Education and Outreach Assistant

Education and Outreach Assistant (E&OA)

The Northwest Invasive Plant Council (NWIPC) is responsible for invasive plant management activities across northwest BC. Education and outreach through a variety of media and face-to-face contact is an important aspect of preventing and controlling the spread of non-native invasive species. For more information about NWIPC, go to www.nwipc.org.

Job Description

The position is suitable for a dynamic, outgoing individual who has an ethic of care for preserving ecosystems in BC’s northwest. The E&OA will play a crucial role in leading and enhancing NWIPC’s education and outreach efforts across the region. They will be responsible for coordinating and implementing both short- and long-term educational strategies aimed at raising public awareness about the impacts of invasive species. They will organize outreach booths, represent NWIPC at various events, and support the Executive Director with communications across social media platforms.

Eligibility:

1. Must be comfortable working on a self-employment contract (please reach out with questions if needed)
2. Must be legally entitled to work in Canada
3. Successful completion of a criminal record check
4. Ability to work from home office
5. Valid Level 1 Occupational First Aid (or willing to complete course)
6. Valid B.C. driver’s license, with a Clean Driving record (3 year abstract and claims history required) and access to a reliable vehicle

Preferred Skills/Qualifications:

1. Ability to engage effectively with members of the public
2. Passion for, and preferably some background in, environmental conservation or knowledge of invasive species
3. Experienced with delivering presentations to a variety of groups (e.g. youth, municipal governments, various special interest organizations and clubs, etc.)
4. Training and/or experience in use of social media and web site CMS
5. Be able and willing to travel within BC, as required
6. Positive, energetic team player who is self-motivated and comfortable working unsupervised
7. Ability to develop/follow a workplan with timelines

This position is a part-time, contract position with a non-profit organization and dependent on funding. The preferred, qualified candidate must be an independent contractor or self-employed, with ongoing access to current Microsoft applications and high-speed internet. They will need a reliable vehicle and be willing to travel, as requested. The ability to work remotely from existing place of employment or home office is required.

The E&OA must be able to work with minimal supervision and manage a varying workload, meet established timelines, and be responsive to communications (email, phone calls) in a timely fashion. They will be expected to be collaborative and willing to accept or make suggestions. The candidate is responsible for managing their own time and costs as outlined in a General Services Agreement. The E&OA reports to the NWIPC Executive Director.

Term: 15-30 hours per week, starting May 5th, ending August 30th with some weekend work through to September 30, 2025. There is a possibility of extension of the contract dependent on satisfactory performance and funding availability.

Compensation: $24.00/hr to a maximum of $18,000 including travel and cell phone allowance.

Please apply by submitting a cover letter, resume and two references to Michelle Miller, NWIPC Executive Director, manager@nwipc.org. Only electronic submissions will be accepted. You will receive an email reply acknowledging receipt of your application.

Deadline for submission: March 28th, 2025 4:00 PM

Additional information

The Education & Outreach Assistant will:

1. Work effectively with Executive Director, Field Operations Coordinator and NWIPC Invasive Plant Management contractors to ensure dissemination of information to partners, private landowners and various organizations/special interest groups.
2. Prepare appropriate outreach materials
3. Coordinate and participate in Community Invasive Plant Pulls
4. Monitor the WEEDS hotline and respond to inquiries
5. Promote and manage online projects, such as photo contests
6. Participate at events (e.g. tradeshows, farmers’ markets, fairs) and coordinate volunteers, as necessary
7. Keep NWIPC web site up to date – post news, advertise events, upload documents, etc.
8. Manage education and awareness budget
9. Prepare monthly reports
10. Other duties as required