SPECIALIST, SPILL PREVENTION & RESPONSE PROGRAM 

Environmental Sustainability

Victoria, Nanaimo or Comox

24-Month Term

The opportunity

BC Ferries operates daily in land, sea and air habitats governed by international conventions, federal and provincial Acts, emerging national marine conservation areas, coastal management areas, and numerous local governments. Environmental stewardship obligations are central to more than half the new maritime regulations coming in force in this decade. Sustainable development practice, including both technological change and the behavioural aspects of people and processes, must be exercised and continuously improved through measures and assessments.

As the Spill Prevention & Response Program Specialist, you please a vital role in developing, implementing, and executing spill prevention, preparedness, and response program for BC Ferries. You ensure compliance with federal and provincial environmental regulations, lead spill response efforts, and coordinate training and drills to enhance emergency preparedness.

Working closely with operational teams, government agencies, and external response organizations, you help minimize environmental impacts, protect marine ecosystems, and ensure swift, effective response to fuel, oil, and hazardous material spills.

The role

Reporting to the Director, Environmental Sustainability, you add value by key areas of oversight:

Spill Prevention & Preparedness:

• Assessing current spill prevention and response programs, developing and maintaining spill plans, and participating in spill response exercises.
• Conducting risk assessments for fuel handling, vessel operations, and terminal activities to identify and mitigate spill risks;
• Ensuring terminals, vessels, the shipyard and terminal maintenance yards have suitable spill response equipment, that it is properly maintained;
• Developing and delivering spill response training programs for vessel crews, terminal staff, terminal maintenance teams and emergency response team at shipyard (including refresher training done every 5 years);
• Spill Response Drill Development and Auditing of spill response preparedness and equipment management;
• Developing spill equipment replenishment procedures and processes;
• Conduct post spill-incident audits;

Spill Response & Incident Management:

• Acting as a subject matter expert in the event of a spill, coordinating containment, cleanup, and mitigation efforts;
• Leading or assisting in incident investigations, documenting spill causes, response actions, and lessons learned;
• Identifying shoreline and waterway protection measures to minimize environmental damage;

Environmental Compliance & Reporting:

• Tracking and analyzing spill response data to identify trends and areas for improvement;
• Assisting in the development of environmental emergency response policies and procedures;
• Managing the contracts and arrangements for Spill Response Membership;

Stakeholder Engagement & Collaboration:

• Liaising with regulatory agencies, Indigenous communities, and environmental organizations regarding spill response planning and environmental protection;
• Collaborating with marine operations, terminal staff, and engineering teams to integrate spill prevention measures into daily operations;
• Supporting the development of spill checklist(s) for Operations and Security Centre;
• Supporting the development of environmental incident recovery plan;

What you bring to the team

• Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Science or Emergency Management or a related field
• Oil Spill Response training, or Hazardous Materials Handling (e.g., ICS 100/200/300, HAZWOPER, IMO Level 1 or 2)
• 5+ years of experience in environmental emergency response, marine environmental protection or hazardous materials management
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to collaborate across departments and with external stakeholders

Join us!

If this sounds like your next great career move, please submit your cover letter and resume by July 6, 2025.

Additional information

The target salary range: $105,200 - $131,500 per annum.  The starting salary is determined based on the successful candidate’s knowledge, experience and internal equity.

"We connect communities and customers to people and places important in their lives”

At BC Ferries, our employees are our most important assets in delivering our commitment to customer safety, service and satisfaction. We support employment equity and diversity in the workplace and we encourage applications from all qualified individuals including women, visible minorities, Indigenous Peoples, persons with disabilities, persons of diverse sexual orientation, gender identity or expression (LGBTQ2S+), and others who reflect our ever-changing workplace.

We appreciate the interest of all applicants; however only those selected for an interview will be contacted.