Student, Climate and Sustainability / Build Waterloo Region

The Role

Provides support to assigned teams that include:

• Build Waterloo Region (BuildWR), focusing on advancing the Region’s strategic business development initiatives.
• Climate and Sustainability, focusing on the implementation of the Region’s climate change priorities.

Duties/Responsibilities

• Conducts literature reviews and best practice scans to inform the development of corporate green procurement policies and financial strategies to advance investments in municipal climate programs.
• Prepares summaries with recommendations for the Climate and Sustainability Team’s strategic initiatives.
• Evaluates potential funding streams that support municipal climate action, including emerging criteria or requirements for funding from upper levels of government.
• Supports the aerospace Waterloo Region (AeroWR) growth initiative under BuildWR through targeted marketing and communications work. Generates engaging content for social media, newsletters, and blog/website updates. 
• Assists in the development of community engagement strategies.
• Provides notetaking and administrative support during internal staff engagement exercises.
• Performs related duties as assigned.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• General familiarity with key concepts in municipal climate change mitigation, adaptation, and green economy initiatives.
• Strong secondary research skills (e.g., comfortable conducting literature reviews and policy scans).
• Strong written and verbal communication skills with an ability to tailor content for different platforms (e.g., technical reports, social media).
• Experience in marketing, communications, and/or digital content creation (e.g., newsletters, blogs, social media campaigns).
• Basic familiarity with municipal governance structures, the Region of Waterloo, and its services.
• Curiosity and eagerness to learn.
• Knowledge of and ability to comply with policies, procedures, and legislation. 
• Communication skills to obtain, clarify, and provide information to regional staff and peer groups; present data findings; facilitate presentations and workshops; and participate as an effective team member.
• Computer skills with ability to use software such as Microsoft Office and information graphics and digital content software such as Excel, PowerBI, Illustrator, and Canva.
• Ability to support and demonstrate the Region’s values.

Additional Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

To be considered for employment as a student, a person must be: registered as a full-time secondary or post-secondary student in an accredited institution, or currently recognized as having full-time status by the academic institution but applying for a school vacation, practicum or work term, or returning to full-time studies in the next academic term. Students who are in their final year of academic study and who are not intending to return to full-time studies are eligible for student employment up until the time they convocate. Students participating in education and retraining programs at the post- secondary level, though not full-time students, are eligible for related student employment opportunities, where appropriate.