Majestic mountains, the rugged West Coast Trail, serene lakes, and one of the world’s tallest free-standing timber rail trestles all lie in the picturesque Cowichan Valley Regional District (CVRD). Located on Vancouver Island, the CVRD provides a wide range of local government services to a population of 80,000 within its 4 distinct municipalities and 9 electoral areas. Just 50 km north of Victoria and 30 km south of Nanaimo, the Cowichan Valley offers a warm climate and numerous parks, recreational, cultural, and social opportunities.

The Cowichan Valley Regional District is now accepting applications for the newly-created, temporary full-time Mitigation Specialist position in Emergency Management Cowichan (Emergency Management Division) within the Strategic Services Department. This grant-funded temporary position is available for up to 2 years.

Emergency Management Cowichan (EMC) is the regional emergency management organization planning Cowichan’s resilient future. Built on 20+ years of shared emergency management service, the Municipality of North Cowichan, Towns of Lake Cowichan and Ladysmith, City of Duncan, and the Cowichan Valley Regional District are working together through EMC to ensure that Cowichan mitigates, is prepared for, can respond to, and recover from, a range of hazards. Learn more at https://emcowichan.ca/.

EMC is growing! We are actively hiring for several new and existing positions on our team – please view all EMC vacancies at https://emcowichan.ca/about-us/join-our-team/ and consider applying for these other exciting opportunities as well.

Reporting to the Manager – Emergency Operations & Planning, the Mitigation Specialist will assist in the initial development of the Emergency Management Mitigation Program supporting Cowichan municipalities and the Cowichan Valley Regional District (CVRD). This position will manage objectives under the Emergency Management and Disaster Act by planning, developing, and implementing mitigation initiatives and activities to support risk reduction and climate adaptation.

• Diploma or degree in Emergency Management, Land Use, Resource Management, Climate Adaptation, or related field
• A minimum of four (4) years related experience, including the following:
  • Related hazard and risk assessment experience
  • Experience developing programs that consider social, cultural, and environmental impacts of natural hazards
  • Experience developing policy, processes, and other guiding governance documentation to explore all impacts and identify recommendations that will reduce these particular impacts
  • Emergency management experience
  • Leadership experience including public promotion, facilitation, and presentation delivery
  • Facilitating senior leaders and external partners through complex concepts
• Valid Class 5 BC Drivers’ License – employee needs to have access to reliable transportation (mileage will be reimbursed as per CVRD policy)
• Project Management Professional (PMP) would be considered an asset
• An equivalent combination of education, training, and experience may be considered

CLICK HERE for the job description listing the full job requirements and qualifications.

Guaranteed 35 hours of work per week, Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and eligible for flex time. This position may be required to attend some evening and weekend meetings, and is required to participate in the on-call Duty Manager rotation for after-hours emergency management support. Following a successful in-office probation and training period, this position may be eligible for a hybrid in-office / work-from-home arrangement.

Wage rate in 3 steps as per the Collective Agreement between the CVRD and CUPE Local 358, $45.63 - $46.95 - $48.34 per hour (2024 rates). Benefits (or 6% pay in lieu of benefits until eligible), 6% pay in lieu of vacation, and on-call pay are included as per the CUPE Collective Agreement.

Please submit a resume and cover letter at the link above by 4:30 pm on the date indicated.

Please include a driver’s abstract with your application.

Note that testing may be required during the interview process. Testing is based on the knowledge, skills, abilities and qualifications outlined in the job description.