Careers

International Team Leader - Ottawa

 

ESSA Technologies Ltd. is an employee-owned Canadian environmental consulting company based in Vancouver, with several small offices across Canada, and 23 employees. ESSA has been providing environmental services in North America, SE Asia, China , South America, Caribbean Island States and Africa since 1979. ESSA's international practice, having declined over recent years, is in a period of re-growth. ESSA recently completed a World Bank-funded climate change adaptation project and is currently a joint venture partner on the 5-year CIDA-funded Vietnam Provincial Environmental Governance (VPEG) project in Vietnam. For a greater understanding of ESSA 's diverse expertise and extensive experience please see www.essa.com.

We are currently seeking a dynamic individual, who will lead our international practice through a strategically-focused pattern of growth, utilizing both ESSA employees and subcontractors to deliver high quality, reliable consulting services. The position is based in Ottawa and offers substantial remunerative benefits for an individual who can deliver a high level of performance.

Responsibilities

Business Development

The Team Leader (with help from his/her team) should:

  • develop new international business opportunities to further the growth of ESSA's international team;
  • generate enough work to meet team chargeability goals, and business plan goals;
  • open new business areas and develop new clients;
  • maintain/enhance the firm's image in the marketplace;
  • develop the business plan for the team's business area; and
  • contribute to the development and implementation of the overall corporate BD strategy.

Management and Strategic Planning:

  • Be an active member of ESSA's Management Team
  • Lead, supervise and mentor International Team members
  • Lead the development of the strategic and business plan for the international team
  • Contribute to ESSA's corporate strategic and business planning
  • Work with other members of the Management Team in developing and managing the corporate budget and approving BD expenditures

Project Management:
The Team Leader will manage international projects, and should exemplify good project management skills, monitor project management of team members and pass on project management skills.

Project Technical Work:
The Team Leader will provide technical input into ESSA's international projects, including the VPEG project in Vietnam, and is expected to ensure that his/her team delivers high quality work. To this end, the Team Leader should have long-term experience in several, but not necessarily all, of the following areas:

  • Climate change issues, such as: impact and adaptation analysis and vulnerability assessments etc.
  • Environmental Management (environmental planning, monitoring, community-based management etc.)
  • Environmental Assessment (including strategic environmental assessment).
  • Natural Resource Management (i.e., water resources, forestry, agriculture, community-based management).
  • Social/economic dimensions of environmental management (i.e. stakeholder assessment & participation, livelihood development, gender, vulnerable groups, environmental economics).
  • Institutional and capacity development in environmental and natural resource management, including designing and facilitating participatory training sessions at a variety of levels (Govt., community, NGOs etc.).
  • Project/program monitoring and evaluation.
Required experience
  • A postgraduate degree in the natural or social sciences
  • At least ten years working in the field of international development, including a minimum of 3 years based overseas.
  • At least 15 years professional experience with a demonstrated ability to both develop and manage multi-person consulting assignments and contracts for IFIs, government agencies, or the private sector.
  • Experience in business development including development of successful proposals to the international donor community (e.g. World Bank. Asian Development Bank, CIDA, etc.).
  • Appropriate mix of technical skills as outlined above.
  • Leadership and staff management skills and experience.
  • Able to spend extended periods (approx 3 weeks per trip) working overseas as required by project assignments.
  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills, strong interpersonal skills and the ability to collaborate with others.
Preferred experience
  • Experience in S.E. Asia (esp. Vietnam ).
  • Language skills (esp. French; Spanish an asset).
  • Experience with climate change issues.
  • Program and project design and evaluation skills.
  • Participatory approaches.
Application information

Given the requirements of some of our on-going work the successful applicant must be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident. If you have these qualifications and are interested in joining ESSA please email your CV and contact information to careers@essa.com