Take the next step in your career by joining the team at the Wilder Institute and help to strengthen conservation relationships with local communities and interested parties involved in our Whooping Crane Program. The Wilder Institute's Applied Conservation Programs is seeking a permanent full-time the Conservation & Community Engagement Specialist who will play a central role in shaping and supporting a cooperative and inclusive future for whooping crane conservation in the South Slave region.

This position supports the Wilder Institute's efforts to build respectful, collaborative, and lasting relationships with Indigenous Peoples and other local communities. This role integrates conservation priorities with Indigenous knowledge systems, ensuring that our conservation work aligns with reconciliation and community values.

The Conservation & Community Engagement Specialist is responsible for providing guidance and support to the program's efforts to advance whooping crane species recovery within an inclusive conservation framework. They work closely with the Conservation Program Manager to design, coordinate, and implement relationship strengthening and outreach activities, and will support the creation and implementation of a co-design process for future whooping crane conservation action. Working in close collaboration with the Conservation Education and other internal teams, this position advises on the design and implementation of educational programming and communications, ensuring that materials are tailored to local interests and values, and are accessible to the needs of local youth, educators, and Indigenous communities.

Our Purpose

We act for wildlife; saving species and inspiring people to join us.

Our Core Values

Drive impact,



nurture connection, cultivate hope, and be bold.

Location:

This position is remote in the North West Territoties; being based in a South Slave region community is preferred, while other northern locations will be considered and may be approved to work from.

What you will do:

- Collaborate on the design, development, and implementation of an engagement and co-design plan for future conservation actions, working closely with the Program Manager to identify community needs, values, concerns, and areas of shared interest.
- Support relationship building with identified Indigenous Governments in the South Slave region, including maintaining contact lists, performing initial outreach, and supporting the Program Manager in ongoing relationship management.
- Coordinate and deliver outreach and education events in whooping crane relevant communities, including but not limited to information booths at community events e.g. the Northern Whooping Crane Festival, Treaty Land Entitlement and other celebrations.
- Collaborate closely with the Conservation Education team to provide advice and guidance in the creation of educational programming tailored to the needs of South Slave and Peace-Athabasca region youth and educators. Coordinate delivery of educational activities including in-school opportunities where appropriate.




- Provide guidance and advice to Conservation & Science (C&S;) and Communications teams to support the creation of communications materials that are accessible to Indigenous and other local communities in which we work, promoting transparent information sharing and supporting an ethical engagement and co-design process.
- Support the ethical collection, management, and sharing of stories, images, knowledge, and engagement data, ensuring appropriate consent and alignment with community expectations, OCAP principles, and other Indigenous data sovereignty frameworks.
- Conduct background research and literature reviews in support of community engagement and co-design needs.
- Participate in meetings with internal and external partners, as needed
- Report monthly purchasing card purchases in-line with project budgets
- Purchase, maintain equipment, and manage outreach related inventory
- Assist with funding proposals, donor and board reports/presentations, as needed
- Liaise and work collaboratively with other Wilder Institute staff as well as with external collaborators
- Comply with the Wilder Institute health and safety program and relevant organizational policies.
- Other duties and responsibilities as assigned.

What you will bring:

- Demonstrated professional experience in conservation, environment/lands management, community engagement, or a related field, combined with one or more of the following:
- Lived experience as an Indigenous person;
- Experience working for an Indigenous government, community, or organization;
- Significant experience collaborating with Indigenous governments, communities, or organizations.
- Equivalent combinations of professional, community-based, an

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