Conservation Planner​/Planner​/A-(B

The Government of Nova Scotia is seeking a Conservation Planner in Halifax, NS. The role involves implementing a multi-million-dollar conservation project, focusing on biodiversity protection and collaboration with various stakeholders. Candidates should have a degree in Environmental Management or a related field, along with two years of experience in land conservation or protected areas planning. Strong project management and communication skills are essential.
Position: Conservation Planner (Planner 1(A)-(B)-2)

About Us

Nova Scotia Environment’s role is to protect the environment, human health and through regulatory excellence, conservation, partnership and promotion. To achieve this, we strive to develop legislation, regulations and policies, process notifications, applications, and approvals for regulated activities based on sound scientific knowledge and expertise.

Our goal is to educate, inspect and enforce to ensure compliance with legislation and regulations. We also proactively respond to environmental, conservation, and human health risks and work to develop programs and deliver services to enhance protection in these areas.

Protected Areas | Protected Areas (

About Our Opportunity

Reporting to the Manager, Nature Agreement you will be responsible for implementing various elements of a two- year, multi-million-dollar, partner-based conservation project. With significant funding through the Federal Nature Agreement which will take a multi-pronged approach to advancing protection of biodiversity.

Primary Accountabilities

As a Conservation Planner, you will contribute to biodiversity conservation by continuing Crown land protection, accelerating the protection of private land, restoring connectivity, supporting Nova Scotia Mi’kmaq in advancing Indigenous Protected and Conserved Areas, enhancing conservation stewardship, facilitating collaborative conservation planning and action, undertaking targeted ecological inventory, analysis, and prioritization of specific conservation themes, and addressing pre-existing rights, uses, and threats in new and existing protected areas.

You will work in a team environment with staff from this and other provincial departments, municipalities, Nova Scotia Mi’kmaq representatives, lands trust partners, and various contractors and conservation groups. You may also interact with industry and non-government partners, community groups, conservation and recreation organizations, and others to advance project goals.

Additionally, you will be involved in stakeholder and public partnerships and consultations, developing public communication materials, preparing reports and negotiating and overseeing various contracts. You may also be involved in policy development, process facilitation, and collaborative planning.

Qualifications and Experience

To be successful in this role, you will have a bachelor’s degree in a related field such as Environmental Management, Ecology, Land Conservation or Natural Resources and 2 years of related experience or an equivalent combination of training and experience.

You will have demonstrated competency and experience in land conservation or protected areas planning and have a practical understanding of current issues and best practice approaches in protected areas establishment and management.

You will be experienced in collaborative planning, working with partners and stakeholder groups, and facilitating partnerships. You will be self-directed, have excellent problem solving and organizational skills, sound judgement and critical thinking skills that are necessary to resolve complex and sensitive issues. Demonstrated project management experience skills are essential. You must also be highly proficient with computer word processing and spreadsheet software.

You will have knowledge of provincial and federal legislation, regulations, policies, programs, and processes relevant to protected areas, private land conservation and land management in Nova Scotia.

Working familiarity with geographic information systems (GIS), ecological inventory and prioritization, ecological connectivity analysis and mitigation, re-naturalization techniques, processes for screening potential protected areas and other effective area-based conservation measures, and barriers and potential solutions to private land conservation would be assets.

Other assets include experience in public land-use planning, policy development, public consultation, Indigenous consultation and facilitation. Knowledge of protected areas establishment processes, management and environmental planning is also an asset, as is an understanding of global, regional, and local drivers of biodiversity loss.

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