Waste Reduction Coordinator

Job title: Waste Reduction Coordinator

Reports to: Solid Waste Educator/Coordinator

Job location: 375 Main Street, Port Hood, NS, B0E 2W0

Wage: $19.00 – 22.00 / hour

Hours: 35 hours per week (15-week internship)

Start Date: Expected May 11, 2026

Number of Positions: 1

Employment Hiring

Clean is committed to Employment Equity and our goal is to be a diverse workforce that is representative at all job levels. The Clean Leadership Program welcomes applications from qualified self-identifying First Nations, Métis and Inuit people, Racialized Youth, Persons with Disabilities, Newcomers, and 2SLGBTQIA+ applicants. If you are a member of one of the equity groups, you are encouraged to self-identify on our registration form.

About the Clean Leadership Summer Internship Program

The Clean Leadership Summer Internship program helps grow the clean economy by matching interns (age 15-30) with employers for 9- and 15-week summer work placements. Participating interns will receive paid hands-on experience, mentorship opportunities, take part in a professional development conference and training, while supporting local environmental projects.

Program Requirements

• Must be a Canadian citizen, Permanent Resident, person who has been granted refugee status in Canada or legally entitled to work in Canada;
• Must be between the ages of 15 and 30 years old (inclusive) at the start of internship;
• From and/or will be residing in Nova Scotia for the duration of the internship;
• Must not be an immediate family member of host employer;

About the host employer

The Municipality of the County of Inverness serves a population of approximately 14,000 residents. It is divided into six districts, each represented by an elected councillor. The municipality is responsible for managing the solid waste programs, including the blue bag recycling. The municipality is also responsible for municipal waste education and compliance efforts, research and development of new and innovative approaches to waste management. The municipal offices are located at 375 Main Street, Port Hood.

Inverness County, Canada’s Musical Coast, comprises the entire western coastline of Cape Breton Island (Port Hastings to Meat Cove), including the world famous Cabot Trail and reaches inland as far as the beautiful Bras d’Or Lakes. Canada’s Musical Coast is a string of beautiful communities and majestic coastline vistas bound together by musical traditions.

Summary of position 

The host employer for this Summer Internship position through the Clean Leadership program will be The Municipality of the County of Inverness. In this position, you will be mainly responsible to coordinate a litter intervention study from start to finish, contributing to our ongoing environmental and waste management initiatives. As the Waste Reduction Coordinator, you will design, implement, and assess an innovative litter intervention strategy aimed at reducing litter within the municipality. Your work will involve drafting a funding proposal, collaborating with local community partners, implementing the intervention, and evaluating its impact through data analysis. This project will provide actionable insights into effective waste reduction practices and help us learn about litter trends. In addition to this project, the Waste Reduction Coordinator will assist with several other projects – conducting interviews and completing Mobius award nominations, collaborating with local festivals to improve festival greening and waste diversion, assisting with public education and engagement and covering the Kenloch Waste Management Facility scale house when needed. The successful candidate needs to have experience in data collection, strong interpersonal skills/communication skills and the ability to organize and manage their time effectively. A valid drivers license and reliable vehicle are required. We are looking for qualified and dedicated students interested in environmental issues and sustainability to build on their overalls skills and industry experience.

Duties and Responsibilities 

• Draft a proposal to secure funding for the litter intervention study.
• Plan and implement a litter intervention strategy within the County.
• Monitor and collect data throughout the study period.
• Analyze collected data and prepare a detailed report on study findings, identifying any trends.
• Write final report on project results with recommendations to project partners.
• Participate on occasion in community litter cleanups.
• Assist with Beach Bingo initiative – preparing and delivering litter kits, social media campaigns and pop up tables with supplies and litter awareness information.
• Assist with waste audits.
• Improve festival greening by assisting local festivals with improving their waste management plans and increasing diversion.
• Assist in municipal education initiatives with a focus on environmentally related topics (such as solid waste sorting, water/wastewater issues).
• Act as municipal representative at community events, share information, answer questions, collect questions/feedback and share with appropriate team members for follow-up.
• Fill in as needed at the Kenloch Waste Management Facility scale house, greeting residents and haulers, issuing scale tickets and receipts, and assisting with general inquiries.
• Assist Solid Waste Educator/Coordinator with other duties as required.
• Safety: 
  • Adhere to all policies and procedures set forth by the Municipality of the County of Inverness.
  • Report to the Director of Solid Waste all work situations which are suspected of being unhealthy or unsafe.
  • Report to the Director of Solid Waste any employee whose on-the-job performance or actions contravenes established safety procedures or work practices.
  • Report to the Director of Solid Waste all Occupational Health & Safety related injuries or property damage regardless of severity.
  • Report all near-misses and incidents to the Director of Solid Waste immediately.
  • Submit reports on accidents and other hazardous conditions discovered and promptly attend to all hazardous situations.

Requirements/Qualifications

• Have an aptitude for safe work practices and the ability to multi-task in a busy work environment;
• Be able to work productively as part of a team while responding to feedback;
• Demonstrated interest in future employment in the environmental or clean sector is considered an asset;
• Strong research, writing, and communication skills.
• Experience with data collection and analysis is an asset.
• Ability to work independently and manage multiple tasks effectively.
• Familiarity with environmental and waste management practices is a plus.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office (specifically Excel) is a preferred asset.
• Valid drivers license and vehicle required.

Working Conditions 

This position involves both office-based work (Port Hood Municipal Building) and fieldwork within the municipality. The successful candidate must be comfortable working outdoors in various conditions. Occasional evening and weekend work may be required.

Physical Requirements

• Ability to lift and carry up to 50 lbs, as required.
• Ability to work outdoors, in a variety of weather conditions.
• Ability to traverse a multitude of landscapes, such as sand, grass, gravel and asphalt.
• Ability to enter data into a computer or other comparable device.
• Alternate between standing and sitting, depending on the workday.