Senior Researcher, Environmental Impacts Job in Sherwood Park Recruiting by Alberta Innovates

Researcher, Environmental Impacts

InnoTech Alberta, a subsidiary of Alberta Innovates is seeking a researcher to join the team working out of our Edmonton office. The Environmental Services Division is staffed by an expert team of applied scientists and technicians that strive to be the preferred partner for addressing complex environmental, natural resource and greenhouse gas management challenges, bridging the gap between existing environmental research and real-world solutions. The primary responsibilities of this position will be business development; technical proposals and contracts; project and program development; management; analysis, interpretation, and communication of experimental results; and collaboration and interaction with colleagues, clients, and external experts, with a focus on environmental impacts and land use sustainability research. Technical and/or supervisory experience and interest will be crucial to success in this position. This position will report within the Environmental Impacts Team.

Are you our Researcher, Environmental Impacts? You would be a good fit for this position if you: 

• Are passionate about working with a broad client group to develop and lead research, implement solutions, and validate benefits.
• Are resourceful, creative, and forward thinking.
• Enjoy developing innovative solutions to problems.
• Want to make a difference within Alberta’s environmental sector.
• Are collaborative by nature and able to work in a multidisciplinary team environment.
• Have a strong commitment to project management and enjoy tackling new challenges.

We are game changers. 

InnoTech Alberta, a subsidiary of Alberta Innovates, is a leading research and technology organization serving the needs of the industry and service sector in Alberta. Our leading-edge expertise and industrial-scale research and demonstration facilities accelerate and de-risk technology development and deployment for our clients with a focus on industrial solutions and commercial application. With over 230 employees, InnoTech operates within several locations across the province, including Vegreville, Edmonton, Devon, and Calgary. We are Alberta’s innovation engine – with 100 years of bold ideas that feed, grow, fuel, and build Alberta’s agriculture, energy, environment, and forestry sectors.  Visit us at: 

Intrigued? Here’s some more information about the position: 

This role will focus on enhancing the team’s environmental impacts and land use sustainability research. The successful incumbent will be accountable for (but not limited to) the following: 

• Use and apply innovative technical expertise and capabilities to:
  • Support the development and validation of processes and technologies that enable more efficient, effective, and economical environmental monitoring and management.
  • Support design and execution of innovative projects, analyze results and generate information to support client needs in environmental impacts and risk evaluation.
  • Support development and implementation of research projects in land use sustainability.
• Support the development and management of applied research projects through:
  • Client engagement to identify high priority challenges and associated projects to drive initiatives forward.
  • Advancement of divisional priorities via market research, client engagement, and program conceptualization and implementation.
  • Development of new projects by preparing proposals and budgets for presentation to external clients to solicit funding and building partnerships with internal and external resources to execute projects.
  • Project management responsibilities such as forecasting project workforce and asset allocation to ensure effective and optimal scheduling and delegation of tasks.
  • Consultation on projects within the Division and with others at InnoTech to enhance multi-disciplinary capabilities.
  • Implementation work plans, including organizing, overseeing project teams, and managing budgets and resources.
  • Negotiation and arrangement of contractual agreements with clients.

Educational Requirement:

• A master's or PhD degree in an Environmental discipline with an emphasis on environmental impacts or related disciplines.
• Current membership or eligibility for membership with the Alberta Institute of Agrologists (P. Ag), APEGA (P. Eng), Alberta Society of Professional Biologists (P. Biol) or other professional designation associated with the candidate’s education.

Experience and Qualifications we are looking for:

• Minimum of 3 years as a leader in a technical or supervisory position focused on:
  • applied research; specifically, the design of research investigations at bench-, meso- or field-scale to identify solutions for environmental challenges in Alberta,
  • assessment of environmental impacts from anthropogenic activities,
  • integration of multidisciplinary elements (soils, hydrology, contaminant management, vegetation, etc.) and tools (e.g., GIS, modeling, etc.) into project conceptualization and execution; and,
  • balancing science/technical, market, and business development requirements to achieve success.

Skills Required:

• • Environmental risk and impact assessment
  • Understanding of Alberta’s high priority environmental challenges
  • Application of broadly sourced technical solutions to address client needs.
  • Broad understanding of environmental disciplines to enable multidisciplinary projects.
  • Experimental design and analysis at various scales and in both controlled and field environments
  • Proven ability to motivate and engage colleagues in a shared vision.
  • Commitment to nurturing and enabling success in junior staff through coaching and mentoring.
  • Strategic and systems thinking competencies to support identification and operationalization of Divisional priorities within the context of stakeholder and organizational needs.
  • Self-awareness and dedication to continuous growth
  • Proficiency in working collaboratively with internal and external stakeholders, including facilitating partnerships across diverse stakeholder groups.
  • Strong organizational skills and attention to detail to perform and prioritize multiple tasks, competing resources and client demands.
  • Standout creative problem-solving skills
  • Excellent interpersonal, communication, and project management skills
  • Strong written and oral communication skills, demonstrated through technical reports and proposals, and presentations of research outcomes.
  • Negotiation and conflict management skills and experience

Why Alberta Innovates? 

We offer our employees opportunities to work on projects that will expand their skill sets while witnessing the visible impacts of their efforts. We value the development of our employees and create opportunities for working in capacities that allow new skills to be learned. We know that the wellness of our team is the most important part of our business, so we offer a strong benefits package and generous vacation and paid time off programs to promote work-life balance.   

The final candidate will be required to undergo a security clearance. All interviewees must be able to meet the requirement specified in the Physical Demand Analysis. This document will be supplied during the interview process to the successful candidate. This competition will remain open until a successful candidate is found.  

ALBERTA INNOVATES IS COMMITTED TO THE PRINCIPLE OF EQUITY IN EMPLOYMENT AND ENCOURAGES APPLICATIONS FROM ALL QUALIFIED INDIVIDUALS. WE WISH TO THANK ALL APPLICANTS FOR THEIR INTEREST. HOWEVER, ONLY THOSE INVITED FOR AN INTERVIEW WILL BE CONTACTED.