Project Lead - Biodiversity Law

Project Lead – Biodiversity Law

At A Glance

Location: Toronto/Montreal/Ottawa - hybrid

Office Requirement: Vancouver/Calgary/Toronto /Ottawa/Halifax/Remote - This position is ideally located near one of our offices; remote candidates are welcomed to apply

Hours: 35 Weekly

Contract: 3-year term with possible extension

Salary: $106,000

Reports to: Program Director - Nature

Timeline: Closing Date: April 3rd at 4pm PST

About Us

As Canada's largest environmental law charity, our mission is using the law to defend nature, combat the climate crisis, and fight for a healthy environment for all. To achieve this, Ecojustice does three things:

_We go to court-_Our lawyers represent citizens, environmental organizations, Indigenous leaders, organizations, and communities, sustainable businesses, labour organizations, and any other groups that share our mission.

We push for better laws- Our experts testify in front of committees and make recommendations to strengthen environmental legislation.

We engage the public**-** Our work highlights environmental issues and changes the conversation, forcing our leaders to sit up and listen.

Our team recognizes that this planet is our most treasured inheritance, and it is our imperative to be good stewards for the generations who follow us. We believe in protecting the environment while having enough time off to enjoy it.

About The Role

Ecojustice can help halt and reverse biodiversity decline through a matrix of Indigenous and settler laws – legal pluralism – that work together across federal, provincial, and Indigenous jurisdictions to legally protect biodiversity.

Canada, or Turtle Island, is one of the few countries that can change the path of the global biodiversity crisis through changes in the legal and regulatory systems. These changes will require a full and pluralistic approach to law making, implementation, and enforcement, with consideration of  Canada's complex jurisdictional landscape and its commitment to right relations with Indigenous Peoples.

Responsibilities

As a member of the Ecojustice Nature Program team, the Project Lead – Biodiversity Law will work with the Program Director to develop and implement the Biodiversity Law strategy including through the development of vison for a legal matrix for the conservation and restoration of biodiversity based on the principle of robust legal pluralism.

This person will be responsible for organizing and leading the team, staff resources, and communication surrounding the project including:

• Oversee the development of project plans, budgets, deliverables, and milestones to support impactful government policy, litigation, law reform, and communications strategies
• Coordinate project elements to ensure adequate resourcing and alignment with the broader project strategy and workplan"
• Lead interdisciplinary teams with emotional intelligence, providing constructive feedback, and promoting inclusive practices
• Follow global developments in biodiversity and legal pluralism, tracking and analyzing relevant legislation and policy initiatives to inform our strategies
• Collaborate with the communications and philanthropy teams to ensure that project goals and progress are effectively communicated to our staff, donors, policy makers, and the public
• Publicly represent Ecojustice’s work in Biodiversity, including translating complex issues into accessible terms for broader understanding
• Collaborate with the project team to develop relationship building and engagement strategies with Indigenous and impacted communities and governments

Role Success

We are currently working to embed our commitment to justice, equity, diversity, inclusion, and reconciliation into all aspects of our organization. We value candidates who enjoy building meaningful, collaborative partnerships with equity-seeking groups and operationalizing JEDI-R values in day-to-day practices and operations.

Typically, we find that people who succeed in this role bring:

• At least 5 years of experience in law, law reform, government policy, biodiversity conservation, conservation law or related topics
• Familiarity with conservation law, policy, and regulation, biodiversity, conservation biology, indigenous stewardship and related topics
• Demonstrated project management experience with progressively complex projects and interdisciplinary team management
• Experience working in campaign strategies, public policy, and government systems
• Strong professional communication skills including public communication
• Strong relationship management skills, effective communication, and a proven track record of building and maintaining positive professional relationships
• Bilingual in French and English is an asset but not required
• Familiarity with legal pluralism is an asset

Our Commitment To Justice, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Ecojustice is committed to creating a diverse, equitable, and inclusive work environment and is responding to the calls for action to further reconciliation.

We encourage applications from people with relevant job-related skills and who come from communities that have been structurally marginalized based on race, religion, nationality, social or ethnic origin, sex, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression. Members belonging to communities that experience marginalization can self-identify during the application process if they choose to do so.

Great Reasons To Join Us

• Recognized as one of Canada’s Top 100 charities by Charity Intelligence.
• Hybrid, remote, or full office setup including a $125 stipend for green transportation if you select hybrid.
• 3 weeks of vacation increasing every two years of service up to 6 weeks
• 1 week of winter break
• 5% salary RRSP contribution after 1 year
• 13 public holidays (including National Day for Truth and Reconciliation) and two additional floater days
• 4 hours per month of paid personal life organization time
• Additional flexible leave policies that accommodate physical and mental health leave, caregiving responsibilities, volunteering, and other life events.
• 100% employer-paid extended health benefits package, including up to $1500 per year of mental health coverage and employee and family assistance program
• $500 per year wellness spending account
• Parental leave top-up for birthing and non-birthing parents.
• Colleagues dedicated to environmental impact through their work at Ecojustice (99% mission alignment rating from internal surveys).
• A culture of collaboration where employees are fostered by their managers (97% manager relationship rating from internal surveys).
• Learning opportunities to further our strategic commitment towards justice, equity, diversity, inclusion, and reconciliation.

Our Commitment to Transparency and Workplace Accessibility

As a charity, our value proposition is that of a mission-based organization, offering high-value benefits and perks. We are consistently benchmarking base pay to the non-profit industry and relevant areas of expertise to ensure we are both competitive and fair.  Transparency, as well as diversity, equity, and inclusion are important to us. We post predetermined salaries to ensure that the hiring process and compensation are equitable for all.

Ecojustice strives to ensure that our online application system and recruitment process are accessible to individuals with different abilities and encourages candidates to contact careers@ecojustice.ca for any accommodation requests.