Director, Reconciliation Strategies

Under the direction of the VP, Reconciliation Strategies, the Director, Reconciliation Strategies is responsible for conducting research activities, preparing project deliverables for Indigenous clients or clients seeking to improve their relationships with Indigenous Peoples, drafting policies and procedures, terms of reference, briefs, presentations, and reports, and providing overall project support to the Reconciliation Strategies group. You will work collaboratively with Indigenous communities and organizations to support their vision for the future, demonstrating excellent written and oral communication skills. You will also work with non-Indigenous organizations, such as federal, provincial, and territorial governments; corporations; and not-for-profits. This role requires someone passionate about developing and implementing strategies that foster meaningful reconciliation.

The Director will be a key point of contact for specific clients, coordinating or managing project resources across the practice area and the company. You will contribute to building consulting services that address a range of reconciliation strategies, supporting the cultural, social, and political goals of clients.

Responsibilities:

• Provide strategic advice and counsel for the design and implementation of reconciliation strategies
• Lead and coordinate efforts to develop and implement reconciliation action plans for large and complex projects.
• Lead a team of project area leads to deliver client objectives, ensuring alignment with reconciliation goals.
• Identify and mitigate risks, challenges, and issues that arise throughout project execution, particularly those impacting reconciliation efforts.
• Deliver complex and escalated facilitation and coaching to engagement team members.
• Design, facilitate, and develop strategies and programs that support organizational reconciliation and contribute to Indigenous community objectives.
• Assess potential risks and opportunities related to projects, including the evolving political, social, and legal landscape, and recommend strategies to mitigate risk or capitalize on opportunities in support of reconciliation.
• Adapt and adjust approaches in real-time to ensure that strategies remain responsive to unforeseen circumstances or challenges.
• Provide quality assurance for all written project materials, ensuring high standards of clarity and accuracy.
• Demonstrate excellent editing skills, overseeing writing projects from junior team members, including interns, account coordinators, and consultants.
• Translate client or senior leadership feedback into clear direction for Consultants and Senior Consultants to execute.
• Ensure the production of quality written work in a timely manner with minimal revisions required.
• Serve as the final reviewer of deliverables after they are submitted to clients, ensuring high-quality outputs.
• Advise on frameworks related to reconciliation, ensuring they are relevant, actionable, and culturally appropriate.
• Provide oversight and guidance on research and analysis supporting reconciliation strategies.
• Manage the full lifecycle of projects, overseeing all resources and operational parameters from launch to completion.
• Ensure smooth internal implementation of projects, aligning with reconciliation objectives and maintaining project timelines and budgets.

Reconciliation Strategies Responsibilities:

• Provide expert advice to the Vice President during the development of project proposals and work plans related to reconciliation strategies.

• Organize and oversee all aspects of reconciliation initiatives, including cultural sensitivity, policy development, and stakeholder engagement.

• Liaise with Indigenous leadership, community organizations, and partners to identify reconciliation opportunities, develop appropriate plans, and implement projects in alignment with the needs and goals of Indigenous communities.

• Build strong, trusting, and effective relationships with project partners, stakeholders, and Indigenous communities to foster collaboration and mutual understanding.

• Stay informed and continuously build expertise in reconciliation strategies, Indigenous governance, and community development, applying this knowledge to current and future projects.

• Contribute leadership, knowledge, and expertise to projects led by other team members, ensuring consistency and alignment with overarching reconciliation objectives.

• Use best practices in project management and mentorship, managing and supporting junior project staff to ensure high-quality work and internal capacity building for reconciliation-focused initiatives.

Qualifications:

• Post-secondary education in a relevant field, such as Political Science, Public Administration, Indigenous Studies, Sociology, Law, or a related field.

• 10+ years of professional experience in a governance, policy, or reconciliation-related role.

• 5+ years of project management or management experience, ideally in Indigenous-focused initiatives.

• At least 3 years of experience working directly with Indigenous communities or organizations, or demonstrated knowledge of Indigenous governance and community development.

• In-depth understanding of Indigenous issues in Canada, including Indigenous rights, the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission Calls to Action.

• Strong passion for reconciliation and a demonstrated commitment to supporting Indigenous communities in achieving their goals.

Nice to Have:

• Experience working as a consultant or within a consulting practice would be an asset, particularly in the context of reconciliation, community engagement, or Indigenous affairs.
• Experience in Ontario or the territories.
• French language capacity.

The salary range for this opportunity is between $200,000 and $250,000 CAD.

We are ChangeMakers

Change Makers is an independent owner, operator and builder of the foremost partner-led marketing, communications, and engagement agencies. Made up of Change Makers, our full-service marketing agency, Argyle our public relations and advisory engagement agency and Castlemain, our Indigenous advisory firm. With over 300 people, across seven offices, in 6 provinces and 2 countries, our goal is to be one of North America's largest and most acclaimed full-service agencies.

An equitable employer: 

ChangeMakers is committed to advancing equity, diversity, and inclusion in all its forms, a commitment that enriches our company culture, the ideas that we generate, and the quality of service that we provide our clients. We encourage applications from Indigenous communities, racialized communities, women, persons with disabilities, LGBTQ2S+ people, and people from other historically marginalized communities.

ChangeMakers is committed to providing employment accommodation under the Human Rights Code and the Accessibility Disabilities Act provincially by providing employment accommodations. If you are a job applicant with a disability, ChangeMakers will make every effort to accommodate you throughout the recruitment process. Please inform us if you require any accommodation, and we will work with you to meet your needs.

At ChangeMakers we recognize that the best candidate may not meet all the criteria listed above. We encourage all those interested and with relevant experience to apply even if you don't match the job posting perfectly. We welcome creative, out-of-the-box thinking, and lived-experience and we strive to provide an environment for best-in-class innovation that quickly and fulsomely meets our clients' needs.