Program Coordinator

Who we are:

The North Shore Black Bear Society is a small non-profit society that operates on the North Shore of Vancouver, within the municipalities of the District of North Vancouver, the City of North Vancouver, and the District of West Vancouver.  We provide scientifically accurate education and support for residents and visitors of the North Shore to foster peaceful and responsible coexistence with our wildlife: chiefly black bears, and also coyotes, cougars and bobcats. We work cooperatively with our municipalities, wildlife authorities, and many community groups to achieve our important goal of preventing unnecessary deaths of black bears on the North Shore.

Position Overview:

The Program Coordinator is one of two staff people for the Society (the other being the Executive Director) and is a key, public facing role. 

The Program Coordinator provides education through:

• presentations about black bears to schools, preschools, businesses and other community groups;
• conducting door to door Neighbourhood Outreach in order to have supportive conversations in neighbourhoods with high wildlife activity;
• engaging the public by attending community events with the Society’s display;
• coordinating volunteer support for these activities;
• and training volunteers.

The Program Coordinator also maintains records on all of these activities and compiles them into the Society’s year-end report, which is presented at the Annual General Meeting in early November, and is shared with our municipal partners.

The Program Coordinator attends bi-monthly meetings via Zoom with our Board of Directors and our Executive Director.

Job Requirements:

• Passion for black bears, wildlife and the environment, and for learning about them.
• Willingness to represent NSBBS’s vision and messaging.
• Enthusiasm for engaging people, from preschool age to adults.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills.
• Excellent organizational skills.
• Ability to work cooperatively in a small team environment.
• Driver’s License and access to a vehicle in order to travel freely throughout the North Shore communities, and to transport display and related materials to presentations and events, including a 10’ collapsible tent.
• Personal computer with video conferencing capabilities.
• Personal mobile phone.

Relevant Experience:

• Knowledge of the ecology of our local ecosystem, its mammals and plants, particularly black bears, their life cycles and biology.
• Experience teaching or as a wildlife interpreter, or with public speaking.
• Experience developing creative learning materials, including Powerpoint presentations.

Employment Status:

This is a part-time position with, on average, approximately half time hours.  The busiest months (April – October) may go over this, with reduced hours November - March.  There is no guarantee of a minimum number of hours.  

Work scheduling is done by the Program Coordinator and is dictated by the needs of the community groups we serve.  Note that many community events are on weekend days in the summer. Neighbourhood Outreach is most effective when done at suppertime, and is done mostly during bear season (March – November).

The two staff people provide some coverage for each other for vacations, so this may also increase hours.

Mileage is paid for travel to and from work sites at the CRA approved mileage rate. Time spent travelling is not chargeable.

NSBBS provides Worksafe BC coverage, but no further employment benefits.  Income tax is not deducted from paycheques. The wage is $25 per hour.

Training and research hours, as approved by the Executive Director are chargeable.

Who you are:

You are passionate about our wildlife, about people and about the mission of the North Shore Black Bear Society. You bring energy and enthusiasm to the job of supporting bears and people on the North Shore.  You enjoy interacting with children and adults and are excited to use your creativity and effective communication skills to amplify our messaging of peaceful and responsible coexistence.  You are an effective and cooperative member of a very small team that has a big job to do.