Interim Education Director: Full-time, fixed-term parental leave coverage.

Position Details  

• Start Date: August 3, 2026 
• 15-month full-time parental leave coverage  
• 37.5 hours per week  
• Salary range: $72,000-$79,000 depending on experience and qualifications 

Description 

The Interim Education Director is a 15-month term full time 37.5 hours per week position with CPAWS Southern Alberta. This is a term maternity leave position, and we hope this role helps you to continue to create meaningful relationships in the education and conservation sectors.  

Joining the CPAWS Southern Alberta team means becoming part of a passionate, inclusive, and mission-driven team dedicated to protecting Alberta’s wild spaces and fostering a deep connection between people and nature. As a regional chapter of Canada’s only national charity focused solely on the conservation of public lands and waters, CPAWS Southern Alberta offers a unique opportunity to contribute to meaningful environmental change while advancing reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples. Working at CPAWS Southern Alberta means contributing to a future where healthy ecosystems support thriving communities, and where conservation is rooted in science, respect, and inclusivity. 

The successful candidate will work with the CPAWS SAB team to support the administration, communications, and delivery of high-quality, mission-driven conservation education and engagement. 

This position offers an opportunity to apply and expand the candidate’s skills and knowledge related to department and staff management and conservation education. These skills would support career development in the fields of administration, non-profit management, and environmental education. 

This role will work with CPAWS Southern Alberta’s Education team, reporting to the Executive Director.

Job duties will include:   

Department Direction and Administration (15%) 

• Directing the Education Department for CPAWS SAB. 
• Overseeing daily operations and efficient functioning of the department including budgeting, program development, delivery, planning, resource management, evaluation, and strategic development of CPAWS’ environmental education programs. 
• Recruitment, supervision, training, and evaluation of education staff and contractors. 

 Risk Management (10%) 

• Implementing and updating the CPAWS SAB Risk Management Plan and Standard Operating Procedures (SOP). Completing an annual review of the entire process. Undertaking a triennial review with outside legal counsel and a third-party field expert. 
• Arranging all permits, master agreements, staff/board acknowledgements, and incident reporting. 
• Supporting risk management training and debriefing for interpretive guides seasonally and arranging for annual field simulations of emergency situations. 

 Education and Public Engagement Programming (35%) 

• Managing program bookings, scheduling, invoicing, and program database. 
• Representing CPAWS SAB in the field and building and maintaining strong relationships. Endeavouring to build relationships and support communities that are traditionally excluded from environmental education and conservation. 
• Contributing to the development and implementation of the marketing, communications, and engagement strategy for the education department, including social media, e-newsletters, website, asset creations, blogs, ChangeMakers, and public events. 

Fund Development (15%) 

• Researching and writing grants and reports to fund education work. 
• Relationship management with grantors, funders, and donors.  
• Supporting other fundraising initiatives undertaken by the Chapter as appropriate. 

Leadership (15%) 

• Participating in strategic and operational planning for the organization. 
• Assisting in budget development and implementation. 
• Participating in implementation of CPAWS Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion strategies and applying principles of reconciliation in all work.    

 Team Planning and Development (10%) 

• Participate in staff meetings and shared learning across departments. 
• Participate in ongoing strategic development of the chapter and department. 
• Reflect, evaluate, and debrief projects, programs, and personal progress. 

Position Requirements:  

• Believe in and want to contribute to our mission; 
• Detail-oriented and excellent organizational skills; 
• Ability to work both independently and collaboratively;  
• Must have reliable transportation to travel within the Calgary area, and potentially throughout southern Alberta; 
• Ability to work some weekends and evenings;  
• This position requires sitting at a desk up to 7.5 hours in a day, lifting up to 30 pounds, and standing up to 5 hours in a day; 
• Be legally eligible to work in Canada; and 
• Criminal record check for working with children and vulnerable people. 

Leadership Competencies:  

• Mission–driven leadership: translates conservation education vision into clear priorities and measurable impact. 
• People leadership: builds strong, accountable teams through coaching, trust, and performance management. 
• Strategic thinking and decision‑making: anticipates change, manages complexity, and aligns resources to strategy. 
• Relationship and advocacy leadership: represents CPAWS effectively within the community. 
• Operational and ethical stewardship: manages budgets, programs, and change responsibly while modelling CPAWS values. 

Education and Professional Certification:   

• Post-secondary degree in education, environmental sciences, nonprofit management, business administration, or a related field and/or have a minimum of 5 years’ experience managing programs, people or departments. 
• Current first aid or wilderness first aid certification and/or experience with risk management and emergency response is an asset. 

Experience & Job-Related Skills:  

• Experience managing programs, people, or departments, including planning, administration, budgeting, and staff management 
• Excellent technology skills (including spreadsheets) and the ability to learn to use new software (such as our booking software and program database) 
• Strong written communication skills for writing grant applications, grant reports, and board/chapter reports. 
• Experience in development, delivery, and/or leadership of environmental education / educational programs is an asset 

Behavioural Competencies:  

• Self-motivated and able to work autonomously, take initiative, and make strategic decisions, in consultation with other team members.   
• Ability to build relationships and find common ground with a diversity of interests and peoples. 
• Highly organized, detailed-oriented, and able to meet deadlines.  
• Commitment to implementation of CPAWS’ Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion values and strategies and to applying principles of reconciliation in all work.   

What We Offer:  

• Flexible hours and hybrid work at accessible office and home;  
• Annual paid time off: 
• 3 weeks (15 days) of vacation;  
• 1 week winter holiday office closure (Dec 24-Jan 1); 
• 5 days of wilderness vacation; 
• 10 wellness days; 
• 10 paid statutory holidays 
• The option to substitute statutory religious holidays for religious or cultural holidays you observe or to participate in traditional Indigenous practices; 
• Health benefits and employer RRSP matching; 
• Access to professional and personal development training;  
• Opportunities to expand your professional network through attending CPAWS and partner events; and  
• Mentorship opportunities with CPAWS Southern Alberta staff members.   

Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion  

At CPAWS Southern Alberta, we recognize that conservation and social justice goals are intertwined and essential for a sustainable future. This work is long overdue for the conservation community. CPAWS Southern Alberta is committed to working internally and with partners from equity-deserving communities to promote diverse voices, frame nature as a positive space for all, and remove barriers to participation in conservation. Staff are supported through ongoing Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) training, and our workplace culture encourages continuous learning, collaboration, and personal growth. 

We encourage applications from folks who are typically under-represented in conservation organizations including, but not limited, to BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour) individuals, 2SLGBTQI+ identifying individuals, people with disabilities, and immigrants. We know that people from equity-deserving communities are less likely to apply for roles unless they meet every single requirement.   

If you’re excited about the role, but your qualifications don’t match perfectly, we encourage you to apply. We value diverse perspectives and will consider relevant life experience alongside professional qualifications when reviewing applications. 

CPAWS Southern Alberta strives for a workplace free of barriers by providing supports, where possible, for disabled applicants and staff members. Please contact us for a conversation about accessibility and possible supports throughout the hiring process. All information received in relation to accommodation will be kept confidential.    

To Apply:

Please send your resume and cover letter to Tatiana at infosab@cpaws.org before 11:59pm on June 7, 2026. In your cover letter, please tell us about why you are interested in working with CPAWS Southern Alberta and what you will bring to the Interim Education Director role. Your cover letter can be maximum one page. You may choose to submit an oral cover letter as an audio or video file. The audio/video letter can be maximum 3 minutes.

Application Process 

• Application submissions are received. 
• Some applicants may be contacted via email with any clarifying questions and/or to set up a short phone screening.  
• Applicants selected for an interview will be contacted via email within 2 weeks of the application deadline.  
• Interview questions will be provided to the candidates at least 1 week prior to the interview. 
• Interviews will be conducted at a time that works for the candidate, either at our accessible office space or online. 
• Interviewed candidates may be requested to provide a writing sample (something you already have). At the second interview stage we may request a short presentation to demonstrate teaching style (something you already have prepared). 
• All candidates who are interviewed will be contacted via email regarding our decision. We plan on completing the hiring process by early July.