Research Assistant

IISD Experimental Lakes Area (IISD-ELA) is the world’s freshwater laboratory. A series of 58 lakes and their watersheds in northwestern Ontario, Canada, IISD-ELA is the only place in the world where scientists can research on and manipulate real lakes to build a more accurate and complete picture of what human activity is doing to freshwater lakes. The findings from over 50 years of ground-breaking research have rewritten environmental policy around the world—from mitigating algal blooms to reducing how much mercury gets into our waterways—and aim to keep fresh water clean around the world for generations to come.

IISD-ELA is operated by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD)—an independent think tank headquartered in Winnipeg situated on Treaty 1 Territory—the ancestral lands of the Anishinaabe (Ojibwe), Ininiw (Cree), Anisininew (Ojibwe Cree), Dene, and Dakota Nations, and the homeland of the Red River Métis Nation. The IISD-ELA field station is situated on the traditional land of the Anishinaabe Nation in Treaty 3 Territory and the homeland of the Métis Nation.

**About the Position**

**Responsibilities**
- Operating various field vehicles (all-terrain vehicles, trucks, vans) on highways and gravel roads.
- Using a variety of watercraft, including boats with outboard motors and canoes.
- Collecting samples and data for a variety of limnological and hydrological parameters (physical, chemical).
- Collecting samples and performing daily checks at the meteorological station.
- Constructing/installing/maintaining field equipment as needed.
- Downloading data from various data-logging devices.
- Completing detailed and accurate field notes.
- Entering data into databases/software (including Google Forms, Survey123).
- May be occasionally required to assist other field crews (fish, zooplankton, autotrophic ecology).
- Other duties as assigned.

**Qualifications**
- Currently enrolled in or recent completion of (December 2024-April 2025) a college or university program relevant to freshwater research or equivalent of such a degree.
- Keen and hard-working.
- Ability to do fieldwork involving manual labour, such as hiking and lifting heavy objects (up to 25 kg).
- Willing to work long hours in diverse conditions (e.g., hot, cold, rain, snow, buggy).
- Ability to work safely in a remote field environment that requires flexibility and teamwork.
- Willing to live in a remote location for up to 4-6 months (alternating weekends excluded).
- Willing to live in shared accommodations.
- First Aid/CPR with AED
- Pleasure Craft Operator’s card
- Driver’s licence
- IISD-ELA will require the completion of a criminal record check and vulnerable sector verification.

**Asset Skills**
- Work experience in environmental sciences or hydrology.
- Experience with meteorological instruments or meteorological data.
- Experience operating small vessels with outboard motors and all-terrain vehicles.
- Knowledge of field sampling/water quality sampling.
- Organizational skills.
- Ability to speak French and/or Ojibwe.

**Work Conditions**

**Compensation**:CAD 690 to CAD 846 per week, depending on experience and education. Food and accommodations are included while working on site.

**Application Procedure**

All submissions must be in English. Accommodations for job applicants with disabilities are available on request.

Applications will only be accepted through Bamboo HR. Please include the following:

- A CV (required; no longer than two pages)
- A cover letter (required; one page)
- IISD Voluntary Self-Identification Questionnaire (optional; right click to download)
- IISD does not discriminate on the basis of age, gender, caste, ethnicity, religion, colour, disability, marital status, pregnancy, gender expression or identity, sexual orientation, or any other legally protected status._

LI-Onsite