Data Science & Technology

Position: Data Processing Specialist (Paid Internship)
Organization: Birds Canada
Location: This role can be performed  fully remotely from anywhere in Canada, in a hybrid arrangement from a home office and one of our regional offices (Port Rowan, ON; Delta, BC; or Sackville, NB), or fully in person from our national office in Port Rowan, ON.

Are you looking to channel your skills into meaningful, energizing work that will directly contribute to protecting our natural world? Do you want to work with an exceptional group of passionate and caring colleagues?

Birds Canada is the country’s premier national organization dedicated to bird conservation. Every day, our thousands of caring donors, 100+ dedicated staff, and 70,000+ outstanding volunteers are taking action to help us better understand, appreciate, and conserve birds and their habitats. Together, we are Canada’s Voice for Birds – will you join us?

POSITION OVERVIEW

Birds Canada is seeking a detail-oriented and collaborative Data Processing Specialist to support the Data Science and Technology team to identify, format, and upload external and internal bird monitoring datasets and metadata into the NatureCounts database for use by the conservation and research activity.

This role supports the success of NatureCounts, Birds Canada’s open data platform that brings together data from hundreds of Citizen Science and research projects into a single, integrated system. The Data Processing Specialist will help ensure that high quality, accessible data are available to conservation practitioners, researchers, and decision-makers. Click here for more information on NatureCounts.

EMPLOYMENT DETAILS

This is a full-time (40 hours per week) paid internship funded through EcoCanada’s Digital Skills for Youth program. To be eligible, applicants must be under 30 years of age, a post-secondary graduate (or a high school graduate if residing in a territory), and must not have previously participated in an EcoCanada internship. This program is open to individuals with Canadian citizenship, permanent residency, or refugee status. The initial term is four months, with a strong possibility of extension.

This position offers flexible work options to accommodate a variety of working styles and locations. It can be performed fully remotely from anywhere in Canada, in a hybrid arrangement that combines remote work with time in one of our regional offices (Port Rowan, ON; Delta, BC; or Sackville, NB), or fully in person from our national office in Port Rowan, Ontario. The anticipated start date is late June 2025.

TOTAL COMPENSATION

Birds Canada is proud to offer an exceptional Total Compensation Package, including a competitive starting salary and 5% RRSP matching after 12 months of service. In addition, once the 3-month probationary period has been satisfied, staff enjoy a primarily employer-paid extended benefits package including health and dental coverage, Basic Group Life Insurance, Group out-of-province travel insurance, Vision, and ADD&D.

We offer all staff four weeks of vacation per year to start, along with 12 personal health days and additional paid vacation days between Boxing Day and New Year’s Day. Vacation and personal days are prorated based on the start date and length of the contract.

STARTING SALARY: The starting salary for this role is $46,154 annually ($22.19 hourly).

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Format wildlife monitoring datasets for inclusion into NatureCounts:

• Work with data owners to understand their projects and protocols, including how they match NatureCounts standard formats.
• Preform basic data QC/QC on candidate datasets (data integrity, completeness, consistent data types etc).
• Format datasets into standard import templates using R, SQL, Excel or other data management software.
• Link data to standard NatureCounts species, site and user ids.
• Upload datasets to the NatureCounts databases housed and managed in MS SQL Server.

Populate detailed dataset metadata:

• Use standard templates to determine protocol metadata in collaboration with data owners.
• Enter metadata to the NatureCounts database in Bird Monitoring Data Registry Format.

Develop data tools and interfaces that can help streamline the transfer of data:

• Help develop data cleaning scripts, import procedures and/or data templates to help ensure high standards of data quality while improving import efficiency.
• Provide feedback on design and implementation of data import user interfaces.

Identify additional potential datasets to incorporate into NatureCounts:

• Work with staff, partners and data owners to identify potential additional datasets that would benefit Birds Canada’s mission if incorporated into NatureCounts.

REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS

• To be eligible, applicants must be under 30 years of age, a post-secondary graduate (or a high school graduate if residing in a territory), and must not have previously participated in an EcoCanada internship. This program is open to individuals with Canadian citizenship, permanent residency, or refugee status
• Understanding of common bird monitoring protocols (breeding bird atlases, bird banding, species checklists, point counts etc.).
• Familiarity with the NatureCounts platform, particularly Bird Monitoring Data Exchange data format.
• Meticulous attention to detail and a keen interest to grow the NatureCounts conservation data resources.
• Familiarity with relational database frameworks and database application software such as Microsoft Access, SQL Server, R and Visual Basic for applications, applied to the management of biological data.
• Experience with additional programming languages (e.g. Java, React), or web design (HTML, CSS, JavaScript, etc.), or a strong interest to learn, would be a valuable asset.

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE

The position requires one of the following:

• Formal training or certification in computer science (e.g., a college technical diploma, library sciences, or a B.Sc. in computer science), along with relevant experience managing biological survey and/or citizen science datasets; or
• A B.Sc. in the life sciences, with strong experience in data management.

TO APPLY

Please submit your resume along with a covering letter outlining how your experience makes you the perfect candidate for this role via the Birds Canada Online Job Portal by 5pm PDT on June 12, 2025. We encourage interested candidates to apply early, as applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis and initial interviews conducted and a final hire decision may be made prior to the closing date.  

 

Accommodations are available at any stage of the recruitment, selection, and/or assessment process to support diverse accessibility needs.

At Birds Canada, we are committed to fostering a culture that values Indigenous Engagement and Reconciliation, and Inclusivity, Diversity, Equity, and Accessibility, as integral approaches that shape all that we do in our organization and for nature (read our full commitment to inclusion at this LINK). We oppose prejudice, bigotry, and discrimination, and aim to ensure that people of all backgrounds, identities, abilities, and experiences feel a sense of belonging and can participate in protecting wild birds and their habitats.

We are actively seeking to improve our ability to reach all candidates with our job postings. Applicants belonging to racialized groups, who identify as Indigenous, 2SLGBTQIA+, and/or who have a disability, are therefore welcome to mention this in their cover letter, if they feel comfortable, although this is not a requirement.

Please mention you saw this at GoodWork.ca.