Job Specification

Purpose of Position :

To provide technical leadership for and participate in the issuance of local allocations, permits and authorizations, and supporting the delivery of resource monitoring, inspections, compliance and audit activities for the district fish and wildlife resource management program. To provide customer services to internal and external clients.

Duties / Responsibilities :

1. Administering fish and wildlife and species at risk license and permit processes such as Bear Management Areas, Trap line allocations, and Baitfish and for planning, coordinating, implementing, and monitoring technical/operational fish and wildlife program activities in the district, including participating in work program activities (e.g. furbearer quota setting, commercial fishing, nuisance bear management, species at risk permits and approvals), organizing field projects (e.g. fish and wildlife surveys), controlling budget expenditures, monitoring progress and results of projects, reviewing local plans.

2. Providing technical/operational/group leadership, guidance and advice through consultation, negotiations and conflict resolution (e.g. trap line boundary disputes, need for species at risk permits) with staff, resource industries, Aboriginal peoples, clients and interest groups, providing education, training, transferring of knowledge/information and ensuring consistent application of legislation, regulations, policies and procedures.

3. Supporting the preparation and implementation of compliance plans in the district by assessing priorities based on risk and by conducting field inspections and investigations, reviewing annual resource reports, comparing actual harvest levels to commercial and recreational allocation programs, and providing testimonial evidence in court and legal tribunals (Fish and Wildlife Hearings).

4. Supporting long range planning teams by providing technical input to land use and resource management planning decisions regarding fish and wildlife matters such as fish or wildlife habitat suitability. Reviewing various planning documents such as Forest Management Plans, Wildlife Management Plans, Road/Bridge Abandonment Plans, land use plan amendments and fish and wildlife program audits for alignment with broader program direction and work plans.

5. Communicating fish and wildlife program information to the public, clients, partners, resource industry, and Aboriginal peoples by making presentations, attending meetings, speaking to the media, drafting media releases, preparing technical reports, correspondence, briefing notes and Minister's letters and responding to information and data requests.

6. 6. Participating in the delivery of other district resource management programs (e.g. Lands and Waters, Forest, Aggregate).

7. Other duties: Management has the right to assign additional duties.

The incumbent shall, work in compliance with the Occupational Health and Safety Act and its Regulations and any workplace practices as directed by the employer. The incumbent shall take precautions to protect the health and safety of themselves and others by complying with such acts, codes, policy, procedures or accepted workplace practices as may be appropriate. The incumbent shall advise workers of actual and potential dangers in the workplace and the required precautions.

Staffing and Licencing :

Valid Class “G” Ontario's Driver's Licence to visit sites, usually in rural or remote settings.

Knowledge :

In depth knowledge of fish and wildlife legislation (e.g. Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act, Federal Fisheries Act) and general knowledge of forest, lands, waters, and aggregate resources related legislation and regulations (e.g. Crown Forest Sustainability Act, Public Lands Act, Lakes and Rivers Improvement Act, Aggregate Resources Act) and objectives and procedures related to these programs to participate in long-range planning processes, provide technical leadership, advice and training to staff, resource industries, Aboriginal peoples, clients, interest groups and the public, responding to requests for assistance and information on matters such as legal requirements for licensing, mandatory resource related reports.

Knowledge of ministry policies, procedures, guidelines and manuals (e.g. baitfish management, furbearer management, species at risk, commercial fishing and big game management) to ensure various resource operations (e.g. baitfish harvest and furbearer harvest) comply with the standards and principles of ecological sustainability; to review applications and legal submissions; to review local plans/amendments and to recommend ministerial approval of licenses and permits.

Knowledge of fish and wildlife management operations and techniques (e.g. population inventory surveys, habitat rehabilitation methods) to design, organize and audit fish and wildlife field projects and operations by attending site inspections, consulting with partners/stakeholders and reviewing progress and results to meet resource sustainability objectives.

Knowledge of enforcement and compliance procedures to conduct, or participate in, operational audits of resource industries by determining level of adherence to operating approvals, investigating infractions and providing technical information as a witness in cases of non-compliance.

Knowledge of administrative practices, policies and procedures (e.g. contract administration, partnership agreements) to initiate, draft and audit contracts (e.g. nuisance animals), partnership agreements (e.g. land stewardship and habitat restoration, community hatchery programs with entrepreneurs, conservation groups, tourist operator associations), including attending meetings to identify needs, developing terms and conditions and monitoring contractor/partner performance.

Knowledge of personal computers/software including word-processing, data base, electronic mail, internet and spreadsheet applications to prepare correspondence and reports; input and retrieve data; prepare budgets and track expenditures and use intranet and e-mail.

Good working knowledge of the Occupational Health and Safety Act and those Regulations made under the act that apply to the workplace and the work being performed.

Skills :

Analytical and problem-solving skills to review and analyze data (e.g. field inspection reports, allocation approval documents and harvest reporting information); identify resource sustainability and/or compliance issues, establish resource management priorities and recommend management and allocation actions.

Evaluation, interpretation and problem-solving skills to evaluate information from staff and resource industries, confirm adherence to legislation/policy or, in the case of non-compliance, take corrective action such as establishing additional monitoring or referring to the District Enforcement Manager or appropriate District Supervisor; review and interpret fish and wildlife habitat variables (e.g. species, food, shelter, reproductive requirements) used to design management prescriptions for habitat enhancement and partnership projects; evaluate and develop training plans and compliance strategies by reviewing annual project/program implementation, identifying shortfalls and/or deficiencies in target achievement and determining corrective action.

Analytical and assessment skills to analyze data to determine the nature and extent of operational audits required by understanding and interpreting the variables associated with resource plans (e.g. economic, social, ecological), in order to identify, measure and analyze the degree of success in application (e.g. District fish stocking program, stream rehabilitation projects) and making adjustments to current work schedule; and to make revenue and expenditure projections to ensure program funding needs are met (e.g. forecasting equipment/supply purchases, costing of contracts, and preparing budget estimates).

Interpersonal, oral and written communication skills to make presentations; participate in public meetings and public consultation processes as ministry representative (e.g. sharing information, initiating partnerships); conduct media interviews; respond to public inquiries; prepare briefing notes; draft Minister's letters, press releases and write technical reports; interact with staff, industry, local citizen's committees, resource users and the general public to promote understanding and discuss sensitive resource decisions, facilitate resolution of resource management conflicts (e.g. BMA, baitfish, trap-lines) and disposition of Crown resources; and to work with external clients/partners (e.g. community advisory groups, fish and game clubs, related industry) in the decision making process requiring facilitating meetings and establishing partnerships/contracts with groups holding conflicting views while promoting an understanding of ministry resource management policies.

Planning and coordinating skills to provide technical input to land use and resource management planning processes, plan and coordinate project expenditures, staff, equipment and transportation for resource inventory and survey projects; ensure the timely review, assessment, approval and audits of ministry, individual/business and agency projects, initiatives, proposals, licenses, permits and plans (e.g. fish and wildlife licenses and harvest approvals) requiring the coordination of several processes/projects occurring at the same time; and to ensure contracts and agreements are completed to standard by coordinating the staff and equipment to perform site inspections, contractor performance reviews and audits at appropriate intervals during field operations.

Freedom of Action :

Job requires working within the procedural controls of ministry and government policies, legislation, associated manuals, guidelines, directives related to resources management and established practices and procedures. Work results are formally reviewed in an annual performance appraisal where target achievement is set based on mutually agreed upon performance measures. Targets and progress are regularly reviewed with supervisor and adjusted due to unforeseen priorities and workloads but little direct supervision is received.

Job requires working in a team environment and is required to accept responsibility for actions taken and work carried out.

Job requires making decisions on fish and wildlife program activities by identifying standards, establishing resource needs, production targets and arranging for the program to be monitored/evaluated (e.g. assignment to staff). Job represents the ministry in court and legal tribunals by providing testimonial evidence and by communicating/responding to issues and concerns from the public, clients, partners, resource industries and Aboriginal peoples.

Situations that are not covered by ministry policies are reviewed and recommended course of action is submitted to supervisor (e.g. contentious issues requiring enforcement action).