Research Associate – Rural Contractor Ecosystem & Market Development Organization: Future Civics Project: Saltbox Fund

Location:
Remote (Atlantic Canada preferred)

Job Type
Part-time, 10-week contract Compensation: $20 CAD/hour Hours: 15 hours per week (150 hours total) Total Contract Value: $3,000 CAD About the Opportunity Future Civics is seeking a part-time Research Associate to support the Saltbox Fund, a community-based financing initiative working to make housing repairs and energy retrofits more affordable and accessible in rural Nova Scotia. Our research is examining a challenge in rural housing resilience: access to financing alone does not guarantee that housing improvements can be completed. Smaller residential projects, typically ranging from $5,000 to $15,000, face barriers related to contractor availability, business viability, workforce capacity, and market coordination. We're looking for someone to help us better understand these challenges and examine how community finance and local economic development could strengthen the rural contractor ecosystem.

What You'll Do
• Conduct approximately 20 interviews with residential contractors, industry associations, and relevant stakeholders.
• Identify and map contractors and renovation businesses serving rural Nova Scotia.
• Research workforce, business-development, and market coordination barriers.




• Examine what makes smaller residential retrofit projects economically viable for contractors.
• Organize and analyze qualitative research findings.
• Contribute to a final research report with practical findings and recommendations. Who We're Looking For We're interested in students, recent graduates, or emerging researchers with backgrounds in sociology, economic development, public policy, rural development, business, geography, or related fields. The ideal candidate has experience with qualitative research, stakeholder interviews, and report writing. Familiarity with rural Nova Scotia or the residential construction sector would be an asset. We're particularly interested in someone who can work independently, engage confidently with industry stakeholders, and translate research findings into practical insights. Compensation & Advantages This is a short-term, remote contract paying $20 CAD per hour for up to 150 hours. Scheduling is flexible, subject to project timelines and stakeholder availability. Employer-sponsored health and retirement benefits are not provided. Approved research-related expenses will be discussed in advance.

How to Apply
Please email your résumé or CV and a brief expression of interest outlining your relevant experience to [email protected]. Use the subject line: Research Associate – Saltbox Fund. Shortlisted applicants will be contacted for a brief virtual interview. A writing sample or references may be requested.

📌 Associate Researcher (Canada)
🏢 Future Civics
📍 Canada