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To apply: Submit to jobs[at]acapcb.ns.ca; Please read application instructions carefully.

Now Closed: Program Manager, Terrestrial Restoration

Deadline for applications: This position has been filled.

ACAP Cape Breton is seeking a management-level position in Terrestrial Habitat Restoration to be based at our office in Sydney, Nova Scotia. The successful candidate will provide scientific expertise and managerial direction for our terrestrial restoration and monitoring programs, with a focus on forest and wetland restoration.

This is a full-time, salaried position at 35 hours/week.

The manager will report to the Executive Director (ED) and have up to 4 direct reports.

Our hours are Monday-Friday, 8:30am-4:00pm, but with significant flexibility outside fixed programs and meetings. Occasional evening and weekend work is required for partnership activities or professional learning, but you will be given time-in-lieu/banked time to compensate.

Please apply by submitting a resume and cover letter to jobs@acapcb.ns.ca with “Terrestrial Restoration Lead” in the email subject line. We are committed to equity in our hiring practices and operational practices. If you have questions about this position that are not covered by this description, you are welcome to contact Kathleen Aikens (ed@acapcb.ns.ca).

Anticipated salary: $58,000 to $63,000, depending on experience and qualifications.

Benefits: Vacation time starts at 6%, with an additional paid time during December holidays. We also observe 14 paid holidays annually.

Access to paid personal & family sick days (up to 15 annually).

Access to employee health benefits and Employee Assistance Program (EAP) with 75% employer coverage for both individual and family coverage.

Ability to set your own schedule within the required program parameters; Flexibility to take advantage on professional learning opportunities on work time.

 Work hours: 35 hours/week, Monday-Friday, with occasional weekend work.

The main responsibilities of the position include:

  • Working with staff and the ED to develop and implement a program plan for terrestrial restoration, including planting 50-70,000 trees each year; The candidate should be able to actively anticipate challenges and work with the team to solve problems proactively.

  • Managing reporting relationships with funders, project officers, and other administrative contacts; Completing reports in a timely and accurate manner.

  • Supervising and coaching of direct reports, following our organizational commitment to co-learning; Identifying where team additional capacity is needed and working with ED to recruit and hire additional expertise.

  • Supporting fund development for terrestrial restoration.

  • Collaborating with other team leads and recruit their expertise as appropriate.

  • Partnering with a diversity of organizational partners.

 

Required skills and experience:

  • Experience in terrestrial restoration programs, with expertise in either forest or wetland ecosystems.

  • A relevant degree in environmental science and ability to interpret and apply information from scientific literature at a postgraduate level; Graduate-level certification and/or a Masters in Environmental Science is an asset.

  • Experience managing federal grants or other complex funding programs, from negotiating contribution agreements to accurate and timely reporting.

  • Experience with grant writing.

  • Problem-solving from the micro to the macro and ability to adapt creatively.

  • Organization skills, including the ability to apply systems and keep track of details, dates, correspondence.

  • Experience supervising/mentoring staff or interns (strongly preferred, but willing to work with strong candidates to develop management skills).

  • Ability to travel occasionally for meetings or site assessment.

  • Commitment to Incorporating a lens of environmental justice into restoration work, including respect for Indigenous land rights.

  • Ability to work with a team and learn from others’ knowledge and experience. Commitment to continuous learning is a core ACAP element.

  • Ability to work outdoors and provide occasional direct oversight of restoration planning, implementation, and monitoring is preferred.

Interview process

We will conduct a brief initial screening conversation with qualified applicants, followed by interviews with (1) Executive Director and (2) 1-2 staff members.

Summer Hiring 2024

Deadline for applications: March 13, 2024; extended to April 1 for positions in Inverness county only

Join ACAP Cape Breton’s summer crew! We have three types of positions available:

  • Trashformers Community Clean Up Crew, based in the Cape Breton Regional Municipality

  • Environmental Education & Outreach, 4 open positions, based in Cape Breton and Inverness Counties;

  • Habitat Restoration & Ecological Monitoring (Outdoor Field Work) 3-4 open positions, based in Cape Breton County with some travel;

Most of our jobs are expected to start May 9, 2024, for a total of 14 weeks. The rate of compensation for these positions is $19/hour with 32 hours per week total. (There are a limited number of positions at 35 hours per week.)

For students available only in July & August: We have a Trashformers position AND an Environmental Education position starting at the end of June. These are both junior positions, paying $17/hour.

Our summer internships include professional learning opportunities and provide a good foundation for transitioning into an environmental career. You will work with a home team but also have the opportunity to join other teams for internal professional development opportunities.

Instructions for the hiring process:

In order to be considered for a summer job, you must submit both a resume and a cover letter. We advise a maximum of 2 pages for resumes and 1 page for a cover letter. Please read the following instructions carefully:

  1. Please submit your application as one document with your name in the title. 

  2. Please indicate in your cover letter which stream of position you are interested in. You can apply for just one position or for all three. You do not need to submit a separate application for each type of position.

  3. Please let us know in your cover letter if you are a current student. Our summer job funding sources have different restrictions and requirements, depending on if the support is from the province or the federal government. We hire both students and non-students for summer jobs!

  4. We encourage candidates to read the job descriptions carefully and outline in their cover letter how their experience provides them with the skills we’re looking for.

What to expect:

  1. We review applications on a rolling basis and will start offering interviews in early March. We will notify applicants selected for interviews by early April.

  2. We are flexible with interview times and format. We offer both virtual interviews and in-person interviews at our office in Sydney. 

  3. We receive a high volume of applications and cannot interview every candidate who applies. If you don’t receive an interview, don’t let this discourage you from applying for other positions with us in the future! 

  4. We endeavour to provide a final update on the hiring process for all applicants. We will send out a final email by mid-April, 2024.

  • We are hiring 5 Trashformers’ positions in 2024, including a strong team lead. As a Trashformer, you will be working outdoors for full days, helping keep our communities clean. You will also be trained in water quality data collection and waste data collection. The Trashformers work Tuesday-Saturday (4.5 days total). The schedule is 8:30am-4pm, with very occasional evening work for special events. 

    The Trashformers’ program has been operating for over a decade and is a community institution in the Cape Breton Regional Municipality. The Trashformers are ambassadors for a clean environment. Last year, we introduced water quality monitoring to the program and in 2024, we are looking for Trashformers that want to truly shift the needle on waste and litter. 

    The Trashformers Team Lead operates the Trashformers Truck and supervises the crew. They must be at least 21 years old, have a Nova Scotia Drivers Licence and clean driving abstract. They are paid a supervisory rate for their work ($20/hour). We are looking for a responsible and safety-oriented individual for this position.

    Other key positions on the team: Social Media & Communications Lead; Environmental Data Lead

    Key skills: Ability to work outdoors; solid judgment; commitment to ecological learning; willingness to take direction and learn from feedback; teamwork and communication; knowledge of ecological principles or other environmental and outdoor skills. 

  • Do you enjoy science communication, environmental and outdoor education, and working with kids? Join our environmental education team! Volunteer or work experience with children/youth is essential, as is the ability to work as a team member.  Knowledge of local environmental issues, and interest in biodiversity/conservation, plant and animal identification is a strong asset. 

    We are hiring environmental education interns in both Cape Breton county (based at our Sydney office) and Inverness county (based in Mabou/Port Hood area).

    ​​Key skills: Time management; solid judgment; commitment to ecological learning; willingness to take direction and learn from feedback; experience in social media content creation and graphic design is an asset; experience in planning learning activities or programming (including youth leadership experience gained in high school or postsecondary) is an asset.

    This position is split between ACAP offices and outdoor learning sites. You may be spending up to 7 hours per day outdoors, depending on the planned activities. The physical demands of this position are lower than our other teams. Walking over uneven terrain carrying light equipment  and supervising children outdoors are the biggest physical challenges. 

    Nearly all work will  take place Monday to Friday (4.5 days); occasional weekend or evening  work with advance notice.

  • If you love working outdoors, the habitat restoration & ecological monitoring team may be a good fit for you. We're looking for collaborative, safety-oriented team members with a background/interest in environmental sciences. Must be able to work outdoors up to 7 hours a day. These positions are designed for interns looking for professional experience in applied environmental science. Access to a personal vehicle for field work is an asset, but not required. 

    Key skills: Ability to work outdoors; time management; solid judgment; commitment to ecological learning; willingness to take direction and learn from feedback; ability to work as a member of a team; knowledge of ecological principles or other environmental and outdoor skills. 

    Nearly all work will  take place Monday to Friday; occasional weekend or evening  work with advance notice may be requested.

    This department is split into three teams:

    Stream restoration team: Physical labour commitment = high. Includes using hand tools and basic machinery; ability to carry heavy objects (~22 kg). Office work of ~0.5-1 day/week. Some data management and report writing.

    Forest restoration team: Physical labour commitment = high. Includes repeated movements (tree planting), carrying equipment to planting sites. Office work of ~0.5-1 day/week. Some data management and report writing.

    Ecological monitoring team: Physical labour commitment = medium. You will gain experience in monitoring for at-risk insects, as well as forest/watershed data collection. Office work of ~1.5-2 days/week, including data management and report writing. Potential for involvement in citizen science.