Conservation Planning Specialist - British Columbia

Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society

6d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Conservation Planning Specialist works closely with the Land and Freshwater Conservation team to deliver CPAWS-BC’s crucial land-based conservation work. The Conservation Planning Specialist supports the organization’s participation in land planning and management processes and spaces, including land use planning, forest landscape plan, management and advisory boards, and through mapping and spatial analysis. They will engage directly with partner organizations, coalitions, governments and First Nations to support strong conservation outcomes across British Columbia. About CPAWS-BC The Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society - British Columbia (CPAWS-BC) is part of one of Canada's oldest nonprofit conservation groups. We have been protecting lands and waters in BC since 1978 and are dedicated to keeping BC's natural environment thriving forever. Nature is BC's best hope. CPAWS-BC works on the unceded territories of Indigenous Peoples. Indigenous Peoples have stewarded their territories since time immemorial and continue to do so today. The staff and board at CPAWS-BC recognize that decolonization is an ongoing process that requires all of us to be actively involved and responsible. CPAWS-BC is committed to diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice within every aspect of our work to protect lands, freshwater, and the ocean. We are a small, dedicated team located across BC. Join us to help safeguard homes for grizzly bears, migratory birds and orca, threatened grasslands, and vital stretches of boreal forest, keeping British Columbia wild forever.

Requirements

Experience engaging in land management processes in British Columbia, including but not limited to provincial land use planning, First Nations land use planning, forest landscape planning, land and resource management planning, etc.
Knowledgeable about land and freshwater ecosystems and biodiversity
Current understanding of key conservation opportunities and challenges in British Columbia
Demonstrated experience building relationships with Indigenous Nations, representatives, or governments
GIS, mapping and spatial planning skills
Proficient in organizational and time management skills
Strong in both written and verbal communication
Confident communicator, with ability to shape messaging, influence audiences, and engage with media
Capable of performing well in a fast-paced, deadline-oriented environment
Decision quality: makes sound decisions, even the absence of complete information, relies on a mixture of analysis, wisdom, experience and judgement when making decisions, recognizes when an 80% solution will suffice
Situational adaptability: picks up on situational cues and adjusts in the moment, understands that different situations may call for different approaches, adjusts behaviour to suit specific circumstances
Nimble learning: learns quickly when facing new situations, experiments to find new solutions, takes on the challenge of unfamiliar tasks, extracts lessons learned from failures and mistakes
Resourcefulness: orchestrates multiple activities simultaneously to accomplish a goal, gets the most out of limited resources, applies knowledge of internal structures, processes and culture mobilize resources
Communicates effectively: is effective in a variety of settings, adjusts to fit the audience and message, provides timeline and helpful information to others across the organization, encourages the open expression of diverse ideas and opinions
Collaborates: Builds partnerships and works collaboratively with others to meet shared objectives
Values differences: seeks to understand different perspectives and cultures, contributes to a work climate where differences are valued and supported, trusts others' diverse experiences, backgrounds and perspectives to get results
Demonstrates self-awareness: uses a combination of feedback and reflection to gain productive insight into personal strengths and weaknesses, is willing to admit mistakes and gain insights
Self-development: shows personal commitment and takes action to continuously improve, accepts assignments that broaden capabilities, learns from new experiences and others as well as structured learning
Instills trust: gains the confidence and trust of others through honesty, integrity and authenticity

Nice To Haves

Experience with Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Justice (DEIJ) practices in the workplace is an asset
Mentoring or coaching skills
Post Secondary Education in a relevant field such as environmental science, natural resource management, conservation, forestry, or resource planning may be useful
5+ years experience in advocacy, campaigning, conservation, resource management and planning, or related areas

Responsibilities

Engage in select land management processes across BC, providing technical input and feedback that supports strong conservation outcomes
Review and interpret existing First Nations land use plans, Provincial land use plans, and other relevant plans to identify opportunities that advance Indigenous-led stewardship and IPCAs alongside CPAWS-BC's conservation goals
Draft materials such as briefing notes, submissions, and responses for government and partner-led processes
Bring a landscape-level lens to land use planning input, ensuring recommendations account for large-scale habitat connectivity and ecosystem integrity across priority regions
Support CPAWS-BC's work to ensure protected and conserved area totals are accurately and rigorously counted toward BC's 30x30 target
Build and maintain relationships with First Nations partners, applying judgement on how and when to engage in ways that respect Nation-led processes and priorities
Participate in coalition meetings to bring CPAWS-BC’s vision and knowledge into collaborative responses to conservation issues in BC
Coordinate with colleagues and partner organizations to identify opportunities for public engagement of key conservation opportunities
Support the creation of campaign content and promotional materials to engage supporters through social media channels, website content, and email communications
Oversee media monitoring of key conservation issues and conversations
Plan and deliver in-person and digital activities that broaden support for conservation campaigns in priority regions
Enable special projects and research opportunities that advance conservation in priority regions
Identify funding opportunities to meet specific campaign needs
Support funding proposals and reporting, as needed
Monitor expenditures to balance campaign needs with available financial resources and ensure alignment with budget