Start date: September 1^st, 2024
Position status: Full-time (32 hours/week, 4-day work week, Mon-Thurs). Generous benefits package after three months.
Location: Prince Rupert, British Columbia
Compensation: $80,000 – $90,000

About Ecotrust Canada

Ecotrust Canada is an enterprising non-profit that works with rural, remote, and Indigenous communities toward building an economy that provides for a healthy and resilient natural environment; sustainable and abundant energy, food, and housing; prosperous and meaningful livelihoods; and vibrant cultures and inclusive societies. We call this approach building an economy that provides for life. Our on-the-ground work and systems approach is entrepreneurial, partnership-based, and relentlessly practical. To learn more visit ecotrust.ca.

About the Food Systems Program

Ecotrust Canada’s Food Systems Initiative is based on Coast Ts’ymsyen territories in Prince Rupert, BC. Our team works towards creating collaborative, vibrant, and innovative local food economies built by and for communities, supported by local and regional food production and marketplaces that are resilient and sustainable.

The Food Systems program has three key strategic areas: 1) Demonstrating that regenerative ocean farming is viable and sustainable on the West Coast of Canada, 2) Re-establishing the infrastructure, facilities, and partnerships necessary to revive a regional mariculture economy for BC’s North Coast and, 3) Supporting specific place-based Indigenous food sovereignty projects and initiatives. The 3-person program team includes our Mariculture Program Manager and Community Food Systems Innovation Manager. We collaborate to set and achieve shared desired annual, mid-term, and long-term outcomes.

Position Summary

The Assistant Director will be an integral part of the Food Systems Program, driving successful organization and operation of the program. We seek a person who is widely versed in food system transformation and marine foodways; who has strong organizational skills, project management, and leadership experience, who has experience working within rural, remote, Indigenous communities; and who is a respectful and natural communicator across multiple audiences. The Assistant Director will report directly to Ecotrust Canada’s Director of Food Systems and will assume some Director responsibilities during a maternity leave starting October 2024.

The Assistant Director will be primarily responsible for daily and weekly maintenance of key program functions, such as community relationships, grant reporting, and organizational files, as well as support the Director with program budgeting and finance.

Key Responsibilities

• Organization:
  • Manage project timelines and track deliverables to achieve program goals
  • Organize and maintain streamlined program management and organizational systems within the Food Systems Program
• Community work:
  • Maintain authentic, long-term, ongoing relationships and collaborative projects with community partners along with the Program Director and food systems team members.
  • Draft and maintain community contracts and partnership agreements (to be signed by the Executive team)
  • Establish new community partnerships in collaboration with the Program Director
• Funding:
  • Support the Program Director to research and apply for grants (both on behalf of Ecotrust Canada and our partners)
  • Maintain clear records of our grant-reporting deadlines and requirements. Monitor and report to funders on project progress and completion.
• Project implementation:
  • In collaboration with the Food Systems Team, support our community partners to co-design, implement, and monitor community-led food system projects. Support the development of budgets and financial planning for all projects in collaboration with Program Director and program managers.
  • Work with federal, provincial, and local contacts to advance enabling policy for a thriving, equitable, ecologically and socially sustainable, and Indigenous-led North Coast mariculture sector.
• Meetings & team participation:
  • Actively participate in team meetings
  • Attend staff and team retreats
  • Sit on Ecotrust Canada committees (minimum one committee)
  • Contribute to the Food Systems Program’s strategic vision and planning
  • Contribute to Ecotrust Canada’s public communications of the Food Systems Program’s work (i.e., by writing 1-2 blog posts per year)
  • When the Program Director is away, act as Deputy Director, taking on basic responsibilities to maintain the program’s function
  • Contribute to the development of research and policy reports
  • Other tasks as required

Skills and Qualifications

Essential skills and attributes:

• Knowledgeable about Food Systems transformation in BC (and Canada)
• Excellent communication skills (both written and verbal)
• Experience working and living in remote and rural communities
• Computer literacy (specifically experience using Excel, Word, PowerPoint)
• Excellent organizational skills
• Grant-writing and fundraising skills
• Prior experience with workshop facilitation and/or community engagement
• Understanding of (and prior experience in) managing budgets
• Adaptable, ability to work with change
• Excellent time management
• Prior experience living and/or working in rural, remote, Indigenous communities
• Driver’s licence, comfortable driving 4WD vehicles (and during community visits on behalf of the team)
• Aligned values to those of Ecotrust Canada’s mission

Assets (desired but not essential):

• Basic graphic design skills (i.e., understanding of Canva or willingness to learn)
• Experience in public speaking
• Policy and government relations expertise, especially related to food and aquaculture
• Experience with Regenerative Ocean Farming
• Expertise in business development and management

Worklife Balance and Well-Being

Our small team is ambitious – both in and outside of Ecotrust Canada – with our own passion projects. To support these ambitions we offer flexible hours, locations, and the ability to work time-in-lieu. We want this position to support your life goals, rather than detract from them. That said, we prioritize our community partners’ needs, their annual calendars (i.e., harvest seasons, festivals, etc.), and our project deadlines. Through strong communication and mutual support, we strive for a healthy work-life balance that benefits personal and professional growth.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

We will be prioritizing someone who self-identifies as First Nations for this role, and, who is from a rural, remote community in British Columbia – someone who understands first-hand our program’s mission, to nurture a vibrant and culturally relevant food system at the end of a long supply chain.

Ecotrust Canada is an Equal Opportunity Employer, and our employees are people with different strengths, experiences and backgrounds who share a passion for our mission. Diversity includes not only ethnicity and gender identity but also age, disability status, veteran status, sexual orientation, religion, and many other parts of one’s identity. All of our employees’ points of view are key to our collective success, and inclusion is everyone’s responsibility.

Reconciliation

Ecotrust Canada is committed to building respectful and reciprocal relationships with Indigenous communities and peoples. We are committed to upholding and respecting Indigenous governance, rights, and title in the places we live, work, and dream together. For more information, please see our Framework for Advancing Reconciliation here.