Department Information

The mandate of the Department of Environment and Climate Change is to manage land, water, air, wildlife, and forests. This includes promoting, planning, and supporting the wise and sustainable use of natural resources, and protecting, restoring, and stewarding the environment for the social and economic benefit of all Northwest Territories residents.

Job Information

Located in Yellowknife, The Climate Change Adaptation Specialist (the Specialist) coordinates, develops and supports territorial strategies, policies, programs and projects that achieve climate change adaptation and outreach goals and objectives for the Northwest Territories (NWT).

The position coordinates climate change adaptation programs and strategies to support a cohesive territorial approach to meet the goals and objectives of the Department of Environment and Climate Change (ECC) and the GNWT.

The Specialist coordinates the development, implementation and evaluation of adaptation and resilience strategies (e.g., GNWT Adaptation Strategy). The Specialist enables and coordinates action to identify, prioritize and address current and anticipated risks associated with climate change. Risks can be associated with the environment, infrastructure or socioeconomic factors, among others. The Specialist supports climate change adaptation and resilience actions that are undertaken collaboratively by enabling partnerships with internal (e.g., GNWT departments and ECC divisions) and external partners and stakeholders (e.g., Indigenous, community, territorial, provincial and federal governments, industry, environmental and nongovernment organizations, academia and the public).

The Specialist enables the dissemination of information arising from climate change hazard mapping, research, and analysis to support adaptation actions. The Specialist informs, supports, and enables adaptation and resilience capacity building approaches for the territory including Indigenous and community governments. The Specialist administers federal climate change adaptation funding on behalf of GNWT Departments, including ECC.

The Specialist works collaboratively with colleagues within the Divisions of ECC, particularly Forestry Management, Wildlife, Water Monitoring and Stewardship, Sustainable Livelihoods, and Policy, Legislation and Communications. The Specialist works with colleagues in the GNWT Departments, particularly Municipal and Community Affairs (MACA), Infrastructure (INF), Industry, Tourism and Investment (ITI), Health and Social Services (HSS), Education, Culture and Employment (ECE), Indigenous governments and Indigenous organizations, community governments, Federal Government Departments, academics (both international and national), industry, non-governments organizations, such as the NWT Association of Communities.

Key Responsibilities

• Develops and implements a strategic and coordinated approach to climate change adaptation and resilience.
• Enables climate change adaptation and resilience capacity.
• Reviews, analyzes, supports, evaluates, and provides advice on climate change adaptation projects (e.g., funding applications, reports, studies, proposals) policies, and legislation.
• Delivers in-person information sessions, workshops, training, etc., to build adaptation and resilience capacity for target audiences or to address priority issues.
• Enhances climate change adaptation relationships with key partners in the NWT, Canada, and internationally.
• Supports Climate Change Unit Priorities.
• Reports on activity progress and budgets expenditures and forecasting.

Key Qualifications

• Completion of a bachelor's degree in an appropriate discipline such as social sciences, environmental sciences (chemistry, biology, or general environmental studies), public administration and planning, with at least three (3) years of relevant work experience, preferably, with climate change adaptation and mitigation issues, environmental outreach, and/or GNWT, NWT community governments, Indigenous governments and Indigenous organizations, non-government organizations and industry.
• Project Management Professional certification is an asset.
• Relevant work experience may include:
  • experience in an NWT setting with both government and private industry.
  • experience working with IGIOs.
  • experience with climate change in a northern context.

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. For more information about living and working in the Northwest Territories please visit our benefits page or NWT Tourism.

GNWT Inquiries

Inquiries Only:

Department of Finance
Government of the Northwest Territories
YELLOWKNIFE CENTRE 5TH FLOOR
BOX 1320 YELLOWKNIFE NT X1A 2L9
Tel (867) 767-9154 Extension 14106
Fax (867) 873-0445
jobsyk@gov.nt.ca

Note: If you do not receive electronic notification confirming receipt of your application, please follow up via telephone.