Location: Based out of Surrey, with travel throughout lower mainland and/or lower Fraser Valley required
Wage: $28.00/hour (plus 4% vacation paid on an hourly basis) + per diems/allowances as applicable
Type: Full time
Number of Positions: 1
Type: Contract
Term: Anticipated start date of July 3 2026, with contract ending September 4 2026 (with possibility of extension to December 31, 2026 depending on funding)
Hours: 7 hours per day, 5 days per week (typically Monday through Friday), with possibility of requiring periodic work with schedule of 10 days on / 4 days off for fieldwork
Closing Date: June 21, 2026
NOTE – Canada Summer Job Criteria is applicable to this position as listed below & Appointment is subject to signing of the Project Contract.
British Columbia Conservation Foundation’s vision is for thriving fish and wildlife populations in British Columbia. Our mission supports fish and wildlife through education, collaboration and habitat conservation. The Foundation is a mission-driven, registered non-profit and charity. We are one of the most active environmental non-profits in the province and were established in 1969.
We are seeking a motivated person who will work as a technician with BC Government (specifically the Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship) on a project that is to support invertebrate research and field surveys, with a focus on bees, freshwater mussels, butterflies and other arthropods.
The technician will be expected to:
- Work is based out of the Guildford area in Surrey; this position requires the successful candidate to be physically present at the office each workday, as remote or work‑from‑home arrangements are not available.
- Work independently to conduct fieldwork within parks and protected areas, provincial crown lands and private lands (with permission) within approximately 3-hour radius around the Guildford area.
- In some instances, be prepared to work in the field for shifts up to ten continuous days in length (10 on 4 off). Some weeks will involve overnight travel, including camping in campsites and/or remote areas, while other weeks will just require day trips from the Surrey area.
- Work as an efficient team with other fellow crew members or other BC government staff working on related projects in a productive and professional manner. You may not be working with someone every day but may be on occasion.
- Be physically fit and prepared to work a 7-hour field day in all weather conditions, spending most of your time outdoors, sometimes hiking long distances within hilly terrain and not on designated trails.
- Be willing to be part of a freshwater survey team and wade, snorkel or swim within lakes, ponds, river shores and other water bodies.
- Download their GPS data daily, as well as their photos from their camera, and maintain data and samples in an organized manner.
- Work independently and with minimal supervision.
- Be prepared to leave out traps and collect/kill invertebrates for future curation and identification.
Specifically, the technician will be responsible for conducting butterfly and bee surveys on this project including:
- Aerial netting surveys and hand-searching at specific locations for flying pollinators.
- Knowledge of the local ground beetle and bumble bee fauna, willingness to learn this fauna.
- Aerial net other insects, trapping and collecting insects and preserving them for future identification.
- The technicians will also be responsible for emailing their data once per week to a project coordinator (e.g., GPS data, photographs, field notes) and potentially producing a summary report of findings within an excel spreadsheet, and a summary word document.
- GPS electronic data recording will be required.
Applicants MUST meet the Canada Summer Job criteria as follows –
- be a Canadian citizen between the ages of 15 and 30 years old.
- A Canadian citizen, a permanent resident, or someone who has been officially granted refugee protection in Canada and legally entitled to work in Canada (which means you must have a valid Social Insurance Number) for the specified period.
These criteria are set by the funding source for the project and therefore we cannot hire anyone that does not meet the eligibility criteria.
- Additional Qualifications:
- Post-secondary education majoring in the field of environmental sciences.
- Experience working on invertebrate surveys and at least one invertebrate biology course.
- Knowledge on ground beetles, bees and other pollinators is considered an asset.
- Past field inventory experience is required.
- Demonstrated ability to work independently and problem solve with minimal supervision.
- Valid Class 5 BC drivers’ license and willing to provide a driver’s abstract.
- Valid OFA level 1 First Aid or equivalent will be required.
- Competent in operating, managing, and downloading data from GPS units and digital cameras
- Ability to use entomological collection tools, including aerial netting, knowledge of installation of pitfall traps setting up malaise traps, blue vane traps and collecting specimens for deposition within a museum
- Must have basic bee, beetle, and other invertebrate identification skills and be willing to expand this knowledge base daily.
- Must be able to collect voucher specimens and record field data according to given Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy standards.
- Knowledge of plants is a strong asset.
- Habitat assessment skills an asset.
- Microsoft Office computer skills are required.
- Physical fitness at a level required to complete strenuous field work under all weather conditions.
