged to identify if they are pre-qualified for any employment subsidy programs (e.g., through Eco Canada, Clean Foundation, etc.).