Population Modelling for Anadromous Northern Dolly Varden - Research Affiliate Program

Important messages

We are committed to providing an inclusive and barrier-free work environment, starting with the hiring process. If you need to be accommodated during any phase of the evaluation process, please use the Contact information below to request specialized accommodation. All information received in relation to accommodation will be kept confidential.

Assessment accommodation

The candidate will be required to be registered as an MRM student in the School of Resource and Environmental Management (REM) at Simon Fraser University (SFU), Burnaby, BC under the supervision of Brett van Poorten (Ph.D.), and may conduct field work out of the Freshwater Institute, Winnipeg, MB under the joint supervision of Colin Gallagher (M.N.R.M) and Kimberly Howland (Ph.D.).

When submitting an application to this selection process, you will be prompted to answer screening questions concerning the essential education and experience qualifications. When answering these questions, please provide detailed, concrete examples that clearly demonstrate how you meet the requirement. Failure to clearly substantiate how you meet the screening criteria may result in the rejection of your application. Candidates will not be solicited for incomplete or possible missing information.

Duties

Build and evaluate stock assessment model for northern Dolly Varden fisheries. Models will be fit to existing catch, effort, and mark-recapture data and evaluated against community-based fishery objectives.
Work with co-management working groups to understand traditional models of the fishery system and elicit proposed harvest strategies; evaluate harvest strategies using closed loop simulation.
Participate in Arctic fieldwork, as possible.
Interact with community members by answering questions, addressing concerns, and presenting results on an annual basis.
Present main study results at the end of the two-year period at one conference.
Interpret data and publish results in government reports and/or peer-reviewed journals.

Work environment

The Arctic and Aquatic Research Division of Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO), Ontario and Prairie Region, is based at the Freshwater Institute in Winnipeg, Manitoba. The Division provides information and advice to support the management of Arctic fisheries resources, their habitat and Marine Protected Areas (MPA) in the Northwest Territories and Nunavut, and on the Yukon North Slope. Successful management and conservation of these resources depends on acquiring, interpreting and sharing biological information, the processes affecting them and the ecosystem of which they are part.

In this project, the focus will be on sustainable management of anadromous Dolly Varden, which are critical to the livelihoods and well-being of northern communities in the western Canadian Arctic, and which are sensitive to many stressors, including climate change. The work will entail engaging with northern Indigenous co-management partners from the communities of Aklavik, Fort McPherson, and Inuvik, Northwest Territories to understand their traditional view of the fishery system (if deemed appropriate by the communities) and proposed harvest strategies with which to make annual decisions on harvest quotas. These quotas, together with community-based fisheries management objectives (already determined), will be evaluated against one or more stock assessment models built by the candidate to provide insights into trade-offs expected across the different harvest strategies, as expressed through decision-analysis. Fisheries and Oceans Canada is seeking to combine traditional values and objectives with quantitative assessment models based on data accumulated through years of collaborative data collection in a Precautionary Approach framework for the management of various fisheries. We propose to examine the various harvest strategies proposed by the working groups to help them evaluate their preferred harvest strategy moving forward.

The School of Resource and Environmental Management (REM) at Simon Fraser University in Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada is one of North America’s leading interdisciplinary schools in resource and environmental management. It is an applied graduate and undergraduate school in which both social and natural scientists apply inter- and transdisciplinary approaches to resource and environmental management. Our mission is to inspire leadership and improve decision-making in environmental management through internationally recognized research, education, professional practice, and community engagement to support a socially just and ecologically sustainable world.

Positions to be filled: 1

Information you must provide

Your résumé.

Contact information for 2 references.

In order to be considered, your application must clearly explain how you meet the following (essential qualifications)

Graduation with a degree from a recognized post-secondary institution in Biology, Environmental Science or Resource Management.

Currently enrolled or willing to enroll in September 2023 in a Master of Resource Management program at Simon Fraser University within the School of Resource and Environmental Management (proof of enrollment will be required before the work term starts).

Degree equivalency

Experience interacting with Indigenous communities
Experience collecting, tabulating, analyzing and reporting data related to social or ecological systems
Experience working with scientific and non-scientific teams

* In the context of student recruitment in the federal public service, experience can be acquired through studies, work experience or volunteer activities.

The following will be applied / assessed at a later date (essential for the job)

English essential

Information on language requirements

Initiative
Innovative
Interpersonal relationships
Organized

Ability to communicate orally and in writing

Conditions of employment

Reliability Status security clearance - Note: Each student hired through the Research Affiliate Program (RAP) must meet the security requirements of the position as a condition of employment. Therefore, the student will be asked by the hiring organization to complete security-related documents.

Valid Health Canada medical
Willingness and ability to travel and work from remote areas for up to a month
Willingness and ability to work on evenings and weekends on occasion

Maintaining your student status is a condition of employment. Once you have defended your thesis you are no longer eligible for the program

Other information

The Public Service of Canada is committed to building a skilled and diverse workforce that reflects the Canadians we serve. We promote employment equity and encourage you to indicate if you belong to one of the designated groups when you apply.

Information on employment equity

Interviews may be conducted in Winnipeg, MB or remotely by telephone. Candidates from outside the Federal Public Service will be required to pay for their own travel expenses.

Reference checks may be sought.

An alternative format (such as Braille) of this notice and Statement of Merit Criteria are available upon request.

Candidates invited to attend an interview will be required to bring proof of their education credentials, in the form of a diploma or official transcript (original documents only).

Candidates with foreign credentials must provide proof of Canadian equivalency. Consult the Canadian Information Centre for International Credentials for further information at http://www.cicic.ca/indexe.stm.

Candidates will be communicated with via e-mail. In your application, please include the e-mail address that you wish to use for communication purposes throughout this recruitment initiative. It is your responsibility to verify your e-mail account on a regular basis.

Preference

We thank all those who apply. Only those selected for further consideration will be contacted.