Climate Change Adaptation & Resilience

Position: Climate Adaptation / Low Carbon Resilience Lead
Organization: Community Energy Association
Location: Remote, Canada. Preferred applicants reside in British Columbia or Alberta.

OVERVIEW

The Community Energy Association (CEA) is seeking a Climate Adaptation / Low Carbon Resilience (LCR) Lead to join our growing team and take a leadership role in supporting and empowering Canadian communities, particularly in British Columbia, to address the challenges and opportunities of adapting to climate change / achieving LCR.

In this role, you’ll design and implement a variety of initiatives that strengthen community resilience, including climate risk and vulnerability assessments, LCR and adaptation plans and programs. You will also play a lead role in fostering system-wide collaboration and peer learning through various capacity building initiatives.

CEA is looking for a mid to senior-level position and will also consider a junior position.

If you are passionate about advancing climate action at the community level, have expertise in adaptation and/or low carbon resilience, and enjoy facilitating impactful change, this position is for you.

CEA is evolving toward an LCR approach, and this role will be key in supporting that transition. The ideal candidate would have a strong understanding of both LCR and adaptation – although a strong working knowledge of community-level adaptation is required at minimum. They will work alongside a network of GHG experts, collaborating to integrate LCR into our ongoing and future initiatives. Flexibility and adaptability are essential as we continue to evolve our approach to climate action.

Our team of over 50 staff continually inspire each other by being profoundly committed, each day, to our shared purpose and to delivering high-quality, impactful work. To continue to empower personal and organizational excellence, CEA respects and supports each staff person as necessary, including work flexibility and professional development. To learn more about our policy on caring for clients, people and planet, you can read our report, Going Beyond.

Our work includes designing and implementing community engagement strategies, developing and re-booting community climate plans, creating plans for local and Indigenous government operations, designing and implementing climate programming, drafting policy for local governments, publishing research, educating local government staff and elected officials, celebrating local and Indigenous government achievements, assessing renewable energy opportunities, and deploying related infrastructure.

ABOUT THE POSITION

• Compensation:
  • C2 Senior Salary Band ($65,000 - $85,000) for candidates with 2-7 years of experience.
  • C3 Lead Salary Band ($85,000 - $100,000) for candidates with 7+ years of experience.
• Employment Type: Permanent salaried position (35 hours per week), at 80-100% of full-time.
• Location: Flexible, ideally within British Columbia or Alberta (applications from other Canadian locations are welcome).
• Workplace: Home office with equipment and allowance provided.
• Benefits: Competitive package including 5 weeks of vacation annually (pro-rated).
• Travel: Occasional travel within BC and Canada may be required.

DESIRED COMPETENCIES

Essential

• 2+ years of experience in climate adaptation, LCR, or related fields.
• Knowledge of climate science, adaptation and LCR frameworks and policies in Canada, including familiarity with key legislation in BC and best practice climate risk assessment tools. Familiarity with IPCC reports, RCPs, SSPs, PCIC, climatedata.ca, etc.
• Ability to read, analyse and interpret climate data sets (e.g., temperature, precipitation, and flood risk data) and translate into plain language insights for non-experts, including government officials, Indigenous partners, and community stakeholders.
• Experience working with municipal, regional, and Indigenous governments to develop and implement climate risk and vulnerability assessments, climate adaptation and/or LCR plans and/or programs that are locally relevant and impactful.
• Expertise in public and stakeholder engagement, including facilitation of workshops, focus groups, and participatory planning sessions. Ability to mediate diverse perspectives and co-create solutions with local government staff and community members.

General:

• Strong personal interest in climate/energy and communities.
• Creative, flexible and proactive in problem-solving.
• Ability to multitask and enjoy diverse responsibilities.
• Willingness to learn and adapt in a rapidly evolving environment.
• Energized by challenges and driven to improve workflow processes.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Office suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Teams, Outlook). Familiarity with tools that support collaborative engagement (like Miro or MURAL).
• Proficiency in project management and project management related tools and methods.
• Excellent written and verbal communication abilities.
• Self-directed and comfortable with remote work.
• Positive attitude and strong work ethic.

Valuable Assets

• Experience writing grant / funding applications, and writing proposals.
• Experience integrating Indigenous Knowledge Systems into adaptation and LCR plans.
• Established connections in the climate adaptation field.
• Familiarity with tools such as GIS, climate modelling, or decision-support systems.
• Understanding of natural asset management and/or infrastructure asset management.
• Understanding of the interrelationship, synergies and trade-offs between mitigation and adaptation.
• Knowledge and experience with equity-centred engagement, planning and program design, ensuring that marginalized communities are engaged and their needs are met in climate adaptation plans.
• Strong cross-cultural engagement and communication skills, ensuring cultural safety and respectful engagement with Indigenous communities.

DUTIES SUMMARY

As an exceptional communicator with outstanding organizational skills, you thrive on working collaboratively with clients, colleagues, and stakeholders to address the challenges and opportunities of climate adaptation / LCR. The key duties are summarised below.

Climate Adaptation / Low Carbon Resilience Planning – 40%

• Lead the development of climate adaptation / LCR plans for communities, including conducting climate risk and vulnerability assessments.
• Provide expert guidance to local governments and Indigenous communities on achieving low carbon resilience and adapting to climate impacts.
• Help design and facilitate stakeholder engagement processes, workshops, and training sessions.

Climate Adaptation / Low Carbon Resilience Capacity Building – 40%

• Support the delivery of a peer network of communities to share knowledge and collaborate on adaptation / LCR initiatives.
• Provide subject matter expertise to other capacity-building initiatives and networks at CEA, including those related to planning and implementation, and regional collaboration.
• Facilitate regular network meetings, webinars, and knowledge-sharing events.
• Identify and disseminate best practices and resources across the networks and through the development of supporting resources.
• Contribute to the Network’s advancement with your expert knowledge and guidance.

Research and Strategic Support – 20%

• Conduct research on emerging climate adaptation / LCR strategies, tools, and funding opportunities.
• Support the development of grant applications and reports related to adaptation projects.
• Collaborate with the CEA team to align adaptation / LCR efforts with broader organizational goals.
• Collaborate with experts, researchers, and other practitioners in the field to develop new tools, resources and programs to meet the unique needs of communities.

TO APPLY

Submit the following to HR@Communityenergy.ca by 5 PM Pacific Time January 13th 2025:

1. A two-page resume highlighting your experience and skills.
2. Contact details for at least two references (note: these references will not be contacted without informing you first).
3. A short video (up to 3 minutes) answering:
   • Why do you want this position?
     • How your expertise will contribute to advancing community climate adaptation.
     • Specific skills or experiences that make you an excellent candidate.

Please indicate you saw this posting at GoodWork.ca.

If creating a video poses a barrier, a 1-2 page written summary addressing the questions above is also acceptable and can be emailed as a PDF to HR@Communityenergy.ca with your resume.

Learn more about CEA at communityenergy.bc.ca.