Opportunity: Urban Beekeeper
Location: Ottawa and surrounding area
Type of contract: 1099 Contractor
Time commitment: Flexible
Starting date: Flexible
Looking for a flexible way to share your beekeeping expertise? Want more time with your hands in hives? We’re looking for local beekeepers to partner with us and share the world of bees with our engaged communities.
What you'll do for Alvéole as an Urban Beekeeper:
- Maintain honey bee hives at client sites on a three-week service cycle, performing a range of tasks to support colony health throughout the beekeeping season.
- Install new hives and related equipment at client locations.
- Conduct routine hive inspections and maintenance.
- Be responsible for the complete honey harvest directly from the hives (targeting a yield of 30 pounds per hive per season) and manage the final delivery of the product.
- Collect samples and field data to monitor hive health and environmental conditions.
- Complete accurate record-keeping and service reports using Alvéole’s digital tools.
- Perform pest and parasite monitoring and treat as required.
- Facilitate educational workshops and engage the public in beekeeping and biodiversity topics.
- Regularly travel by car to client sites, apiary yards, equipment depots, and bee suppliers.
- Engage with clients during visits and workshops to explain Alvéole’s services, including beehives, beehomes, and biodiversity data collection.
- Complete accurate digital records and service reports using Alvéole’s tools (e.g., Zuper)
What’s in It for You:
- Work for yourself: Do what you do best without the level of oversight and commitment that comes with joining a company as an employee.
- Share the wonderful world of bees: Lead workshops and be an ambassador for pollinators and food systems, bringing your bees-for-brains expertise to an engaged city audience that's eager to learn
- A global beekeeping network: Join our Hive-Mind! You’ll be part of a world-wide network of beekeepers to review data, troubleshoot, and grow with
- Competitive compensation: Get paid a base rate paid monthly for every contract you take on, regardless of seasonal fluctuations or weather
- Custom scheduling: We build your schedules around your capacity and availability
- Focus on the bees: Your focus is on bee health and client visits. We take care of all the internal back and forth and administration!
What you bring:
- Hands-on beekeeping experience and strong knowledge of hive health and seasonal management
- Availability to service hives on a recurring schedule throughout the season
- Ability to work independently with minimal supervision
- Comfort using mobile and digital tools to log visits, tasks, and data (training provided)
- Strong organizational skills and attention to detail, especially for record-keeping and compliance
- Professional, friendly communication style
- Valid driver’s license and reliable access to a vehicle
- Comfort working at heights, ability to move freely (standing, stooping, walking, bending, pushing, pulling, and repetitive hand/finger motions) and lifting up to a maximum of fifty (50) pounds without assistance
- Comfort with the reality of beekeeping hazards (stings, heavy lifting, inclement weather, etc.)
Note: This opportunity is best suited to beekeepers who manage their own colonies or already provide beekeeping services to clients of their own. If you don't meet the criteria but are interested in learning about other ways to partner with Alvéole, please write talent@alvéole.buzz.
