This internship is hosted by the Kamloops Food Policy Council, with funding from the Pacific Institute for Climate Solutions.

Organization details:

The Kamloops Food Policy Council is on the traditional, unceded territory of the Secwepemc people. It is the longest-standing independent food policy council in Canada and strives toward achieving a local food system which is regenerative, sovereign, and just. The Kamloops Food Policy Council values diversity and is committed to providing an inclusive work environment. They are looking for qualified individuals at all job levels who represent the diversity of the people participating in the food system. They encourage applications from Indigenous peoples, individuals of all genders and sexual orientations, origin and ethnic affiliations, abilities, ages, and religions.

Job summary:

The Local Food System Researcher will support the Kamloops Food Policy Council’s (KFPC) five-year assessment research project. This project aims to evaluate the extent to which KFPC is achieving the vision and values for the Kamloops food system, as defined by the KFPC, and to identify the actions needed to build an ideal food system—one that is regenerative, sovereign, and just. The research will assess KFPC’s impact on local food access in the Kamloops region while exploring how regionalizing the food system can enhance sustainability, reduce emissions, preserve biodiversity, and strengthen resilience against climate-related disruptions, such as wildfires. The findings will inform an update to the five-year assessment of the Kamloops regional food system and contribute to the development of an ongoing measurement and progress tracking plan.

Key duties and responsibilities:

1. Develop research methods: Create qualitative and quantitative metrics to assess KFPC’s impact on local food access.
2. Engage stakeholders: Conduct interviews, surveys, and organize workshops/roundtable discussions to gather input from community partners and members.
3. Data collection and analysis: Web-based review and secondary data analysis, compile and organize data, create aggregation systems, and assess KFPC’s impact using the “seed to fruit” scale.
4. Prepare final report: Synthesize findings and provide actionable recommendations.
5. Knowledge mobilization: assist KFPC Communications Coordinator with developing research findings into written and visual representations to be distributed through social media, blogs and articles.

Work environment

• Full-time position of 30 hours per week for 16 weeks. There can be flexibility in the weekly hours and end date of the contract.
• The Local Food System Researcher peer reports to the KFPC director and works closely with the KFPC team and coach to coordinate communications and outreach. Mentorship and guidance will be provided in the areas such as research methods, systems change and complexity theory.
• Primarily remote work; office space in Kamloops available, non-Kamloops residents may apply for a fully remote position.
• The work will take place within a highly collaborative team environment with a shared distributed leadership model.
• Salary will be set according to the KFPC pay scale at the coordinator level ($23.92/hour)

Skills and qualifications:

• Familiar with Google Workspace (Drive, Docs, Sheets, Forms, Gmail)
• Strong research, writing, and communication skills
• Leadership, teamwork, and interpersonal skills
• Organized, self-directed and resourceful
• Passionate about sustainability and the local food system, interest in systems change, complexity, qualitative research, program evaluation
• Graphic design skills an asset

Application instructions:

To apply, please submit a cover letter and resume to: info@kamloopsfoodpolicycouncil.com.

Please combine both cover letter and resume into one PDF document labeled:

Last Name, First Name

The KFPC will begin interviewing applicants starting on April 4th, 2025.

Applications will be accepted until the position is filled.