Director, Environmental Protection & Waste Management
- Yellowknife, NT
- On-site
- Posted Oct 10, 2026
- 1 position
$142,955–$204,224 / year
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- Employment type
- Full-time
- Experience level
- Lead · 10+ years
- Minimum education
- Bachelor’s degree
- Posting language
- English
- Working hours
- 40 hours per week
- Seniority
- Mid-Senior level
Job summary
Lead the division’s environmental protection and waste management programs, including air quality, hazardous waste, spill response, contaminated sites, waste management, and the Giant Mine Remediation Project. Direct policy, legislation, regulatory and remediation initiatives; advise senior government decision-makers; manage staff, budgets and program delivery; and represent the GNWT with Indigenous governments, other governments, industry and partners.
Job details
Please note: The application deadline for this position is October 21 at 11:59 PM Mountain Standard Time (MST). The Government of the Northwest Territories is seeking a Director, Environmental Protection and Waste Management to join the Department of Environment and Climate Change in Yellowknife. This role provides strategic leadership for some of the NWT’s most significant environmental protection programs, including contaminated sites, hazardous waste, spill response, waste reduction and diversion, air quality and the Giant Mine Remediation Project. You will help shape policy, legislation and programs that protect the NWT’s air, land and water while balancing environmental, economic and community priorities. About the Role Reporting to the Assistant Deputy Minister, Environmental Management, Monitoring and Climate Change, you will lead a multidisciplinary division responsible for environmental protection and waste management programs across the territory. As a member of ECC’s senior management team, you will provide strategic advice to senior government decision-makers, oversee complex regulatory and remediation initiatives, manage financial and human resources, and represent the GNWT with Indigenous governments, other governments, industry and national organizations. Key Responsibilities Provide strategic leadership for environmental protection programs related to air quality, hazardous waste, spill response, contaminated sites, waste management and greening government. Direct the development and implementation of legislation, regulations, policies, programs and standards within the Division’s mandate. Provide strategic advice and briefings to the Minister, Deputy Minister, Assistant Deputy Minister, Cabinet committees and other senior decision-makers. Oversee contaminated sites assessment, remediation and monitoring, including the GNWT’s role in the Giant Mine Remediation Project. Build and maintain relationships with Indigenous governments and organizations, federal, provincial, territorial and municipal governments, industry and other partners. Lead the Division’s professional staff, budgets, work planning and program delivery while contributing to the broader strategic direction of the Department. 28434_1 28434_1 Qualifications Typically, the above qualifications would be attained by: A graduate degree in a relevant Engineering, Geoscience or Science discipline, combined with a minimum of 10 years of progressive, directly related experience, including at least seven years in a managerial position. Relevant disciplines may include Environmental, Chemical or Mining Engineering; Geology, Geochemistry or Hydrogeology; Environmental Science; Chemistry; or a related field. Directly related experience may include contaminated sites assessment, remediation and monitoring; spill response; waste reduction, diversion and waste management, including hazardous waste; and air quality. Equivalencies may include: A bachelor’s degree in a relevant Engineering, Geoscience or Science discipline with a minimum of 12 years of progressive, directly related experience, including at least seven years in a managerial position; or A PhD in a relevant Engineering, Geoscience or Science discipline with a minimum of eight years of progressive, directly related experience, including at least seven years in a managerial position. Equivalent combinations of education and experience will be considered. Learn More The GNWT offers a competitive salary, an annual northern living allowance, a generous defined benefit pension plan, and health/dental benefits in addition to relocation assistance. To learn more about living and working in the Northwest Territories, visit: GNWT Careers Benefits NWT Tourism
What you’ll do
Lead the division’s environmental protection and waste management programs, including air quality, hazardous waste, spill response, contaminated sites, waste management, and the Giant Mine Remediation Project. Direct policy, legislation, regulatory and remediation initiatives; advise senior government decision-makers; manage staff, budgets and program delivery; and represent the GNWT with Indigenous governments, other governments, industry and partners.
Requirements
Typically requires a relevant graduate degree in engineering, geoscience or science, at least 10 years of directly related progressive experience, and at least seven years in a managerial role. Equivalencies include a relevant bachelor’s degree with at least 12 years of related experience or a relevant PhD with at least eight years; equivalent combinations of education and experience will be considered.
Benefits
- Annual Northern Living Allowance
- Defined Benefit Pension Plan
- Health Benefits
- Dental Benefits
- Relocation Assistance
Listed skills
- management · Preferred
- staff · Preferred
- discipline · Preferred
- assessment · Preferred
- Health · Preferred
- Leadership · Preferred
- Development · Preferred
- Planning · Preferred
- Reporting · Preferred
- Time · Preferred
- Organization · Preferred
- Attention to detail · Preferred
Other relevant skills
Identified from the job description. Confirm important requirements above.
- Strategic Leadership
- Environmental Protection
- Waste Management
- Contaminated Sites Assessment
- Remediation and Monitoring
- Spill Response
- Hazardous Waste Management
- Waste Reduction and Diversion
- Air Quality Management
- Policy and Legislation Development
- Regulatory Oversight
- Financial Resource Management
- Human Resource Management
- Indigenous and Stakeholder Relations
- Government Relations
- Program Delivery
Job areas
- Environmental & Sustainability
- Management & Leadership
- Government & Public Sector
- Engineering
- Science & Research
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