Position Title: Field Technician
Position Type: Full-time, Term
Salary range: $30-$32 per hour, depending on experience
Date Written/Revised: March 15, 2024
Location: Whitehorse, Yukon
Reports to: Dr. Hilary Cooke, Co-Director of Northern Boreal Mountains program
Term: 10-12 weeks
Supervises (Direct supervision only): N/A
Position Start Date: May 6, 2024
Position Contact: Dr. Hilary Cooke, Co-Director of Northern Boreal Mountains program
Deadline for application: This application will remain open until the right candidate is found for the position.
Position Summary:
WCS Canada is seeking a Field Technician to assist with a study of the relationship between fire severity and bird communities in boreal forests of Yukon. The field team will be responsible for avian surveys and collection of site and habitat data at study sites located in recently burned forest. The team will work under the supervision of the project lead, Dr. Hilary Cooke.
Key qualifications include at least 1 year of an undergraduate degree or or diploma in biology, environmental sciences, natural resource management, or a related field, and experience conducting fieldwork, particularly avian surveys, in relatively remote locations. Full qualifications are listed below.
The Field Technician will be engaged in the following field activities: searching for and identifying nest cavities and foraging trees for woodpeckers, chickadees, nuthatches, and other cavity-nesting birds; deploying acoustic recorders at remote locations; collecting site and habitat data related to fire severity and characteristics of cavity and foraging trees. In addition, each technician will be responsible for: field preparation; maintaining and organizing field equipment; and data entry and management.
The position will involve 1-2 weeks of field preparation at the WCS Canada office in Whitehorse and 1-2 weeks of data entry and equipment organization at the Whitehorse office at the end of the field season. The remainder of the time will be spent conducting field work. Due to the remote locations and distances between field sites, these positions require extended periods of camping and long driving distances. WCS Canada will provide all necessary field and safety equipment and non-personal camping equipment (e.g. tent, shelter, stove, etc.) and cover the cost of campground fees. Expenses incurred travelling to Yukon will not be covered. A modest budget is available for accommodation and food while in the field.
The Field Technician will be paid hourly; overtime will be at the discretion of the project supervisor and will be calculated based on time averaging. Field Technicians will have the option of taking overtime as paid time in lieu at the end of the contract as per a time averaging agreement. The successful applicant will need to be flexible with work hours and changing work schedules
Principal Responsibilities
- Organization and maintenance of field and field safety equipment.
- Conducting systematic nest and foraging tree searches.
- Deployment and retrieval of acoustic recording units.
- Deployment of temperature sensors.
- Collection of site and habitat data.
- Data entry, download, and management.
- Knowledge of and adherence to all field safety protocols.
Required Qualifications/Skills/Experience
- At least 1 year of an undergraduate degree or diploma in biology, environmental sciences, natural resource management, or a related field.
- Experience conducting field work in relatively remote locations (at least 1 year required).
- Experience working, camping, and/or navigating in remote conditions (including off-road by foot) using a compass, map, and GPS.
- Experience conducting field-based avian surveys.
- Remote or wilderness first aid and bear safety training (required but may be acquired prior to start date or within first week).
- Experience with Microsoft Excel.
Preferred Qualifications/Skills/Experience
- Experience identifying boreal cavity-nesting birds by sight and sound.
- Experience identifying boreal shrubs to genus and trees to species.
- Experience operating 4x4 trucks on rough access roads.
How to apply:
Please submit your CV with a cover letter explaining your qualifications related to the responsibilities listed above and your motivation to work on this project.
Applicants aged 15-30 may qualify for a federally funded internship. Please indicate your eligibility for a youth (aged 15-30) internship program in your cover letter. Please note that applicants over 30 will still be considered for the role.
For questions regarding the position, please contact Hilary Cooke at [email protected].
For questions regarding the application process, please contact Okechukwu Ezibe at [email protected].
Deadline for application: This application will remain open until the right candidate is found for the position.
WCS Canada is committed to creating an accessible and inclusive organization. We are committed to providing barrier-free and accessible employment practices. Applicants with a disability or any special needs may make a request for accommodation at any stage of the recruitment process, and we will work with you to meet your needs. Such requests should be communicated to Okechukwu Ezibe ([email protected]) or by phone 437-770-2776.
Office Safety Plan Compliance:
WCS Canada is committed to providing and maintaining a safe environment for our employees, contractors, and partners. As part of this unwavering commitment to safety, it is a condition of employment that Office-based WCS Canada employees be compliant with the respective Office Safety Plan, which includes being fully vaccinated against COVID-19 with a COVID-19 vaccine series approved by Health Canada or the World Health Organization. This condition is subject to the requirements of applicable human rights legislation.
About WCS Canada
WCS Canada (www.wcscanada.org) was established as a Canadian conservation organization in July 2004. We are committed to championing accessibility, diversity, and equal opportunity. Our mission is to save wildlife and wild places by improving our understanding of and seeking solutions to critical problems that threaten key species and large wild ecosystems throughout Canada. We implement and support comprehensive field studies that gather information on wildlife needs and then seek to resolve key conservation problems by working with a broad array of actors. WCS Canada has a track record of our science being recognized as relevant, credible, and legitimate by researchers, NGOs and agencies. WCS Canada is independently registered and managed, while retaining a strong collaborative working relationship with sister Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) programs in more than 60 countries.
Diversity and inclusion are core WCS Canada values. We value the diversity of the people we employ and work with and we strive to provide an inclusive and equitable workplace in which we recognize the unique characteristics, skills, and experiences of all employees. We are committed to engaging our employees in our diversity, equity, and inclusion work and together we aim to create a workplace where all staff feel they belong and can grow.
WCS Canada’s programs occur on the homelands of Indigenous Peoples whose relationships various governments are described in historic Treaties, modern land claim agreements, and negotiations around unceded lands. We recognize and support Indigenous Peoples in Indigenous-led conservation initiatives as well as the international ecological and social commitments and responsibilities to Indigenous Peoples that Canada has signed, including the Convention on Biological Diversity, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, the Convention on the Trade in Endangered Species, the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, and the recommendations of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. Our commitment to collaboration with Indigenous Peoples ranges from provision of scientific advice to co-creation of research and conservation priorities. We respect Indigenous knowledge systems and include Indigenous ways of knowing in research and conservation programs. We engage in land use planning and impact assessment processes that affect Indigenous Peoples, seeking ways to advance conservation as well as opportunities to sustain the livelihoods and cultures of Indigenous communities. We seek to motivate positive conservation outcomes by supporting effective governance and decision-making processes by Indigenous communities, particularly by supporting Indigenous and Community Conserved Areas.
WCS Canada is committed to contributing to the field of conservation science and the professional development of its employees. Employees are encouraged to participate in professional societies and present their research at conferences and meetings, as well as participate in relevant workshops and training opportunities. Employees are likewise encouraged to mentor graduate students, participate in relevant graduate student committees, and pursue adjunct status with universities as appropriate.