Job Specification

Purpose of Position :

As a member of the Geraldton Area Team, under the general supervision of the Geraldton Area Supervisor, to implement field programs and provide monitoring and auditing of compliance with natural resources Acts, regulations, policies and guidelines related to forestry, fish and wildlife, lands waters, and aggregates programs, with an emphasis towards the Bear Wise Program. To provide input to and help maintain resources information systems and promote awareness of resource management and protection. To provide customer service to internal and external clients.

Duties / Responsibilities :

Job requires:

1. Conducting operational field program activities such as carrying out site inspections and field surveys on foot, in vehicles, boats or aircraft; organizing, scheduling and coordinating human and equipment needs for resource management projects; providing technical guidance to assigned employees and public; collecting and inputting data; reviewing resource industry plans and work schedules; providing input to operational plans to ensure operations are within guidelines and policies. Participating in the District Bear Wise Program by performing duties related to prevention [e.g. public awareness and education programs and liaison with various agencies (i.e. OPP, municipalities)]or response options for problem black bear management situations such as aversive conditioning (e.g. use of active repellents and deterrents); and capture and relocation (which may require the use of immobilization chemicals);or humane dispatch (i.e. destruction) (which may require the use of firearms), as per individual district's discretion; ensuring adherence to legislation, provincial policies and problem black bear protocols; and documenting occurrences and responses [e.g. Bear Incident Reporting & Tracking Application (BIRTA)].

2. Ensuring client (e.g. resource contractors, industry, licensees, Bear Wise service providers, municipal partners and other stakeholders) compliance with specific natural resources management Acts, regulations and related Ministry policies and guidelines by: conducting field inspections & audits and analyzing client reporting documents; identifying infractions/deviations from approved activity (e.g. work permits, Bear Wise Funding Plans) and taking and/or recommending action in cases of non- compliance (e.g. stop work order).

3. Providing leadership to assigned students and fixed-term staff on behalf of supervisor, including assigning daily work, monitoring the quality and quantity of work, reporting on progress; ensuring staff compliance to the Occupational Health & Safety requirements that apply to the work.

4. Performing technical activities such as gathering, assembling and compiling technical information for databases; preparing reports and making recommendations on related matters (e.g. Crown land disposition activities including leases, work permits, forest operation inspection reports, water control structure operation, Bear Wise Program).

5. Assisting with administrative matters such as budget preparation, licensing, monitoring, auditing and reporting on contractor performance such as Community Fisheries Improvement Programs, silviculture projects; keeping records up to date; responding to inquiries.

6. Participating in resource management partnerships and initiatives (e.g. with municipalities, Fish and Game Clubs) by providing technical expertise and advice to conservation groups and resource industry staff involved and promoting education, prevention and awareness.

Managers have the right to assign additional duties.

NOTE: 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 ensure that workers take precautions to protect the health and safety of themselves and others by complying with such Acts, codes, policies, 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” Driver's License.

Possession of, or ability to obtain the following:
Valid First Aid & CPR Certificate
Successful completion of MNR Problem Black Bear Management Course
Successful completion of Black Bear Encounter Safety training

Knowledge :

Job requires:

Knowledge and understanding of ecological sustainability principles and practices required to organize and conduct field inspections, surveys and projects such as bear hazard inspection/assessment, aggregate pit inspection, lake surveys by providing program specialist(s) with site specific technical data for making resource allocation decisions; to promote resource management awareness and education by participating in resource management partnership projects such as Bear Wise Program with Municipalities, local Police and individual citizens, deer feeding project with Conservation Club; to provide technical advice to conservation groups, resource management industry staff and provide technical input to program specialists.

Knowledge of Ministry and related government legislation, policies, procedures, directives and guidelines (e.g. Crown Forest Sustainability Act, Public Lands Act, Lakes and Rivers Improvement Act, Bear Wise Program, Fish & Wildlife Conservation Act); to provide customer services to internal and external clients; to monitor, audit, assess and document compliance during field inspections, to issue a stop work order and recommend laying charges in cases of non-compliance.

Knowledge of standards and operating practices for information gathering (e.g. data collection and inventory techniques, data preparation and entry/digitizing, to ensure complete, accurate information is available for land use planning, the Geographic Information System and Natural Resources Values Information System).

Knowledge of personal computers/software including word-processing, data base, electronic mail, internet and spreadsheet applications in order to perform a variety of duties such as typing correspondence and reports; inputting and retrieving data; and tracking expenditures.

Knowledge of work plan procedures to track project expenditures to ensure approved budget is not exceeded; provide input into the budget planning process to provide information about funding required for planned projects (e.g. specialized equipment costs, unit price estimates for contract work).

Knowledge of field equipment operations to perform field maintenance, adjustments and repair of equipment such as Global Positioning System locators, hand held data computers, weather stations, vehicles, outboard motors and boats, all-terrain vehicles in accordance with user's manuals (e.g. change spark plugs, tires, adjust fuel mix) to provide calibration or to return equipment to appropriate formal maintenance location from field operations.

Knowledge of and demonstrated ability to use firearms and bear management equipment.

Ability to work shifts, weekends and statutory holidays as per schedule.

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 :

Job requires:

Analytical and problem solving skills to make project-level decisions to determine the nature and extent of resource user compliance by measuring impact on resource (e.g. determining nature and extent of over harvesting of timber through both site inspection and computer data analysis, determining nature and extent of bear hazards) and recommending a course of action in the cases of non-compliance; review standards, policies and procedural guidelines, Acts and regulations to determine the approach to a task or to resolve an issue, or to apply them to resource operations in field conditions (e.g. determining road locations/bridge crossings, determining Bear aversion tactics); resolve technical problems in operational field situations by gathering/analyzing information on site, determining options, selecting a course of action and documenting position/rationale (e.g. cut inspections with wasteful practices such as high stumps and unmarked trees cut, Bear trap and relocation); and to deal with issues and problem situations, particularly in remote field situations (e.g. providing temporary/remedial solutions to stream bed situations near construction site, providing effective solutions to human-bear conflicts).

Interpersonal skills to collect bear occurrence information from the public and provide an appropriate response; and deal with requests and concerns of clients/partners (e.g. municipalities, consultants, cottage associations).

Oral and written communication skills to respond to resource industry and public inquiries by providing both oral and written information on matters such as reports, resource data and maps; make presentations, communicating and sharing information with professional staff and clients in resource management programs and partnerships to further understanding of projects; conduct field tours and representing the Ministry at displays; and to present information/ideas and recommendations when dealing with non-compliance by industry, resource contractors and licensees.

Planning and coordinating skills to organize, schedule and coordinate human and equipment resources (e.g. boats/motors, pumps, vehicle transportation) for resources management and field projects (e.g. Community Fisheries/Wildlife Projects, fish stocking, Crown Lands or Aggregates inspections) with resource agencies involved in natural resources management and the public.

Demonstrated competency in hauling/positioning trailers.

Group leadership skills to assign work to students and fixed-term staff on behalf of the supervisor, including assigning daily work, monitoring the quality and quantity of work, and reporting on progress.

Freedom of Action :

Job requires:

Working within established practices and procedural controls, Ministry and Government policies, legislation, guidelines and directives, when making decisions on project-level procedures such as project data collection, stop work orders, related to specific program disciplines (e.g. forestry, wildlife, fisheries, aggregates, lands, waters).

Providing ongoing updates to manager and other team members through regular meetings, discussions and periodic reviews, to deal with problem area. Work is reviewed for progress and results by supervisor, especially any actions directly related to resource allocation decisions (e.g. fish surveys).

Situations clearly outside established policies and procedures, program issues to be referred to supervisor and/or program specialists (e.g. issues which will be controversial / sensitive to client groups; contentious issues requiring enforcement action).