Indigenous Career Internship Opportunity

Indigenous Career Internship Opportunity: Environmental Water Science

Join Water First Education & Training Inc., a passionate and growing organization working to support sustainable access to safe, clean water in Indigenous communities. Water First is a Canadian charity that partners with Indigenous communities across Canada to help address the water crisis through education, training, and meaningful collaboration.

Water First is hiring an Internship Trainer & Project Coordinator to work alongside our Schools Program, Environmental Program and Drinking Water Program to assist with the delivery of our water education and training programs in partnership with Indigenous communities across Canada. We encourage current students and graduates from environmental science programs to apply, as well as individuals with inherent and learned knowledge of lands and water systems.

Terms of Employment:

Full-time Contract:  37.5 hours a week, 16-week contract
Salary: $22.00/hr
Location: In-field work: travel as needed; work from home when not in the field with flexibility to attend meetings at the Water First head office in Creemore, Ontario.
Start Date: Flexible start date. This position will remain open until filled.

Key Responsibilities:

• Travel with Water First’s Drinking Water and Environmental Water teams to support the delivery of water science education and skills training in First Nations communities
• Support the coordination of water science programs for K-12 students with Water First’s School Water department
• Support the development of water science education materials for K-12 students with Water First’s School Water department
• Support Water First’s outreach workshops and information booths at community events as required.
• Packing and unpacking of program equipment in the Creemore office before and after in-community work projects
• Complete debriefing documents after trips to communities

Qualifications:

• Passionate and knowledgeable about water and environmental protection
• Committed to reciprocal learning to support continued program development
• Comfortable with co-facilitating groups and assisting with training (previous experience could be presentation experience to camp counsellor experience or workshop lead)
• Ability to travel with the team and work from home in between workshops
• Ability to stand for long periods of time and meet the physical demands of working outdoors on land and on/in water 
• Computer skills, including Google Suite, Google Drive and Microsoft Office
• Efficient organization and time-management skills.

Additional Assets:

• Experience working in collaboration with First Nations communities and members
• Related degree, diploma, or certification, or previous work experience in one of the following fields: drinking water/wastewater treatment, water testing, or environmental monitoring. 
• Water or wastewater operator certifications.
• Experience related to Environmental Studies, Outdoor Education, Engineering, Geography, Indigenous Studies, Indigenous Culture, and or Science is a vital asset  

Applicant Eligibility:

This position is an Indigenous Career Intern Initiative. All applicants must self-identify as First Nations, Inuit or Métis and:

• Possess a valid Social Insurance Number at the start of employment and be legally entitled to work in Canada in accordance with relevant provincial or territorial legislation and regulations
• Obtain a Vulnerable Sector security check upon request
• Access to a reliable vehicle to travel into Indigenous Communities for program delivery and attend meetings and training at the Water First’s Creemore office as required.

Our commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion:

We respect and value the diversity of our people. We strive to create an environment where employees can be themselves and where our differences are celebrated.

Water First is committed to being accessible and inclusive and following barrier-free and accessible employment practices in compliance with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA). Should you require accommodation through any stage of the recruitment process, please let us know when we contact you, and we will work with you to meet your needs.

Water First’s professional values:
Respectful  |  Challenge Seeker  |  Dedicated  |  Positive Attitude  |  Confident & Receptive