Job opportunity: NoiseTracker Assistant Coordinator

The successful candidate will assist with advancing the development of a project plan for NoiseTracker (NT), a new initiative that aims to maximize the use of existing acoustic stations in BC by bringing together noise measurements and soundscape data from as many participating monitoring and research networks as possible, to display biologically relevant underwater noise data via a user-friendly, public-facing web platform.

Prior to the production of the NoiseTracker web-product, there are a number of key technical questions, data access agreements, educational goals, project timelines, and financial commitments raised by collaborators at previous NoiseTracker workshops that must be resolved. 

The part-time NoiseTracker assistant coordinator will assist the full-time NoiseTracker coordinator with project scoping, addressing and resolving questions that emerged from the workshops and building the foundation for the future successful development of NoiseTracker.

About Raincoast Conservation Foundation

Raincoast is a team of conservationists and scientists empowered by our research to protect the lands, waters and wildlife of coastal British Columbia. We use rigorous, peer-reviewed science and community engagement to further our conservation objectives. We call this approach informed advocacy.

Since 1996, Raincoast has been making progress toward our habitat and wildlife protection goals. Our on-the-ground presence has given us a deep-rooted understanding of BC’s vast coastline. We work in partnership with scientists, First Nations, local communities and NGOs to build support for decisions that protect marine, freshwater and terrestrial habitat on BC’s coast.

Duties and responsibilities

• Assist the NT coordinator with organizing and convening at least two online steering and two technical committee meetings prior to March 2023, ensuring that they take place in a timely manner. The following is a description of the committees:
  • A Steering Committee that will provide strategic guidance, focusing on funding requirements and opportunities, good governance, and how to make NT a reality. The steering committee will ideally include people from collaborating organizations with the necessary authority to make decisions on behalf of their organizations.
  • A Technical Committee that will engage members interested in contributing to the technical and costing aspects of NT for presentation to the steering committee.
• Participating in all steering and technical committee meetings that will help determine the structure, governance, and technical operation of NoiseTracker.
• Assist with the meeting minutes.
• Based on input from the committee meetings that will take place in January and February 2023, assist the NT coordinator with drafting a Term of Reference document (or related governance document), including, but not limited to: 1) the purpose and scope of NoiseTracker, 2) the responsibilities, objectives and anticipated frequency of meetings for each committee and for the broader assembly, 3) conflict-of-interest provisions if there are members with commercial interests in NT. The ToR document is due on March 15^th, 2023.
• Assist the NT coordinator with the production of a consolidated project plan outlining the logistical and technical aspects of the project.   This will  be achieved by summarizing the input obtained at the steering and technical committee meetings held, developing a guiding framework for the online public-facing interactive platform, including data management, metrics, analysis approaches, funding plan, and data-sharing protocols. A final report, due March 31^st 2023,  will include: 1) the ToR document, 2) the answers to the  list of questions raised during the NT workshops, and 3) the NoiseTracker project plan.   

Desired skills and qualifications

The successful candidate would have knowledge of the following:

• Excellent writing and communication skills (a sampling of your writing will be requested).
• Underwater acoustics, impacts of underwater noise on marine mammals and aquatic life, and conservation issues affecting marine mammals on the BC coast. This background knowledge is essential in order for the candidate to be able to distill the information from the committee meetings effectively into the required documents.
• Excellent interpersonal skills.
• Good organizational skills.
• Min. B.Sc. degree in marine biology, zoology, environmental sciences, conservation biology or related field.
• Experience writing grant applications and/or grant reports is a strong asset.
• Experience working on the BC coast is an asset. 

Salary and details

This position is part-time (16 – 32 hours per week, as needed). 

Job Type: Part-time
Anticipated hours: 16 to 32 hrs/week, as needed. Start date: January 9th 2023. End date: March 31, 2023. 
Salary range: $28/hour
Location: Be able to work remotely, but with reliable internet access to maintain routine communication with a well-integrated online network of internal and external colleagues for meetings, workshops, conferences and dialogues, etc. Be willing to travel within coastal BC to meetings and/or workshops (although it is quite likely that it can all take place online). 

Application deadline

December 13, 2022.

How to apply

Please send your resume and cover letter to jobs@raincoast.org, by Tuesday, December 13^th, 2022. Please include contact information for at least two references.

Email applications with “NoiseTracker Assistant Coordinator” in the subject line. Attach a single PDF file for your one-page cover letter and your resume – name it your first and last name (e.g. Mark Smith.pdf).

The cover letter should express why you want this position and identify how you are qualified. We thank all applicants, but only those selected for interviews will be contacted.

Raincoast welcomes applications from all interested and qualified candidates. Our organization is the product of diverse visions and perspectives and we welcome the unique contributions that you can bring. Raincoast is committed to fostering and maintaining a workplace culture that is inclusive and does not tolerate or accept discrimination or harassment.