Equity and Engagement Coordinator

**Competition #**: 42767

**Department**: Environment and Climate Change

**Location**: HALIFAX

**Type of Employment**: Term

**Union Status**: NSGEU - NSPG

**Closing Date**: 09-May-24 (Applications are accepted until 11:59 PM Atlantic Time)

Designation Status

This opportunity is designated to applicants that identify as Indigenous Person, African Nova Scotian or Other Racially Visible Person.

About Us

Nova Scotia Environment and Climate Change (ECC) has a mandate to protect the environment, and human health through regulatory excellence, conservation, partnership, and promotion. To achieve this, we strive to develop legislation, regulations, standards, policies, and guidance for regulated activities based on sound scientific knowledge and expertise. We also coordinate the delivery of provincial targets for greenhouse gas emissions reductions, transition to clean electricity and helping Nova Scotia prepare for the impacts of climate change. We have more than 300 employees working from offices throughout Nova Scotia.

About Our Opportunity

The Equity and Engagement Coordinator works with a team of professionals to implement the climate change plan, coordinate future strategic climate action, and helps to implement other departmental priorities around equity, diversity and inclusion. Reporting to the Manager of the Climate Plan and Strategic Action team, the Equity and Engagement Coordinator is responsible for supporting external partners, teams within ECC, and other provincial government departments in developing and implementing programs, policies and regulations that have been outlined in the climate change plan. You will take meaningful action on climate change which will involve collaborating and building partnerships to coordinate and strategically advance initiatives across diverse stakeholders and provincial government departments. You will develop and grow relationships with many diverse communities and stakeholders while also collaborating at the provincial and national level and focusing on shared objectives while representing the province.

Primary Accountabilities

This position will support the implementation of the province's climate change plan. You will be responsible for working with marginalized and racialized communities across Nova Scotia to help them respond to their climate-related priorities. This includes the implementation and evaluation of programs, initiatives, and policies to support communities in acting on their climate priorities. This position will help advise the department on work related to socioeconomic issues such as environmental racism, systemic barriers to climate action, inequitable access to resources such as funding and government programming, and inclusive education and engagement under the climate change plan. This position will also support annual evaluation and reporting on key progress indicators and outcomes related to the climate change plan. This position will support engagement with marginalized and racialized communities.

Within this ever-evolving field, you will lead through change and be willing to adjust quickly, as needed. This work requires innovative approaches to capacity building, consensus-building, community engagement, education and information sharing to ensure that engagement is inclusive, and that the information is trusted.

In this position, you will work creatively with community-based partners to effectively monitor and respond to climate change mitigation and adaptation trends and work to ensure that the climate plan continues to meet the needs of Nova Scotians. You will create an environment that promotes continuous learning and improvement by seeking feedback from your colleagues and being open to critiques that improve outcomes. You will coordinate climate action across external stakeholders and government departments and implement and report on the climate change goals that are outlined in the Environmental Goals and Climate Change Reduction Act and mandate letter commitments.

Qualifications and Experience

You have a bachelor's degree in Social Sciences, Business, Public Policy or another relevant post-secondary concentration plus 6 years of experience in environmental/climate policy, and experience working on complex, crosscutting issues. A master's degree in a relevant post-secondary concentration would be considered an asset.

Experience engaging with marginalized or racialized communities in Nova Scotia is required. Ideally, this includes having a pre-existing network within marginalized or racialized communities. Knowledge and experience in strategic planning, project management, stakeholder management, critical thinking, and consensus-building is required. Experience monitoring and evaluating program or policy impacts on social inequities will be considered an asset.

The following competencies and experiences are also essential to the role:
Demonstrated understanding of provincial climate change mitigation and adapta