Mariculture Coordinator, Food System Program

Start date: October 15, 2024
Position status: Full-time (32 hours/week, 4-day work week, Mon-Thurs). Generous benefits package after three months.
Location: Prince Rupert, BC
Compensation: $55,000 – 65,000

About the Food Systems Program

Ecotrust Canada’s Food Systems Initiative is based on Coast Ts’msyen territories in Prince Rupert, BC. Our team works toward creating collaborative, vibrant, and innovative local food economies built by and for communities, supported by resilient and sustainable local and regional food production and marketplaces.

The Food Systems program has three key strategic areas: 1) Demonstrating that regenerative ocean farming is viable and sustainable on the West Coast of Canada, 2) Re-establishing the infrastructure, facilities, and partnerships necessary to revive a regional mariculture economy for BC’s North Coast and, 3) Supporting specific place-based Indigenous food sovereignty projects and initiatives. The program team includes our Director of Food Systems, Assistant Director, and Community Food Systems Innovation Manager. We collaborate to set and achieve shared desired annual, mid-term, and long-term outcomes.

Position Summary

The Mariculture Coordinator will be an integral part of the Food Systems Program, developing and implementing mariculture projects on the ground with our partners. We seek a person who is versed in marine foodways with a science background, who has strong organizational skills and project management, who has experience working within rural, remote, Indigenous communities, and who is a respectful and natural communicator across multiple audiences. The Mariculture Coordinator will report directly to Ecotrust Canada’s Assistant Director of Food Systems. The Mariculture Coordinator will be primarily responsible for daily and weekly maintenance of key on-the-ground project functions, such as community relationships and events, delivering project outputs and contributing to the overall program outcomes, strategy, and communications.

Key Responsibilities

Project work

• Support the implementation and operation of a shellfish biotoxin and water quality testing lab on BC’s North Coast
• Support research and development of hatchery as needed
• Support project partners to develop and advance a science, policy, and research agenda for evaluating regenerative ocean farming impacts, including climate benefits
• Support the regenerative ocean farm project with day-to-day project management, community outreach, technical advice and research
• Support assistant director to liaise and build consensus on new and existing working relationships with governments, Indigenous Nations, research institutions, and aquaculture operations
• Support the regenerative ocean farming project by exploring, identifying, and pursuing opportunities to innovate in the mariculture sector, such as new species, piloting new infrastructure or farming methods, or revenue streams
• Assist and participate in mariculture training, coordination and evaluation

Meetings & team participation:

• Actively participate in team meetings
• Attend staff and team retreats
• Sit on Ecotrust Canada committees
• Contribute to the Food Systems Program’s strategic vision and planning
• Contribute to Ecotrust Canada’s public communications of the Food Systems Program’s work (i.e., by writing 1-2 blog posts per year)
• Contribute to the development of research and policy reports
• Other tasks as required

Skills and Qualifications

Essential skills and attributes:

• Bachelor of Science, environmental technology, resource management or equivalent
• Knowledgeable about Food Systems transformation in BC (and Canada)
• Excellent communication skills (both written and verbal)
• Computer literacy (specifically experience using Excel, Word, and PowerPoint)
• Excellent organizational skills
• Adaptable, ability to work with change
• Excellent time management
• Prior experience living and/or working in rural, remote, Indigenous communities
• Driver’s licence
• Aligned values to those of Ecotrust Canada’s mission

Assets (desired but not essential):

• Experience in marine monitoring
• Basic graphic design skills (i.e., understanding of Canva or willingness to learn)
• Experience in public speaking
• Experience with regenerative ocean farming
• Expertise in business development and management

Work-life Balance and Well-Being

Our small team is ambitious — both in and outside of Ecotrust Canada — with our own passion projects. To support these ambitions, we offer flexible hours, locations, and the ability to work time-in-lieu. We want this position to support your life goals rather than detract from them. That said, we prioritize our community partners’ needs, their annual calendars (i.e., harvest seasons, festivals, etc.), and our project deadlines. Through strong communication and mutual support, we strive for a healthy work-life balance that benefits personal and professional growth.

About Ecotrust Canada

Ecotrust Canada is an enterprising non-profit that works with rural, remote, and Indigenous communities toward building an economy that provides for a healthy and resilient natural environment; sustainable and abundant energy, food, and housing; prosperous and meaningful livelihoods; and vibrant cultures and inclusive societies. We call this approach building an economy that provides for life. Our on-the-ground work and systems approach is entrepreneurial, partnership-based, and relentlessly practical. To learn more visit ecotrust.ca.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

We will prioritize someone who self-identifies as First Nations for this role and who is from a rural, remote community in British Columbia — someone who understands first-hand our program’s mission to nurture a vibrant and culturally relevant food system at the end of a long supply chain.

Ecotrust Canada is an Equal Opportunity Employer, and our employees are people with different strengths, experiences and backgrounds who share a passion for our mission. Diversity includes not only ethnicity and gender identity but also age, disability status, veteran status, sexual orientation, religion, and many other parts of one’s identity. All of our employees’ points of view are key to our collective success, and inclusion is everyone’s responsibility.

Reconciliation

Ecotrust Canada is committed to building respectful and reciprocal relationships with Indigenous communities and peoples. We are committed to upholding and respecting Indigenous governance, rights and title in the places we live, work, and dream together. For more information, please see our Framework for Advancing Reconciliation here.