Project Manager Job Opportunity University of Saskatchewan Project title Developing strategies for informed collaborative decision making for vegetation management on northern Rights-of-Way
Project summary Through integration of social and environmental sciences, the goal of our research project is to develop both effective community engagement strategies and relevant ecological risk assessment data to support informed collaborative decision making for vegetation management of northern Rights- of-Way (ROWs). SaskPower has extensive ROWs within the boreal forest ecosystem extending as far north as Uranium City and east to Flin Flon. As a first step in implementing an Integrated Vegetation Management (IVM) plan for these northern ROWs, SaskPower is proposing the use of GarlonTM RTU via basal bark application to augment recent hand cutting. Local Indigenous communities have raised concerns regarding herbicide usage on northern powerline ROWs. This project will work closely with both Lac La Ronge Indian Band and SaskPower to develop strategies for collaborative decision making. Incorporating toxicology research and community engagement provides an opportunity to build on our knowledge of northern boreal herbicide persistence and toxicity and address the concerns of those communities most directly impacted by herbicide usage. Our project will develop a protocol for assessing both the environmental and social effects of IVM and herbicide use on northern ROWs and for ensuring Indigenous peoples are meaningfully involved in decision making processes for northern ROWs. We propose to take an integrative approach that combines toxicological and ecological testing of vegetation treatments while simultaneously developing and evaluating school-based curricula and community engagement strategies. Development and delivery of curriculum on plant ecology, soil science and toxicology topics for public school science students in Indigenous communities will be a core deliverable for the project. In addition, students will also receive training in field research methods and ROW vegetation monitoring, facilitating their active participation in the research initiatives. The project manager will be expected to: • Work closely with both the Lac La Ronge Indian Band (LLRIB) Lands and Resources Management Board and SaskPower representatives to develop effective community engagement strategies • Provide leadership and logistical support to a Masters of Environment and Sustainability student and a Masters of Toxicology student employed on the project • Develop and deliver curriculum for primary and secondary school students in northern communities on topics relevant to toxicology and vegetation management of ROWs • Facilitate community engagement activities and events, as well as, youth involvement in research field trials in northern communities • Work closely with LLRIB to integrate local knowledge and traditional land use information into ROW vegetation management planning • Provide project administration including meeting facilitation, budget management, tracking of project progress and writing of final reports • Travel to communities of the Lac La Ronge Indian Band Expected competencies include: • An MSc, MA or MES in resource management, geography, environmental studies or related field with experience in investigator-driven research or an MEd or BEd with experiencing working in education and youth programming in Indigenous communities • Demonstrated experience working with Indigenous communities • Team player with strong initiative who can work with minimal supervision and anticipate team needs • Experience and skill with data management (i.e., tracking and organization of consent forms, participants, project outputs, reviews of materials and communications) • Demonstrated track record of carrying out the necessary management tasks to convene and catalyze teams to deliver timely, high quality products • Knowledge of curriculum development and implementation strategies • Workshop or conference organization experience • Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with a strong track record in research dissemination for various audiences • Ability and willingness to travel and work evenings and weekends to coordinate aspects of project work is required • Valid driver’s license The expected starting date for this 2 year project will be September 1, 2016. This is a part-time appointment (0.75 FTE). Salary range offered is $40,00 to $45,000 per year for 2 years. Interested candidates should submit a CV and three references to Dr. Katherine Stewart at University of Saskatchewan ([email protected]). For more information please contact Dr. Stewart. Review of applications will begin on August 10th, 2016 until the job is filled.
