Specialist, Conservation & Community Engagement - WI

Take the next step in your career by joining the team at the Wilder Institute and help to strengthen conservation relationships with local communities and interested parties involved in our Whooping Crane Program. The Wilder Institute’s Applied Conservation Programs is seeking a permanent full-time the Conservation & Community Engagement Specialist who will play a central role in shaping and supporting a collaborative and inclusive future for whooping crane conservation in the South Slave region.

This position supports the Wilder Institute’s efforts to build respectful, collaborative, and lasting relationships with Indigenous Peoples and other local communities. This role integrates conservation priorities with Indigenous knowledge systems, ensuring that our conservation work aligns with reconciliation and community values.

The Conservation & Community Engagement Specialist is responsible for providing guidance and support to the program’s efforts to advance whooping crane species recovery within an inclusive conservation framework. They work closely with the Conservation Program Manager to design, coordinate, and implement relationship strengthening and outreach activities, and will support the creation and implementation of a co-design process for future whooping crane conservation action. Working in close collaboration with the Conservation Education and other internal teams, this position advises on the design and implementation of educational programming and communications, ensuring that materials are tailored to local interests and values, and are accessible to the needs of local youth, educators, and Indigenous communities.

Our Purpose | We act for wildlife; saving species and inspiring people to join us.

Our Core Values | Drive impact, nurture connection, cultivate hope, and be bold.

Location: This position is remote in the North West Territoties; being based in a South Slave region community is preferred, while other northern locations will be considered and may be approved to work from.

What you will do:

• Collaborate on the design, development, and implementation of an engagement and co-design plan for future conservation actions, working closely with the Program Manager to identify community needs, values, concerns, and areas of shared interest.
• Support relationship building with identified Indigenous Governments in the South Slave region, including maintaining contact lists, performing initial outreach, and supporting the Program Manager in ongoing relationship management.
• Coordinate and deliver outreach and education events in whooping crane relevant communities, including but not limited to information booths at community events e.g. the Northern Whooping Crane Festival, Treaty Land Entitlement and other celebrations.
• Collaborate closely with the Conservation Education team to provide advice and guidance in the creation of educational programming tailored to the needs of South Slave and Peace-Athabasca region youth and educators. Coordinate delivery of educational activities including in-school opportunities where appropriate.
• Provide guidance and advice to Conservation & Science (C&S) and Communications teams to support the creation of communications materials that are accessible to Indigenous and other local communities in which we work, promoting transparent information sharing and supporting an ethical engagement and co-design process.
• Support the ethical collection, management, and sharing of stories, images, knowledge, and engagement data, ensuring appropriate consent and alignment with community expectations, OCAP principles, and other Indigenous data sovereignty frameworks.
• Conduct background research and literature reviews in support of community engagement and co-design needs.
• Participate in meetings with internal and external partners, as needed
• Report monthly purchasing card purchases in-line with project budgets
• Purchase, maintain equipment, and manage outreach related inventory
• Assist with funding proposals, donor and board reports/presentations, as needed
• Liaise and work collaboratively with other Wilder Institute staff as well as with external collaborators
• Comply with the Wilder Institute health and safety program and relevant organizational policies.
• Other duties and responsibilities as assigned.

What you will bring:

• Lived experience in a Northern community is required; connections to communities in the South Slave and/or Peace-Athabasca regions are highly valued (including through residence, family, culture, community involvement, education, employments, or partnership networks).
• Demonstrated professional experience in conservation, environment/lands management, community engagement, or a related field, combined with one or more of the following:
  • Lived experience as an Indigenous person;
  • Experience working for an Indigenous government, community, or organization;
  • Significant experience collaborating with Indigenous governments, communities, or organizations.
  • Equivalent combinations of professional, community-based, and lived experience will be considered
• Lived experience as an Indigenous person and/or professional experience working with Indigenous communities, governments, or organizations is preferred
• Experience in communicating environmental or conservation topics to a variety of audiences, through written, verbal, or visual formats is adventageous
• Experience in the design and delivery of engagement processes with Indigenous groups including special events, workshops, symposia and community/cultural gatherings is desirable
• Experience working with research/knowledge, gained through traditional Indigenous methodologies and land-based learning and/or Western research methodologies is preferred
• A degree, diploma, or certificate in Indigenous Studies, Social Science, Natural Resources Management, Natural Sciences, Education, Community Organizing, or a related field is an asset.
• Effective written and verbal communication skills.
• Excellent interpersonal skills, with an ability to build and maintain strong relationships.
• Collaboration and the ability to be a contributing member of a team.
• Experience with the Microsoft Office Suite, including Excel, PowerPoint, Word, and Teams.
• Ability to work with sensitivity, integrity, and respect in cross-cultural environments.
• Detail-oriented and organized.
• Understanding of Indigenous data sovereignty principles (e.g. OCAP) is an asset; training and certification will be provided where needed.
• Ability to interpret Western science knowledge from publications and other sources and contribute towards translating this knowledge into publicly accessible language and concepts.
• Demonstrated knowledge and understanding of the Environmental Non-Governmental Organization (ENGO) sector.

Working Conditions:

• This position is remote; being based in a South Slave region community, while other northern locations will be considered and may be approved to work from.
• Extensive office work that involves long periods of sitting at computer workstations.
• Schedule may vary depending on engagement activities, project needs, and may include occasional evening or weekend work.
• Travel to other South Slave region communities is required and may be scheduled with varying notice depending on engagement timelines. Occasional travel to Calgary for engagement events and organizational meetings is required (est. 2-4 times per year).
• Flexibility is required to participate in cultural events, ceremonies, meetings, and workshops in accordance with community protocols and schedules.
• Work priorities and timelines may shift based on relationship-building, consultation processes, and organizational needs.
• Occasional extended hours may be required to support time-sensitive engagement or advisory work.

What the Zoo Offers:

• Compensation aligned with local and non-profit/NGO sector benchmarks and based on candidate's experience and qualifications
• Flexible benefits plan, including a health spending account
• Employer matching RRSP program
• Discounts on food, beverage, and merchandise
• Participation in the Staff Pass Benefit plan
• A fun, rewarding work environment and the opportunity to work in a park full of wild animals

Are you ready to join one of Canada’s leaders in wildlife conservation? If this position suits your skills, experience and personal attributes, we want to talk to you.

Apply by doing the following:

1. Watch this videoabout the conservation work being done at the Wilder Institute. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8J1VH1MBXm0)
2. Submit both your resume and a cover letter via our online application system (both documents are required for a complete application). In your cover letter, please tell us about your experience with land stewardship, conservation projects, and/or wildlife management. Please feel welcome to share professional, community- and/or volunteer-based involvements that will help us understand your experience more fully.
3. Fill in the Application questions:
   • Confirm eligibility to work in Canada.
   • If hired, how long would you need from time of offer to start? When would you be available to start?
   • This role requires traveling for work (such as workshops, conferences, events, presentations, etc.). Do you have any concerns with traveling periodically for work?
   • Do you have any experience communicating scientific or environmental information to different audiences? If yes, please briefly describe such experience, and reference any related coursework or other training you might have had.
   • If hired, what is your salary expectations for this position?

Applicants must be legally entitled to work in Canada.

If this position is a fit for you, we encourage you to apply with a resume and cover letter online by our application deadline: November 12, 2026

The Wilder Institute strives to cultivate a workplace in which everyone feels welcome and empowered to bring their authentic selves to work. As a conservation organization, we respect and value the diversity of all life and come together as individuals and teammates to achieve the organization’s mission and vision. We recognize the value of diversity, equity, and inclusion, and work to advance our culture to ensure diverse viewpoints are heard, and everyone has an equitable chance to succeed and thrive.

This position is an existing vacancy within our organization. The Wilder Institute uses basic knockout questions in application to support screening; applications are otherwise assessed and selected by real humans.

All candidates are thanked for their applications and advised that they will be contacted once applications have been reviewed, and a final decision has been made.