Terrestrial Ecologist

**Posted**:
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**Monday, July 24, 2023**

**Job Number**:
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**PC**
**-23-37**

**Job Type**:
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**Permanent**
**Full-time, Union**

**Position Closing Date**:
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**Monday, August 14, 2023**

**Choose Barrie**

The City of Barrie is a vibrant, progressive, and growing community with deep connections to our heritage, to nature and to the opportunities surrounding us.

Our community values quality of life; the ability to play year-round with 300 hectares of park space, our beautiful waterfront, our lively downtown core and the nearby hills, wetlands, and forests. We also value connections; to our neighbours and the community, to our road and rail network, and to the opportunity Barrie provides to enjoy life.

Everything Barrie has to offer, from the water we drink to the roads we travel on, has one thing in common - municipal workers. Joining a municipality is one of the most rewarding, engaging, and exciting careers you could choose. It is a career you can take pride in knowing that every day you make a positive impact on an entire community. We are one team, with one goal and we all work together to continue making our community great.

**The Opportunity**

Under the general guidance and direction of the Manager of Parks Planning, the Terrestrial Ecologist position is responsible for assisting with the planning, conservation, stewardship, and restoration of the City of Barrie's open space and natural heritage system. Specifically, this position is responsible for providing scientific and technical input into the development approval process, including conducting field reviews to assist scoping Environmental Impact Study (EIS), Natural Heritage Evaluation (NHE), Tree Removal Permit requirements, developing monitoring programs and draft plan and subdivision conditions, verifying EIS results and recommendations, reviewing and determining terrestrial ecological offsetting requirements and compensation, and confirming that all relevant City and Provincial by-laws, policies and legislation related to terrestrial natural heritage resources are met. Additionally, this position recommends, develops, and assists with the implementation of natural heritage and environmental planning strategies, policies, management plans, Master Plans, public and agency partnership initiatives, and community outreach and education initiatives for the City's natural heritage system. Lastly, this position oversees and participates in the planning, design, and implementation of the rehabilitation of City green infrastructure and natural heritage systems by spearheading a full array of natural heritage restoration and development projects, while ensuring parks construction projects comply with all relevant municipal by-laws and provincial legislation and the coordination of volunteer and community involvement in an array of ecological outreach and stewardship programs. Overall, this position plays an integral role in developing and implementing programs to enrich the services offered by the Park Planning Branch to shape and enhance the City of Barrie's greenspace and natural heritage system to ensure the City of Barrie maintains a safe, clean, and suitable environment for its residents and visitors.

**Our Culture and Qualifications of the Job**

**Corporate Culture**
- Your workplace values align with our corporate values of **_Strive, Share and Care_** and you want to join us in providing exceptional services and programs to build a prosperous, growing and sustainable community

**Education **(degree/diploma/certifications)
- Four (4) year University Degree in Science, Ecology, Environmental Science, Natural Resource Management or related discipline
- Eligible for and willing to obtain:

- One (1) year College Certificate in Ecosystem Restoration, Environmental Management, or related discipline; OR
- Graduate Certificate in Environmental Management and Assessment; OR
- Professional Certificate in Ecological Restoration or Restoration of Natural Systems
- Completion of Ecological Land Classification Certificate from the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry
- Completion of Butternut Health Assessment (BHA) Certificate from the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry
- Completion of Certified Ecological Restoration Practitioner (CERP) from the Society for Ecological Restoration (SER) OR Certified Ecologist (CEcD) from the Ecological Society of America (ESA)

**Experience**
- Five (5) years of experience performing duties related to the above mentioned major responsibilities, including one (1) year of leadership experience
- Demonstrated experience with:

- natural heritage planning, conservation and ecological restoration within an urban growth environment
- conducting a wide range of biological field investigations following established protocols (E.g. Species at Risk surveys)
- performing other specialized environmental planning studies, including but not limited to, Environmental Assessments, Natural Heritag