Alberta Acts on Climate Change (the University of Calgary and the Pembina Institute) is hiring a Community Green Energy Analyst for a six-month internship funded by Service Canada through the Canadian Community Economic Development (CED) Network. The internship begins October 11, 2010 and concludes March 18, 2011.

Project Description

Alberta Acts on Climate Change (http://www.pembina.org/) is a joint initiative of The Pembina Institute and the University of Calgary’s Faculty of Social Work that seeks to increase environmental citizenship in Alberta.

Alberta Acts recently launched its Green Energy Tour (http://www.pembina.org/ that will visit several communities around the province to share information and organize support for low impact renewable electricity initiatives. The Community Green Energy Analyst will focus specifically on the opportunities for community economic development related to renewable energy resources.

This internship is an excellent opportunity to contribute to a professional, highly reputable environmental think tank and, specifically, to critical Alberta-based green energy initiatives.
About the University of Calgary Faculty of Social Work

The project will be housed in the Faculty of Social Work at the University of Calgary. The Faculty of Social Work was established in 1966 with a strong tradition of applied research in a community context and innovative approaches to public education and citizen’s empowerment in a social context. The Faculty hosted the first Canadian Teach-in on Global Warming on February 1, 2008. www.ucalgary.ca/oikos/

About the Pembina Institute

Currently celebrating its 25th anniversary, the Pembina Institute is a national non-profit think tank that advances sustainable energy solutions through research, education, consulting and advocacy. It promotes environmental, social and economic sustainability in the public interest by developing practical solutions for communities, individuals, governments and businesses. The Pembina Institute provides policy research leadership and education on climate change, energy issues, green economics, energy efficiency and conservation, renewable energy, and environmental governance. For more information on our mission, vision and our sustainable energy solutions, please visit www.pembina.org.

What Can Alberta Acts on Climate Change Offer You?

The Pembina Institute uniquely combines the public interest vision of a non-profit with the entrepreneurial culture of a small business and the intellectual rigour of a think tank.
As such, we offer a work environment that allows you to undertake projects aligned with your personal values; that rewards good ideas and initiative; and that gives you the chance to collaborate with smart and experienced colleagues who are passionate about what they do.
You’ll also find opportunities to apply an unusually wide range of skills and perspectives to your work. For example, you will likely balance a number of different roles within Pembina, including: researcher, analyst, modeler, project manager and strategist. Similarly, in working with our allies and with the public, you may find yourself positioned at different times as a content expert, a spokesperson, an advocate, or a facilitator.

What can you offer Alberta Acts on Climate Change?

Smarts: You should think incisively, write clearly and concisely with good logic flow, and have knowledge about climate and energy related sustainability issues.
Drive: You should be a self-starter, and be able to identify and focus on the most strategic tasks when you have competing demands on your time.
People Skills: You should enjoy teamwork and be able to communicate and connect with a wide range of people; for example, senior managers, other consultants, external stakeholder groups, or a quiet workshop participant.
Passion for Social Change: You should be passionate about creating social change in corporations and committed to sustainability in your own life.
Flexibility and Resourcefulness: You should be well aware of, and comfortable with the unique challenges of working in a medium-sized non-profit organization.

Participant Criteria

Participants must meet the following Canadian CED Network criteria:

• Be between the ages of 15 and 30 (inclusive) at the time of selection
• Be a Canadian citizen, or a permanent resident or a protected person within the meaning of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act
• Be legally entitled to work in Canada
• Be legally entitled to work according to the relevant provincial and/or territorial legislation and regulations
• Be out-of-school
• Be a post-secondary college or university graduate
• Not be receiving Employment Insurance benefits
• Demonstrate a lack of labour market attachment to field of study (be under-employed or unemployed)
• Can demonstrate that working in the field of community economic development is a career goal
• Has not previously participated in a Career Focus work experience placement (Government of Canada, Youth Employment Strategy)

Education

Post-secondary education related to community economic development and/or renewable energy preferred.

Relevant fields of study include environmental studies, environmental science, social work, engineering, business, commerce, education and others.

All applicants must be out of school per the participant criteria above. Some relevant educational training will be provided.

Responsibilities

The Community Green Energy Analyst will report to the Project Coordinator.

The successful applicant will bring a community economic development lens to the Green Energy Tour, which will specifically include the following tasks:

• researching opportunities for community economic development related to renewable energy in Alberta,
• preparing materials (such as newsletters, slide shows, etc.) to communicate research, and
• participating in public meetings and meeting with citizens groups and town councils.

The successful applicant will also contribute to other activities at the Pembina Institute, as appropriate.

Qualifications

The project team considers the following assets but not necessarily required:

• Practical knowledge of community economic development
• Experience in and comfort with group facilitation and public speaking
• Aptitude with social networking tools
• Web development and maintenance
• Experience with video production
• Knowledge of Alberta’s diversity, including rural and urban regions

Successful candidates will be able to demonstrate passion for the environment and in public engagement. Previous and ongoing experience with the environmental public education and community action will be an asset.

The project team is highly committed to environmental sustainability. Creativity, a good sense of humour and tolerance for ambiguity are definite bonuses for applicants.

Application Procedure

Please submit:

• a one-page letter of interest,
• a résumé, and
• an email address and phone number of two or three references.

The cover letter should not exceed one page. Attachments should be submitted electronically in Word (.doc), Rich Text (.rtf) or Portable Document Format (PDF). Please do not password protect the documents you submit. Send applications to the email below.

Applications must be received in confidence by 23:59 mountain time on Sunday, October 3, 2010 for a start date of October 11, 2010.

We are an equal opportunity employer. We thank all applicants for their interest but only those selected for an interview will be contacted and asked to complete a CreateAction Participant Application Form.