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Drawn logo: Two evergreen trees are parallel with a sun, potato, and water droplet containing a fish between them. The brown trunks extend down and become two hands touching below the water droplet. To the left of the trees is a green bush with red berries. To the right of the trees is a caribou. Above the logo is the text: Ka'a'gee Tu First Nation. Below the logo is the text: Wilfrid Laurier University.

Postdoctoral Fellowship Opportunity

Postdoctoral Position – Developing the Local Economies of Food in Kakisa, NWT

Position Location:

The successful candidate will work remotely with opportunity to travel to NWT during the summer/fall (dependent on public health guidelines and pending approval)

Application Deadline:

March 11, 2021

Contract Type:

Full-time

Contract Length:

One year, with opportunity for extension

Start Date:

Flexible but no later than July 1, 2021

Salary Information:

Negotiable, but no less than $40,000 CAD

Description of Position: 

The Laurier Centre for Sustainable Food Systems at Wilfrid Laurier University is currently looking for a Post-Doctoral Fellow to support its food systems research in the Northwest Territories.  This position is a one-year contract and is subject to approval of a Mitacs Accelerate grant.

The successful candidate will work with the Ka’a’gee Tu First Nation in the small community of Kakisa, Northwest Territories. Residents of Kakisa rely predominantly on the traditional food system, harvesting, fishing and gathering of traditional foods from the lands and waters of the surrounding lakes and rivers of the boreal forest. The community has a long-standing relationship with Dr. Andrew Spring and his team of researchers at Wilfrid Laurier University. Together they respond to community-identified questions and concerns about changes to the land due to climate change and its impact on the food system, food security, and overall community health. Kakisa is currently prioritizing growing food and small-scale agriculture as key areas of research and action.

The successful candidate will work with Dr. Andrew Spring and Noda Enterprises, the economic development arm of the Ka’a’gee Tu First Nation in Kakisa, as part of an ongoing research partnership exploring the potential of food-related projects to provide economic opportunities that support better health and well-being for community members. Working with Noda Enterprises, the successful candidate will examine ways to expand commercial food opportunities by scaling up agri-food production, and in concert with a pre-existing commercial fishing industry and other value-added enterprises. Through community-led research, the successful candidate will build local capacity to plan and implement economic development opportunities while ensuring all activities are evaluated in terms of their financial, social, and cultural benefit to the community.

Ideal Candidate Experience or Desired Areas of Expertise:

  • PhD in Management, Community Economic Development, Rural Studies, Indigenous Studies, Sustainable Development, Geography, or similar
  • Demonstrated experience planning and implementing participatory action research (PAR) OR community-based research projects
  • Experience using a variety of applied qualitative research methods including interviews and focus groups
  • Expertise in community economic development
  • Business management experience, with experience related to agri-food businesses considered an asset
  • Experience developing business evaluation plans that include cultural, social, economic, health, and environmental metrics and outcomes, with experience working with Indigenous evaluation methods considered an asset
  • Experience working with Indigenous communities and/or working in Northern and/or rural contexts is considered an asset

Application Requirements:

  • Letter of application (please indicate if you are legally entitled to work in Canada)
  • Curriculum vitae with full description of research experience/interest
  • A list of two academic references

Contact Information:

Dr. Andrew Spring
aspring@wlu.ca 

Wilfrid Laurier University endeavors to fill positions with qualified candidates who have a combination of education, experience, skills and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position while demonstrating Laurier's Employee Success Factors.

Diversity and creating a culture of inclusion is a key pillar of Wilfrid Laurier University’s Strategic Academic Plan and is one of Laurier’s core values. Laurier is committed to increasing the diversity of faculty and staff and welcomes applications from candidates who identify as Indigenous, racialized, having disabilities, and from persons of any sexual identities and gender identities. Indigenous candidates who would like to learn more about equity and inclusive programing at Laurier are welcomed to contact the Office of Indigenous Initiatives at indigenous@wlu.ca. Candidates from other equity seeking groups who would like to learn more about equity and inclusive programing at Laurier are welcomed to contact the Diversity and Equity Office at diversity@wlu.ca. We have strived to make our application process accessible however if you require any assistance applying for a position or would like this job posting in an alternative format, please contact the Laurier Centre for Sustainable Food Systems at lcsfs@wlu.ca. 

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