JOBS & SUMMER JOBS

Position: Conservation Programs Assistant
Eligibility: age 30 & under (see below)
Project: BC Projects: Oregon spotted frog, western painted turtle, Taylor's checkerspot butterfly
Location: Greater Vancouver Zoo, Aldergrove BC
Organization: Wildlife Preservation Canada

Type of Position: Full-time (37.5hr/wk), temporary (4 months, May to August)
Rate of Pay: $19, plus 4% vacation pay
Anticipated Start: May 1, 2023
Hours of Work: Standard 5 day weekly schedule with some flexibility. Regularly scheduled days off one of which is a weekend day.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION

This position is funded in part by government youth employment initiatives which require candidates to be:

• between 15 and 30 years of age at the beginning of the employment period
• a Canadian citizen, permanent resident, or person on whom refugee protection has been conferred under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act; and
• legally entitled to work in Canada in accordance with relevant provincial legislation and regulations

Wildlife Preservation Canada is seeking staff to assist with its ex-situ rearing programs run out of the facilities at Greater Vancouver Zoo. Staff will assist with all aspects of ex-situ rearing of the three focus species including caring for all life stages of frogs, incubating and rearing young turtles and breeding and rearing larva of butterflies. The resulting individuals produced by the ex-situ breeding programs are released as part of the overarching recovery strategy for each of these listed species. Staff will be able to assist with releases of the species that occur during the course of their contract. Staff will also have the opportunity to develop their public speaking skills while engaging with the public both on-site and at events throughout the community.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Under the supervision of the Lead Biologist for BC Projects, staff will be responsible for a diverse set of responsibilities including daily care of the focus species including feeding, cleaning, animal care observations, weighing, assisting with health checks and medicating as needed.

Specific duties will include:

• Record keeping and communication with Lead biologist
• Delivering educational programing to zoo visitors and members of the public during events
• Daily care and husbandry of captive animals of three target species
• Care and maintenance of invertebrate food colonies (crickets and mealworms)
• Assisting with marking of animals prior to release
• Data management, collection of morphometric measurements and ensuring consistency of data
• Effective and timely communication with program staff and partners
• General site maintenance
• Adhere to all health and safety regulations, legislation and policies.
• preparing content for the program blog.
• Additional tasks as required

REQUIRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE

• A post-secondary degree or diploma in a relevant discipline
• Strong interest in biology, conservation, and applications of ex-situ rearing
• Detail-oriented and able accurately record and manage data
• Strong oral and written communication skills
• Ability to work professionally and safely in variable weather conditions
• Strong interpersonal skills, and the ability to maintain positive relationships with other staff members, coworkers, and other project partners.

ASSET SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE

• Completion of a graduate degree in a biologically-related field, or equivalent level of knowledge/experience
• Familiarity with animal handling
• Familiarity and/or experience with animal husbandry practices
• Science communication skills, including virtual and in-person presentations

TO APPLY

Please send a cover letter and resume to: Andrea Gielens, Lead Biologist BC Projects, andrea@wildlifepreservation.ca Please submit your application as a single PDF or MS word file and include the email subject heading “Conservation Programs Assistant”. Applications will be assessed as they are submitted, and the positions will be filled as soon as suitable candidates are found. Applications will not be considered after midnight (EST) March 31, 2023.

Saving endangered species requires contributions of people of diverse backgrounds, heritage, knowledge, experiences, and identities, though many of these voices have been excluded from conservation. WPC is committed to promoting equity, diversity, and inclusion in our organization, and we welcome applications from all qualified individuals. We encourage those from historically marginalized groups—including racialized, Indigenous, and 2SLGBTQIA+ people, those with differing abilities, and other equity-deserving groups—to self-identify in their cover letter, if they feel comfortable, so we may consider their application accordingly.

We thank all who apply, but only those selected for an interview will be contacted.

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