Organic Research Coordinator
The PEI Certified Organic Producers Cooperative (COPC) currently seeks applications from motivated individuals to work within their recently launched Organic Industry Research Coordination (OIRC) program. The OIRC program aims to support the organic sector on PEI through:
Coordinating farmer-led research trials, assisting farmers in the design of on-farm projects to answer their questions, and helping to share results for enhanced farmer-to-farmer learning;
Coordinating and initiating research projects led by other academic, governmental, non-governmental, and industry research partners and addressing our members’ priorities;
Organizing field days, farmer training events, and workshops throughout the year; and
The communication of research projects and results through various media.
The selected applicant(s) will have the opportunity to work with our diverse membership of organic farmers from across PEI, and research funders and partners on the continued development of the OIRC program, supporting a range of ongoing and new projects. These include, among others, assisting with:
Follow up of farmer-led research trials initiated in 2015, and the initiation, development and planning of upcoming 2016 farmer-led trials;
The identification and development of new projects, including funding opportunities;
The organization of several workshops and training sessions, such as:
PEI COPC’s annual “Soil Sessions”, a two-day workshop featuring local and international invited speakers and bringing together farmers and agricultural professionals from across sectors on the topic of soil health, regeneration, and best management practices;
The first in a series of record keeping/profitability analysis workshops aimed at helping farmers understand where their farms are profitable and efficient, and where they are not;
Transitioning to/Certifying Organic workshops, to help newcomers to organics better understand the requirements and complexities of Organic Certification
Improving our research communication strategy, and maintaining communication with members, partners, funders, and the general public.
The ideal candidate will possess the following Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:
Excellent oral and written communication skills.
Strong organizational skills and attention to details.
Demonstrated research capacity, experimental design and management
Experience and/or education in fields related to agriculture and agronomy
Familiarity with organic standards for crop production
Experience working with and facilitating diverse age groups and stakeholders (farmers, researchers, community leaders, government, academics, students)
Experience working with or for non-profit and agricultural organizations
Ability to exercise sound and ethical judgement when acting on behalf of the PEI COPC
Must possess a valid driver’s licence
The position is initially offered on either a full- or part-time basis until March 31 2018.
To apply for this position, please submit a resume and an expression of interest that clearly describes your qualifications for this work, including specific examples of past activities. Also provide the names and contact information for three references. Submit all documents to:
email@organicpei.com
by 5pm on Tuesday, December 23th. Applications will continue to be considered on a first-come basis following the deadline until the position is filled.