Position Title: British Columbia Ecosystem Key Biodiversity Areas Analyst

Position Level: Level 6

Position Type: Full-time, Term

Office/Program: Key Biodiversity Areas (KBA)

Position Location: Remote in Canada

Start date: July 21, 2025

Date Written/Revised: June 3, 2025

Reports To: Dr. Ciara Raudsepp-Hearne, Director of Key Biodiversity Areas program and Francis Ordonez-Bermudes, Atlantic Canada Ecosystem KBA Analyst

Supervises (Direct supervision only): N/A

Term: July 21, 2025-January 21, 2027

Salary: $60,060-$65,300 annually

Position Contact: Dr Ciara Raudsepp-Hearne, Director of Key Biodiversity Areas program

Benefits: 4 weeks vacation, Paid sick and Personal emergency leave, Self-care days, Health and Dental care, Life insurance, RRSP match, DEIJA Team, Weekly Wellness sessions, Mentorship program.

Application Closing Date: June 17, 2025 at 6pm ET.

Position Summary

Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) Canadas Key Biodiversity Areas (KBA) program is seeking aBritish Columbia Ecosystem Key Biodiversity Areas Analyst with a strong attention to detail, experience with mapping and analyzing ecological data using GIS and or R, and familiarity with ecosystem identification and classification to join our dynamic team, working collaboratively with the British Columbia Conservation Data Centre (BCCDC). The KBA program is a national effort to identify places in Canada that contribute significantly to the persistence of biodiversity using a set of quantitative criteria, overseen by a coalition of partners including NGOs, academic scientists, governments and Indigenous communities.

KBA Criteria A2 and B4 identify sites based around the presence of threatened and rare ecosystems, respectively. To do so, we require accurate and up to date maps of the full extent of ecosystems classified at appropriate hierarchical levels (analogous to the Association, Alliance, or Group levels in the Canadian National Vegetation Classification (CNVC) system), as well as information on the threat status of each ecosystem type. British Columbia contains many unique ecosystem types that are endemic to the province or to the surrounding region of southwestern Canada and northwestern USA and will likely meet KBA criteria in several locations due to their rarity and threatened nature. However, before KBA sites can be identified for these ecosystem types, work is required to pull together information from existing ecosystem classification systems, assess and update the mapped distribution of ecosystems at different levels using map products from various jurisdictions, and determine the threat status of ecosystem types found in B.C.

TheBritish Columbia Ecosystem Key Biodiversity Areas Analyst will join the KBA Canada team to provide research support to the KBA Ecosystem Criteria Coordinator and to the BCCDC by identifying potential KBAs in B.C. They will gather, assess, and summarize existing information on ecosystem classification and mapping, identification of ecosystem-based sites of conservation importance, and spatial ecosystem data in British Columbia and adjacent jurisdictions, then use these data to identify ecosystem types classified and mapped at appropriate levels that are likely to meet KBA criteria within B.C. Using the information from the first two tasks, they will create KBA site boundaries and draft KBA proposals in areas where endemic ecosystems meet A2 or B4 Criteria. Throughout the process, they will participate in regular meetings with the KBA Ecosystem Criteria Coordinator and other team members from the BCCDC and WCS Canada KBA program for progress updates and knowledge sharing.

Principal Objectives

This position will support the KBA program in British Columbia through the following primary objectives:

• Summarize relevant ecosystem classification, mapping, and threat assessment tools and methods applicable to B.C.
• Summarize, describe, and compare past and current methods for identifying ecosystem-based sites of high conservation importance in B.C.
• Gather, map, and assess the completeness of spatial data on B.C. ecosystems from different sources.
• Create ecosystem-based KBA proposals for sites meeting KBA criteria, based on the information gathered in the first three objectives.

Principal Responsibilities

• Summarize relevant ecosystem classification, mapping, and threat assessment tools and methods applicable to B.C. into a guidance document:
  • Summarize basic principles and current relationships between provincial, national, and international ecosystem classification systems relevant to B.C.
  • Summarize available mapped data for each classification system and any limitations or considerations for each dataset.
  • Summarize main principles and key differences among ecosystem threat assessment tools and methods.
• Describe and compare past and current methods for identifying ecosystem-based sites of high conservation importance in B.C.:
  • Review methods for ecosystem-based conservation sites in B.C.
  • Gather spatial data on existing ecosystem conservation sites.
  • Create document and map summarizing results and comparing different methods.
• Gather, map, and assess the completeness of spatial data on ecosystems in B.C. from different sources:
  • Identify ecosystems in each classification system that are endemic or threatened in B.C. and summarize key spatial and non-spatial information about each.
  • Assess needs for cross-walking ecosystems between different classifications to ensure ecosystems used for KBA proposals meet criteria.
  • Evaluate and summarize provincial gaps in ecosystem mapping and reasons for those gaps.
• Create KBA site proposals for ecosystems meeting A2 or B4 KBA criteria identified in the above steps:
  • Collect information on ecosystem type, threat ranks, and mapped extent and draft potential KBA boundaries for suitable ecosystem types identified in the steps above.
  • Write KBA site proposals following KBA program protocols for each potential site.
  • Identify experts, stakeholders, rightsholders, and other knowledge holders who can be contacted to provide reviews of KBA proposals.
  • Move KBA proposals through the review process until they are ready to submit nationally and globally.
• Regular meetings with KBA Ecosystem Criteria Coordinator, BCCDC ecology team, and other team members as needed for progress updates and information sharing.
• Support WCS Canadas goal of transforming WCS Canadas conservation practice through reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples.
• Contribute to creating a diverse, equitable and inclusive workplace that promotes engagement and belonging.

Required Qualifications/Skills/Experience

• A Bachelors or Masters degree in a related field of study.
• Previous experience with ecosystem, ecosite, land cover, vegetation community, or other related ecological mapping using field data and/or remotely sensed information.
• Familiarity with GIS tools and methods for geospatial data manipulation and quantitative analysis (ArcGIS Pro, R, Python are assets).
• Capacity to effectively engage experts from other jurisdictions in B.C. and surrounding jurisdictions to share knowledge and establish mutually beneficial dialogue around ecosystem classification and mapping.
• Proven ability to work both independently and within a team on multiple projects concurrently.
• Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail, including record keeping and data organization.
• Excellent communication skills, both oral and written.
• Proficient with data compilation, analysis, and management.

Preferred Qualifications/Skills/Experience

• Strong problem-solving skills, detail oriented, and resourceful.
• A passion for the conservation of nature and wildlife.

How to apply

Please submit your CV with a cover letter explaining your interest in this position and relevant skills and experience.

For questions regarding the position, please contact Ciara Raudsepp-Hearne at [email protected]

For questions regarding the application process, please contact Okechukwu Ezibe at [email protected]

Application Closing Date: June 17, 2025 at 6pm ET.

WCS Canada is committed to creating an accessible and inclusive organization. We strive to ensure that all candidates have a fair and equitable experience throughout the recruitment process. If you require accommodation at any stage of the application or interview process, please contact Okechukwu Ezibe at [email protected] or by phone at 437-770-2776. We will work with you to meet your accessibility needs in accordance with applicable legislation.

About WCS Canada

WCS Canada (www.wcscanada.org) was established as a Canadian conservation organization in July 2004. We are committed to championing accessibility, diversity, and equal opportunity. Our mission is to save wildlife and wild places by improving our understanding of and seeking solutions to critical problems that threaten key species and large wild ecosystems throughout Canada. We implement and support comprehensive field studies that gather information on wildlife needs and then seek to resolve key conservation problems by working with a broad array of actors. WCS Canada has a track record of our science being recognized as relevant, credible and legitimate by researchers, NGOs and agencies. WCS Canada is independently registered and managed, while retaining a strong collaborative working relationship with sister Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) programs in more than 60 countries.

Diversity and inclusion are core WCS Canada values. We value the diversity of the people we employ and work with and we strive to provide an inclusive and equitable workplace in which we recognize the unique characteristics, skills and experiences of all employees. We are committed to engaging our employees in our diversity, equity and inclusion work and together we aim to create a workplace where all staff feel they belong and can grow.

WCS Canadas programs occur on the homelands of Indigenous Peoples whose relationships various governments are described in historic Treaties, modern land claim agreements, and negotiations around unceded lands. We recognize and support Indigenous Peoples in Indigenous-led conservation initiatives as well as the international ecological and social commitments and responsibilities to Indigenous Peoples that Canada has signed, including the Convention on Biological Diversity, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, the Convention on the Trade in Endangered Species, the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, and the recommendations of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. Our commitment to collaboration with Indigenous Peoples ranges from provision of scientific advice to co-creation of research and conservation priorities. We respect Indigenous knowledge systems and include Indigenous ways of knowing in research and conservation programs. We engage in land use planning and impact assessment processes that affect Indigenous Peoples, seeking ways to advance conservation as well as opportunities to sustain the livelihoods and cultures of Indigenous communities. We seek to motivate positive conservation outcomes by supporting effective governance and decision-making processes by Indigenous communities, particularly by supporting Indigenous and Community Conserved Areas.

WCS Canada is committed to contributing to the field of conservation science and the professional development of its employees. Employees are encouraged to participate in professional societies and present their research at conferences and meetings, as well as participate in relevant workshops and training opportunities. Employees are likewise encouraged to mentor graduate students, participate in relevant graduate student committees, and pursue adjunct status with universities as appropriate.