Indigenous Engagement and Relations Specialist

We need the ocean. The ocean needs us.

Role Summary

Reporting to the Social Justice Manager, you will lead the implementation, maintenance and review of an organizational Indigenous Engagement Strategy. You will guide the partnership development processes, promote the prioritization of reciprocal engagement, ensure mutually beneficial collaborations, equip team members, and implement inclusive, accessible, and culturally relevant outreach efforts which respect and uphold cultural and traditional protocols.

You will bring expertise in ensuring best practices are implemented with respect to developing and stewarding relations with Indigenous communities and/or Indigenous-led organizations.

This position is ideally suited for candidates located in British Columbia or the West Coast region but is considered remote. We strongly encourage applicants that self-identify as Indigenous within Canada to apply.

Who You Are

You are an organized, culturally sensitive professional with an understanding of best practices in partnership development and various consultation frameworks.

What You Will Be Doing

• Oversee Indigenous Engagement Strategy: Lead the development, integration, and implementation of the Indigenous Engagement Strategy across the organization.
• Foster Reciprocal Engagement and Equitable Partnerships: Support relationship-building with Indigenous collaborators and advise on culturally appropriate community engagement.
• Develop Culturally Relevant Frameworks: Design and support the use of culturally relevant engagement and consultation frameworks, best practices to promote data sovereignty, and organization adherence to cultural protocols.
• Advise and Build Internal Capacity: Provide guidance and training on the skills, knowledge, and resources needed to implement best practices.
• Coordinate Outreach and Reporting: Manage interdepartmental collaboration, maintain collaborator databases, and contribute to planning, reporting, and funding initiatives.

What You Bring

• 3+ years of demonstrated experience in Indigenous engagement, facilitation, or a public engagement role demonstrating cross-cultural competencies.
• Excellent interpersonal skills with a proven track record as a relationship-builder.
• A commitment to be a team player with the ability to communicate effectively through virtual platforms.
• Training and/or demonstrated ability to build rapport amongst colleagues, collaborators, Indigenous communities, and organizational leaders. 
• Strong knowledge of Indigenous cultures and protocols across several regions or language groups within Canada.
• Knowledge of engagement and/or conflict transformation formats, and contemporary trends in community consultation processes.
• Experience mobilizing large groups of individuals towards a shared goal and facilitating meaningful engagement/collaboration between parties.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office, including Excel and Teams, comfortability learning new systems.
• Knowledge of ocean conservation issues considered an asset. 
• A degree or diploma in planning, environmental sciences, geography, or a related field considered an asset. 

How You Will Be Measured

• You lead and manage the ongoing implementation of the Indigenous Engagement Strategy.
• You support cohesive organizational outreach and facilitate knowledge sharing, as well as best practice implementation between Ocean Wise departments.
• You support colleagues at meetings and build and/or strengthen relationships with Indigenous collaborators.
• You facilitate internal staff discussions and build capacity amongst team members to support conservation projects developed in relationships with Indigenous communities and/or Indigenous-led organizations.
• You advise executive and program teams on best practices and compliance standards.

What We Offer

This full-time, benefits-eligible position offers:

• A remote working environment, with the option to work in person in our beautiful downtown Vancouver head office
• A competitive base salary, $60,000 - 65,000, in line with market data for not-for-profit organizations
• Benefits coverage on a premium cost-shared basis, including
  • Extended health and dental coverage
  • Vision coverage
  • $200 Health spending account
  • Group term and supplemental life insurance
  • Short-term disability
  • Long-term disability
• RRSP matching of up to 6% after one year of service
• 15 paid vacation days to start
• 10 paid sick days
• 2 wellness days
• 12 paid Statutory and General Holidays each calendar year
• An annual all-staff retreat to allow in-person connections and team building
• Professional development opportunities
• The opportunity to be part of a team that’s helping to save the ocean!

Where and How You’ll Work

This is a remote-first position with the possibility to work at our headquarters in downtown Vancouver, if desired. The standard work week for this role is 37.5 hours, Monday through Friday, with rare exceptions for some evening or weekend work.

Who We Are

Ocean Wise is a global conversation organization on a mission to build communities that take meaningful action to protect and restore our ocean. Learn more about us at ocean.org.

Inclusion and Diversity

At Ocean Wise, we believe that a welcoming and diverse workplace fosters the inclusion of voices that have been historically underrepresented. We encourage applications from individuals belonging to equity-deserving groups and will work with applicants requesting accommodations at any stage of the hiring process.