Job Opportunity

Organization: Islands Trust
Location: Victoria BC / Hybrid

JOB PROFILE

Position # 00122417
Title: Covenant Management Specialist
Classification: STO21

Ministry: Islands Trust, MINISTRY OF Housing and Municipal Affairs
Work Unit: Islands Trust Conservancy
Supervisor Title: Team Lead, Protected Area Management SUPERVISOR POSITION #: 28948

PROGRAM

Located in Coast Salish territory, the Islands Trust is a special purpose, federated government body responsible for protecting the unique amenities and environment of 13 major islands and more than 450 smaller islands and the surrounding waters in the Salish Sea. Created by the Province via the Islands Trust Act, Islands Trust plans and regulates local land use, advocates on key environmental issues impacting the area, and protects land through the Islands Trust Conservancy. Islands Trust works closely with other government agencies, First Nations, and conservation groups to accomplish its mandate.

Islands Trust Conservancy (ITC) is a special-purpose government body created by the Province via the Islands Trust Act, to acquire land and money to further the mandate of the Islands Trust. Islands Trust Conservancy can accept land, conservation covenants, and financial contributions from individuals, corporate donors, and government. The Islands Trust Conservancy Board, consisting of three trustees elected by the Islands Trust Council and up to three trustees appointed by the Province, is responsible for receiving and managing money and protected areas, and considering requests for disposition of protected areas.

The Covenant Management Specialist ensures that Islands Trust Conservancy’s conservation covenants are monitored and managed to preserve the health of the species and ecosystems and other ecological and cultural features on the land, and is responsible for annual compliance monitoring, including following up on issues of breach and trespass. The Covenant Management Specialist strives to build and maintain positive working relationships with covenant landholders and their neighbours, resolves conflicts between ecological conservation and other land uses, and undertakes outreach and education to raise awareness of land stewardship and protection options on and around covenant lands. The Covenant Management Specialist harnesses available resources to implement species and ecosystems conservation, restoration, and enhancement measures as needed and as permitted under the terms of the covenant agreements.

ACCOUNTABILITIES

• Develop, manage, and implement an annual covenant compliance monitoring program that ensures the regular inspection of all ITC covenant lands;
• Conduct site visits, field work, and covenant monitoring in rural island locations to determine covenant management needs, investigate covenant compliance, and implement covenant management and/or enforcement actions as required;
• Plan and implement management actions for ITC covenants as resources permit, including management of the covenant monitoring and management programs, development of covenant management plans, liaison with cocovenant holders and landholders, and maintaining detailed covenant records;
• Manage contracts relevant to ITC covenants, including ecological and compliance monitoring, development of management plans, land management, habitat enhancement, ecological restoration activities, and research;
• Includes drafting and negotiating contract terms, monitoring contract progress, evaluating work, and reporting progress to the Team Lead, Protected Area Management and the ITC Board;
• Seek opportunities to learn about First Nations, treaty processes, and reconciliation efforts in the Islands Trust Area and participate in engagement and collaboration initiatives between ITC and Indigenous Governing Bodies n the Islands Trust Area;
• In collaboration with the ITC Team, promote working relationships with Indigenous Governing Bodies, conservation partners, and interested parties (e.g. local conservancy organizations) to achieve covenant objectives and strive to develop new working relationships as required;
• Work with staff and contractors to develop and maintain information systems (e.g. databases) and mapping products (e.g. using Geographic Information System (GIS)) to maintain covenant records, support covenant management and monitoring, and inform decision making;
• Identify threats impacting environmental integrity. Assess the need for species or ecosystem conservation, restoration, or enhancement on ITC covenant lands, implement management actions as appropriate and as resources allow, and evaluate success of management activities through site visits and monitoring;
• Evaluate and mitigate potential covenant violations, and investigate cases of covenant breach and trespass. This includes: identifying appropriate actions to address violations, working with the Team Lead to provide confidential written investigation reports with recommendations to the ITC Board, communicating remediation requirements to the landholder, and following up to ensure remedial actions were completed appropriately in a timely manner;
• Prepare requests for legal counsel on issues related to covenant management and enforcement. Evaluate legal advice, with guidance from the Team Lead and ITC Manager, to determine required actions and follow up;
• Prepare and present technical information and evidence to legal counsel and attend court to provide evidence obtained during an investigation of a covenant violation;
• Prepare written reports and recommendations on covenant monitoring, management, and enforcement;
• Provide educational materials and advice to Islands Trust and other Islands Trust Conservancy staff, covenant landholders, other land conservation and parks agencies, industry, and the public regarding Islands Trust Conservancy conservation covenant program and land protection tools, as well as the ecological and cultural values in the region;
• Assist the Team Lead in preparing and managing covenant-related budgets and in the development of covenant monitoring and management policies and procedures;
• Plan, develop, manage and conduct covenant landholder stewardship and neighbour outreach programs and events in collaboration with the ITC Communications Specialist;
• Provide briefings to the Board about outreach and engagement projects;
• Collaborate with other ITC staff to develop, implement and evaluate landowner contact programs to inform landholders in the Islands Trust Area of land protection and donation opportunities, and to provide educational information about ecological and cultural features;
• Represent Islands Trust Conservancy on external working groups and committees relevant to the management and monitoring of covenant lands;
• Other duties as requested by the ITC Manager.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES

• Knowledge of land management, field sampling/ecological monitoring and ecological restoration;
• Knowledge of coastal BC ecosystems and species;
• Awareness of conservation issues in coastal British Columbia;
• Knowledge of biophysical and ecological baseline inventory techniques;
• Understanding of terrain/soils classification, air photo/satellite imagery interpretation, mapping and the current ecological classification systems used in British Columbia.
• Ability to conduct field work, including natural area inventories and ecological assessments;
• Ability to navigate on the land using GPS, paper map, handheld compass, and other field tools;
• Ability to work cooperatively within a team environment and with a variety of stakeholders including: landholders, conservation organizations, Indigenous Governing Bodies, other government agencies and the general public;
• Ability to respectfully and effectively manage conflict situations with landholders and neighbours when investigating violation or trespass incidents;
• Ability to plan, organize, and direct own work effectively in a timely manner and achieve results;
• Ability to manage complex, multi-year projects to successful completion within budget while meeting deadlines;
• Ability to communicate effectively, including public speaking, facilitating group sessions, and communicating technical information both orally and in writing to experts and lay persons;
• Ability to manage and lead co-op employees, interns, volunteers, and contractors;
• Ability to work independently with minimal supervision.

JOB REQUIREMENTS

Education and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in biology, ecology, environmental science, resource management, or related field.
• Minimum two (2) years of experience in conservation land management.
• Minimum of two (2) years of fieldwork experience related to ecological restoration, habitat enhancement or monitoring, species surveys, vegetation monitoring, species at risk, Terrestrial Ecosystem Mapping (TEM), or similar fieldwork experience.
• Minimum of six (6) months experience with landowner contact and outreach or equivalent.
• Experience in field survey techniques, including use of Global Positioning System (GPS).
• Must possess and maintain a valid driver’s license.

Preference may be given to applicants with:

• Experience with ecological baseline assessments and inventories.
• Experience with land trust tools such as conservation covenants.
• Registrant with the College of Applied Biology (any category).
• Experience with Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and mapping techniques.
• Experience working with First Nations.
• Experience with social marketing, public engagement, and/or communications.
• Experience with the BC Land Titles systems, land surveying principles, techniques, and technologies required for BC Land Surveys.

Provisos:

• Successful completion of security screening requirements of the BC Public Service.
• Must be capable of conducting long days of fieldwork in remote locations and rugged terrain, maintaining a fitness level commensurate with required fieldwork.
• Must be willing to travel regularly throughout the year, including seasonal overnight and multi-day travel away from home base; and
• Must be willing to work overtime, including evenings and weekends as required.

BEHAVIOURAL COMPETENCIES

Listening, Understanding and Responding is the desire and ability to understand and respond effectively to other people from diverse backgrounds. It includes the ability to understand accurately and respond effectively to both spoken and unspoken or partly expressed thoughts, feelings and concerns of others. People who demonstrate high levels of this competency show a deep and complex understanding of others, including cross-cultural sensitivity.

Organizational Commitment is the ability and willingness to align one’s own behaviour with the needs, priorities and goals of the organization, and to promote organizational goals to meet organizational needs. It also includes acting in accordance with organizational decisions and behaving with integrity.

Planning, Organizing and Co-ordinating involves proactively planning, establishing priorities and allocating resources. It is expressed by developing and implementing increasingly complex plans. It also involves monitoring and adjusting work to accomplish goals and deliver to the organization's mandate.

Problem Solving and Judgement is the ability to analyze problems systematically, organize information, identify key factors, identify underlying causes and generate solutions.

Relationship Building is working to build or maintain ethical relationships or networks or contacts with people who are, or may be, potentially helpful in achieving work-related goals and establishing advantages. These people may include customers, clients, counterparts, colleagues, etc.

Teamwork and Co-operation is the ability to work co-operatively within diverse teams, work groups and across the organization to achieve group and organizational goals.

INDIGENOUS RELATIONS BEHAVIOURAL COMPETENCIES

Building a trust-based relationship requires a fundamental understanding that "relationship" is the foundation from which all activities happen and that building a good relationship takes time and commitment. It is a willingness to build a personal relationship in addition to a professional one, participating in open exchanges of experiences and culture. It requires a genuine, non-controlling approach and relies upon demonstrated integrity and transparency. Building a trust-based relationship requires a high level of consciousness of the experience of Indigenous People with Crown relations. It assumes that strengths abound in Indigenous people, cultures and communities.

Cultural Agility is the ability to work respectfully, knowledgeably and effectively with Indigenous people. It is noticing and readily adapting to cultural uniqueness in order to create a sense of safety for all. It is openness to unfamiliar experiences, transforming feelings of nervousness or anxiety into curiosity and appreciation. It is examining one's own culture and worldview, and the culture of the BC Public Service, and to notice their commonalities, and distinctions with Indigenous cultures, and worldviews. It is recognition of the ways that personal and professional values may conflict or align with those of Indigenous people. It is the capacity to relate to or allow for differing cultural perspectives and being willing to experience a personal shift in perspective.

Sustained learning and development means continually increasing your ability to build and maintain respectful and effective relationships with Indigenous peoples. Central to this competency is appreciating that there are many other cultural understandings of knowledge and ways of working that have legitimacy and deserve respect — and therefore require our continual learning and development, including direct exposure to cultural and community ways. It includes an eagerness to continually reflect upon and assess your own level of cultural agility and competence, self-awareness and expertise. It means being willing to learn in new and different ways and appreciating how diverse ways of thinking and acting can ensure the success of the BC Public Service in supporting Indigenous self-determination.

Application page: https://bcpublicservice.hua.hrsmart.com/hr/ats/Posting/view/122208

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