Summer Student

**Department**:Fisheries and Aquaculture

**Location**:PICTOU

**Type of Employment**:Student

**Union Status**:Exclusion - Non Union - NSPG

**Closing Date**:29-Feb-24 (Applications are accepted until 11:59 PM Atlantic Time)

**About Us**:
The Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture has a legislated mandate to manage, promote, support, and develop the fishing, aquaculture and seafood processing industries that contribute to the economic, environmental, and social prosperity of Nova Scotia’s coastal and rural communities. As a department, we work to promote Nova Scotia as Canada’s premier fish and seafood province.

**About Our Opportunity**:
Under the supervision of the Fisheries Biologists, the student Research Assistant will be based in the Pictou office of the Nova Scotia Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture Inland Fisheries Division and time shared between two field crews.

**Primary Accountabilities**:
As the summer Research Assistant student, you will participate in the coordination of data collection, management, and analysis directed towards freshwater fisheries resources in the province. The Research Assistant will be involved in fieldwork on lakes, rivers, and streams, supporting various projects pertaining to the Inland Fisheries Division’s freshwater fisheries management objectives.

The Research Assistant will support the Inland Fisheries Division Resource Management Unit and gain valuable experience using a variety of techniques that include fish surveys through trapping and electrofishing, habitat assessments, and various forms of data collection. Data will be entered into a database, and verified for quality control and analysis under the supervision of the Fisheries Biologists and Technicians.

**Additonal duties include**:
Field work preparation (loading sampling gear, creating fish sampling data sheets, gathering and maintaining fish processing equipment, organizing contact groups prior to trip), literature searches and working with community groups and other government departments. The Research Assistant will gain experience in many aspects of biological assessment that can be applied to future employment opportunities in science. The Research Assistant Student may also be responsible for annotated, detailed literature searches and graphical representation of data.

**Qualifications and Experience**:
Applicants must be enrolled as a full-time student and returning to school in a post secondary program in a related field (Biology, Environmental Science, Natural Resource Management, Marine Biology, Ecology, Limnology, etc.) in the fall 2024 or next applicable semester.

This position will require you to be highly motivated and exhibit initiative, possess excellent written and oral communication skills, be able to work independently, and work within a team environment. You must be comfortable working in and around water and the outdoors in all weather conditions. A valid driver’s licence is required, and you must be willing to drive pickup trucks on highways, secondary, and dirt roads.

Assets include:

- Experience with the operation of small boats, fisheries field equipment, and off-road vehicles
- A general knowledge of fishery management techniques, scientific data collection and assessment Recreational fishing experience or knowledge of the industryWe will assess the above qualifications and competencies using one or more of the following tools: assessment of a written product, interview(s), and reference check.

**Working Conditions**:
Normal office hours are 35 hours/week at 7 hours/day. Field work will require flexible hours with potential for overtime and can include overnight travel throughout Nova Scotia.

**Additional Information**:
This opportunity is to fill a summer student position with the anticipated start date of **May 6, 2024 and end date of August 12, 2024**.

**Pay Grade**:_ _HOURLY

**Salary Range**:_ _$14.97 - $28.26 Bi-Weekly

**Employment Equity Statement**:
Current government employees may access this posting through the link below: