Environmental Programs Manager

JOB OPPORTUNITY

Environmental Programs Manager

A Division of Cat Lake LP

Location: Dryden, ON (Far North Natural Resources Office)

Reports To: Director of New Business and Resource Development

Compensation: $60,000 – $105,000/yr commensurate with education and experience

POSITION PURPOSE

The Far North Natural Resources (FNNR) Partnership—a joint economic and stewardship alliance between Cat Lake First Nation (Cat Lake LP) and the Whitefeather Forest Initiative bridges community-led economic development with responsible land stewardship. This role coordinates economic opportunities across forestry, mining, and energy sectors while fiercely protecting customary land rights and integrating Indigenous Knowledge.

Position overview: The Environmental Programs Manager provides strategic oversight, onsite management, and environmental monitoring for all resource development initiatives within the partnership’s jurisdiction. The role ensures that regional developments in forestry, mining, and energy are executed responsibly, aligning with community approved land-use plans, environmental regulations, and the protection of customary rights.

CORE RESPONSIBILITIES

• Resource Development Management & Support
• Review and evaluate complex resource development proposals, environmental assessments, and mining exploration permits.
• Provide strategic guidance to partner communities on the environmental impacts and sustainable practices of proposed forestry, mining, and green energy projects.
• Facilitate community-led technical reviews to ensure developers comply with Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC) standards.
• Align industrial development activities with the Cat Lake-Slate Falls Community Based Land Use Plan and Whitefeather Forest’s stewardship frameworks.
• Environmental Field Monitoring & Compliance
• Lead the design, execution, and oversight of regional environmental compliance and field monitoring programs.
• Track and document cumulative environmental impacts on local ecosystems, watersheds, and critical wildlife habitats.
• Supervise and mentor local environmental monitors and field technicians inspecting resource extraction sites.
• Ensure resource developers strictly adhere to Ontario’s environmental compliance standards, the Crown Forest Sustainability Act, Species Conservation Act and relevant environmental impact agreements.
• Data Systems & Technical Reporting
• Manage geographic information, database mapping tools, and GIS software to plot and track resource concessions and sensitive ecological zones.
• Translate highly technical industrial data, regulatory policies, and environmental impact data into clear, accessible information for community members and senior leadership.
• Prepare comprehensive technical evaluation reports and regulatory compliance summaries for internal decision-makers and provincial oversight bodies.
• Intergovernmental & Stakeholder Liaison
• Build and maintain functional working relationships between community corporations, industrial stakeholders, and provincial or federal environmental ministries.
• Serve as the primary technical liaison in regional working groups addressing natural resource management and infrastructure development.

REQUIREMENTS & QUALIFICATIONS

• Education: University degree or advanced college diploma in Environmental Science, Environmental Engineering, Forestry, Natural Resource Management, or a related discipline.
• Experience: 3–5 years of progressive experience coordinating environmental impact assessments, field monitoring programs, or industrial compliance oversight within the natural resources sector.
• Technical Knowledge: Proficient in ecosystem management principles, environmental risk mitigation, GIS mapping tools, GPS use, and data management software.
• Regulatory Expertise: Strong working knowledge of Ontario’s resource management legislation, environmental assessment acts, and First Nations treaty frameworks in northern Ontario.
• Cultural Competency: Extensive experience collaborating with Anishinaabe communities, acknowledging and integrating traditional ecological knowledge alongside western environmental science.
• Logistical Readiness: Possession of a valid driver’s license and the capability to travel via small aircraft and winter road networks to remote onsite locations.

Beneficial Qualifications

• Use of personal vehicle suitable for off-highway travel
• Standard first aid, ATV safety training
• Drone pilot’s license

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