Current Opportunties

• Summer Assistant

  Job Description

  The Marine Education and Research Society (MERS) is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting conservation and understanding of marine ecosystems through scientific research, environmental education, and marine wildlife response. We are based in Port McNeill, on northeastern Vancouver Island, British Columbia in the Territory of the Kwakwala-speaking People. For more information about MERS’ research, education, and wildlife response efforts, see www.mersociety.org.
  
  The Summer Assistant will be a key part of the team for our marine conservation efforts during busy summer months. The employee will actively participate in both the research and education sides of our work to ensure that we are not only collecting and managing an important, long-term dataset, but also engaging others in ways we can better protect the marine environment.
  
  This position will help process, and analyze data on marine mammals and other marine species for MERS research (~30-50% of time). This will include:
  - Processing the large volume of Humpback Whale data collected year-round within our study area (Comox to Bella Bella and NW Vancouver Island). This includes identifying individual whales from photographic data, data entry, database management and communicating with data contributors.
  - Assisting the MERS Team with maintenance of the MERS Humpback Whale catalogue and the greater Canadian Pacific Humpback Collaboration’s coast-wide database.
  - Maintaining relationships and engagement with data contributors by providing near real-time feedback on the identifications of individual whales.
  - Occasional fieldwork to assist the research team in collecting marine mammal data.
  
  The position will also help MERS achieve our educational objectives and communicate our research findings for the purposes of marine conservation and boater safety (~30-40% of time). This will include:
  - Targeted boater education through events and outreach opportunities to promote our Whale-Safe Boating Course and increase awareness of threats to whales posed by vessels, how to mitigate them, and how to reduce the risk of boater injury from collision and entanglement.
  - Educating the high volume of boaters and visitors to the MERS office about the marine wildlife of the area, the threats to their populations, how these threats can be reduced, and MERS’ work.
  - Liaising with residents of northern Vancouver Island and the local marine ecotourism community to solicit data and provide resources and information for conservation purposes.
  - Engaging the community in marine mammal conservation through organizing and participating in special events, community events, and festivals.
  - Assisting with development of educational materials for displays in the office space and for both in-person and online outreach activities, as needed.
  
  Finally, the Summer Assistant will help with running the MERS Ocean Store that raises funds for our charitable activities (~15% of time). This will include: assisting customers, processing sales, maintaining stock and displays, and cleaning.
  
  The Summer Assistant will receive day-to-day supervision and support. As a small team, they will work closely with all MERS staff, data contributors, and volunteers with a culture of open communication and collaboration.
  
  Number of positions available: 1 to 4, dependent on funding.
  Salary: $22.50/hour
  Work term:  12 to 14 week contract at 37.5 hours/week with anticipated start dates of May 28, 2026*. This position is based in Port McNeill, BC.
  
  Application deadline: February 25, 2026
  
  To apply, please send the following via email (see button below) to:
  - A resume with 3 references (name, position and email address) with a minimum of 2 references being employment contacts, and
  - A cover letter.
  Documents should be sent as a PDF and labeled with First and Last Names.
  
  Selection procedure:
  - Online interview via Zoom: Shortlisted applicants will be contacted by March 6th to schedule an online interview (week of March 8th).
  - Matching Exercise: Applicants who are further short-listed from the online interview will be contacted to complete an exercise to assess their ability to match whale IDs.
  
  *The position, start date, and duration may be subject to change.

  Skills & Qualification

  Commitment to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion: 

  We are an equal opportunity employer and are committed to fair, inclusive, and equitable hiring practices. Our recruitment efforts prioritize broad reach and inclusive evaluation to ensure candidates from all backgrounds have meaningful access to employment opportunities with our organization. 

  Successful candidates: 

  The ideal candidate is an early-career biologist or conservation-focused student who is interested in learning about the different aspects of the marine conservation sector. This position will obtain in-depth learning about marine mammals and other marine species in BC. 
  
  The successful candidate will develop skills related to citizen science, scientific collaboration, data management, and field skills. They will learn how to use relevant biological knowledge and communication strategies in order to effectively communicate and engage the public in research and conservation issues to motivate positive change. Candidates must be Canadian or already have a valid work permit.

  Other assets include:

  • Strong attention to detail and organizational skills
  • Comfortable working in databases and diligence in entering data
  • Great communication, including some experience in public speaking and engaging audiences
  • Keen interest in marine biology and understanding and biological concepts; previous knowledge of BC’s marine mammal species an asset
  • Excellent teamwork and ability to work independently 
  • Willingness to accept feedback and learn
  • Comfortable using, or learning to use, software including: Microsoft Office Suite, Google programs, Photo Mechanic, Filemaker, Adobe computer programs, Canva, and social media platforms
  • Ability to take on a variety of tasks with flexibility, adapting to the changing needs of the role
  • Access to a vehicle for outreach events; mileage will be compensated.

  Potential wage subsidy funding may require candidates to be:

  • 30 years or younger
  • Canadian citizens, permanent residents,  or individuals who have refugee protection under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act

  Candidates should indicate in their application whether they meet those requirements. Those that do not are still welcome to apply, as funding with these parameters is not yet confirmed.

  Apply