Join our team

Accelerating Community Energy Transformation (ACET) is a multi-partner initiative accelerating the global push for resilient and equitable clean energy solutions through local, community-based collaborations. You can learn more about us here or through our stories.

We're looking for talented, motivated and value-driven professionals to help advance our mission. See below for our current employment opportunities!

Community Economic Development and Business Case Lead, Technical and Economic Electricity Transmission Study

Number of Positions: 1
Location: University of Victoria
Reports to: Senior Project Manager - transmission study
Salary: $70,000 - $75,000
Deadline for Application: Oct. 17, 2025

About ACET

Accelerating Community Energy Transformation (ACET) is a multi-partner international initiative accelerating the global push for resilient and equitable clean energy solutions through local, community-based collaborations.

Established at the University of Victoria in 2023, ACET is a partnership between Royal Roads University, University of British Columbia, Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières, and Yukon University, supported by the Canada First Research Excellence Fund.

About the Project

Vancouver Island has a deficit of capacity and electricity and must import a significant amount from mainland BC. This poses a risk of transmission line losses, interruptions and overall electrical resiliency for Vancouver Island, and as the Island overall electricity needs increases in clean energy will be required. The existing BC Hydro transmission line along the east side of the Island north of Gold River is known to frequently interrupt the power supply, which hampers the livelihood of North Island communities and their economic development opportunities.

This research project is relevant given:

The drive towards electrification outlined within the CleanBC plan, along with the current review and future updates of CleanBC.
Noted shortfalls in supply given forecasted demand increases within the province (specfically for Vancouver Island and the Lower Mainland), upcoming possible development of future industries on Vancouver Island and the coast of BC (mining, electrification of industry, hydrogen production and deep-sea port development)
Provincial government commitments to explore and support Indigenous utilities and First Nations parternships in transmission infrastructure.
BC Hydro's efforts to increase energy security on Vancouver Island.
2024 Call for Power from BC Hydro and the recent 2025 Call for Power.

About the Role

The Economic Development & Business Case Lead for the technical and economic electricity transmissions study (“the electricity transmission study”) will be working with a small project team in the ACET Initiative.

This is a one year, grant funded, full-time position with the opportunity for renewal during this two-year project and possibly beyond. The project will support a consortium of First Nations in B.C. exploring the technical and economic feasibility of a new transmission line in the north area of Vancouver Island. The goal of the project is to support Nations in decision-making around the viability and options for this new transmission line that would improve grid stability, increase access to electrical capacity and electricity, and open up business and economic opportunities for these Nations.

This role will lead the analysis and strategic planning related to community-driven economic development and business opportunities enabled by the potential transmission line. This position centers First Nations-led economic visioning, energy sovereignty, and long-term value creation through infrastructure development, new industries, and ownership models. The successful candidate will work closely with the project team, the consortium of First Nations, technical experts, capital providers, and community leadership to assess energy-related business opportunities and help develop an actionable and inclusive business case.

Key responsibilities

Key responsibilities for this position will include:

Build and maintain strong, trust-based relationships with participating Nations and communtiy leaders.
Participate in engagement sessions and workshops with First Nation communities to understand economic development aspirations, energy goals, capital needs, and community-owned asset opportunities.
Facilitate discussions around regional energy economy planning and future economic use cases for the transmission line, and future clean industrial and community deelopment opportunities.
Work closely with the Project Manager, Community Lead, and technical team to integrate economic analysis and insights into the overall feasibility study, ensuring business case components are responsive to community engagement findings and aligned with Nation-defined goals and energy sovereignty priorities.
Develop robust business model scenarios and identify economic pathways that reflect the energy needs, values, and ambitions of participating Nations, including infrastructure investment and Indigenous ownership opportunities.
Work with external consultants to assess the economic viability of proposed opportunities including new energy generation, transmission capacity, and industrial use cases.
Explore innovative financial mechanisms (e.g., blended finance, community outcomes finance) and coordinate investor and capital provider roundtables to support Indigenous-led infrastructure and business development.
Collaborate with legal and governance advisors to co-develop ownership models, revenue sharing arrangements, and utility participation structures that ensure long-term Indigenous equity and benefit.
Quantify potential employment, training, and long-term job creation impacts and evaluate return on investment using community-defined success indicators and capacity-building outcomes of proposed scenarios.
Ability to travel to communities as needed (travel support and flexibility provided).
Updhold ACET values related to Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, and safe and healthy workplaces.

Skills and Qualifications

Experience

Minimum 5 years of experience in economic development, Indigenous business planning, infrastructure finance, and/or impact investment strategy.
Proven experience working in partnership with Indigenous communities on community-driven economic planning or business development.
Understanding of Indigenous economic development, self-determination, and principles of communtiy ownership and governance.
Demonstrated experience in business case development, financial modeling, or economic feasibility studies.
Experience collecting, analyzing, and interpreting economic, demographic, or infrastructure-related data to inform planning and investment decisions.
Strong facilitation and communication skills, including the ability to present complex financial and technical ideas in community-accessible ways.
Familiarity with the Canadian funding landscape, blended finance models, Indigenous capital investment strategies, and/or community outcomes-based finance.
Experience in the clean energy sector, energy transition industries, or large-scale infrastructure planning.
Background in structuring Indigneous equity partnerships or utility ownership models.
Experience with regional planning, economic reconciliation strategies, or clean industrial policy in BC.
Knowledge of transmission systems, load analysis, and/or grid economics in a regional context is an asset.

Knowledge, skills and abilities

Commitment to community-led planning, governance and decision-making.
Awareness of Indigenous rights, governance, and elgal frameworks related to infrastructure development.
Competency with project management and collaboration tools (e.g., MS Project, Teams, SharePoint, MS Suite 365).
High emotional intelligence, cultural sensitivity, and ability to work across cultural, disciplines, and instutions.

Assets or preferences

Post-secondary degree or equivaent experience in Indigenous business, economics, finance, economic development, planning, or related fields.
Lived experience or direct connection to INdigenous economic development processes.
Knowledge of Vancouver Island's Indigenous communties and regional energy challenges.

Working Conditions

This is ideally a Victoria-based position at the University of Victoria; a hybrid-remote position is a possibility depending on the candidate.
Travel to participting First Nations communities is expected and will be fundd through ACET.
Applicants must be permitted to work in Canada and be available to begin by November 2025.

Accessibility and Equity Statements

The University of Victoria is committed to equity, diversity, and inclusion. We encourage applications from all qualified individuals, including Indigenous peoples, persons with disabilities, and members of visible minorities.

Information about our accessibility and equity policies can be found below and/or accessed using the navigation menu on the left.

How to Apply

Please submit your application, including a cover letter and CV to contactacet@uvic.ca with the subject line "Community Economic Development and Business Case Lead - Transimission Study" by Oct. 17, 2025, 11:59 PM.

Research Fellow, Community Energy Policy

Number of Positions: 1
Location: University of Victoria
Reports to: Dr. Tamara Krawchenko (UVic)
Salary: $70,000 plus benefits
Deadline for Application: Oct. 16, 2025, 11:59 PM

Position Summary

The Accelerating Community Energy Transformation (ACET) Initiative is seeking a research fellow to lead the comparative qualitative analysis component of a major pan-Canadian study of community energy policy together with the project team: Tamara Krawchenko (UVic), Martin Boucher (Norquest), Julie MacArthur (Royal Roads) and Curran Crawford (UVic).

The successful candidate will play a critical role in synthesizing and analyzing policy documents, strategies, and program frameworks across Canadian jurisdictions, contributing to the development of a comprehensive database and public report. This is a grant-funded position for a one-year term with opportunity for renewal.

Mandate

To conduct interdisciplinary research on community energy systems, policy analysis, and stakeholder engagement to inform evidence-based policy recommendations.

Objectives

Advance a comprehensive and comparative analysis of community energy policy across all Canadian jurisdictions, with attention to how policies define ‘community,’ address Indigenous, rural, remote, and urban actors, and integrate with broader decarbonisation and resilience objectives.
Apply and refine qualitative comparative analysis (QCA) methods to systematically compare community energy policy frameworks across federal, provincial, and territorial jurisdictions.

Key responsibilities

Coordinate and conduct policy and document reviews using comparative frameworks.
Employ qualitative comparative analysis (QCA) methods to ensure systematic cross-jurisdictional comparison.
Manage data organization and coding in Excel, NVivo, and other platforms as appropriate.
Design and administer semi-structured interviews and support focus group facilitation.
Synthesize findings for both academic and practitioner audiences.
Lead or assist in the preparation of reports, presentations, and peer-reviewed articles.
Liaise with stakeholders, research partners, and government officials as needed.

Skills and Qualifications

Experience

Doctoral degree (PhD) in public policy, political science, planning, environmental studies, or a closely related field.
Applicants with demonstrated equivalent research experience and expertise—such as senior researchers or experienced practitioners—will be considered in lieu of a postdoctoral credential.
Proven experience in qualitative comparative analysis (QCA) and comparative policy research.
Familiarity with Canadian energy, climate, and/or regional development policy environments preferred.

Knowledge, skills and abilities

Advanced proficiency with R (and the QCA package in R).
Demonstrated skills in research project management, literature review, and data synthesis.
Strong written and oral communication skills, with a record of publication or deliverable preparation.
Ability to work collaboratively across disciplines and with diverse stakeholders.
Knowledge of energy policy, community engagement, or Indigenous governance considered an asset.

Assets or preferences

Experience conducting scoping or systematic reviews would be an asset.
Experience building research databases and synthesising large quantities of information would be an asset.

Accessibility and Equity Statements

Information about our accessibility and equity policies can be found below and/or accessed using the navigation menu on the left.

How to Apply

Please submit your application, including a cover letter and CV to TamaraKrawchenko@uvic.ca with the subject line "Research Fellow – Community Energy Policy" by Oct. 16, 2025, 11:59 PM.

Equity Statement

ACET and the University of Victoria are committed to upholding the values of equity, diversity, inclusion and human rights in our living, learning and work environments. In pursuit of our values, we seek members who are eager to actively participate in that shared responsibility. We actively encourage applications from members of historically and systemically marginalized groups.

Read UVic's full equity statement at www.uvic.ca/equitystatement.

Accessibility Statement

If you anticipate needing accommodations for any part of the application and hiring process contact uviccareers@uvic.ca. Any personal information provided will be maintained in confidence.

Territory Acknowledgement

We acknowledge and respect the Lək̓ʷəŋən (Songhees and Xʷsepsəm/Esquimalt) Peoples on whose territory the university stands, the Lək̓ʷəŋən and W̱SÁNEĆ Peoples, the Musqueam people, the fourteen Yukon First Nations, Atikamekw and other Indigenous People on which ACET partner institutions stand, whose historical relationships with the land continue to this day.