ICFSD Secretariat – Executive Director Job Description

Job Description

The Executive Director of the Secretariat of the Indigenous Child & Family Services Directors Our Children Our Way (ICFSDOCOW) Society is responsible for the development, operations and day-to-day oversight of the Secretariat. This is a permanent full-time position located anywhere in British Columbia with access to internet. This position is conditional on continued funding.  

The Secretariat team currently consists of:

• Two part time consultant leads who provide leadership and policy support
• three full-time and one part time analysts
• one full-time administrator, and
• three part-time consultants providing leadership, elder and project management support.

It is anticipated that the Secretariat team will expand over the next year. This team of consultants and analysts has a range of educational backgrounds including PHD and Master degrees. Several of the team members have held senior government executive and Indigenous Agency executive roles.

The Secretariat of the Indigenous Child & Family Services Directors Society currently provides policy, research, engagement and administrative support to the 24 provincially delegated ICFS Agencies in BC and is building its capacity to extend this support to Nations and Indigenous Organizations delivering child and family services through other jurisdictional approaches. The vision for the Secretariat is to be a Centre of Excellence for Indigenous Child and Family Services and will expand its role to provide legal, financial, human resources, data sovereignty, and practice supports. The Secretariat was established in 2018 and is envisioned as an interim step toward creating a centre of excellence in Indigenous child & family service delivery.

The Secretariat is currently hosted by the BC Aboriginal Child Care Society and will transition to the recently established ICFSDOCOW Society by September 2023.

Key Duties and Responsibilities:

The Executive Director will work closely with the ICFSD Board of Directors (Executive) to guide the growth of the Secretariat in alignment with the vision of becoming a regional centre of excellence in Indigenous child & family service delivery. Responsibilities will include managing the Secretariat’s transition from BCACCS to the ICFSD Society, securing stable long-term funding for the Secretariat, and creating a strategic plan to realize the ICFSD’s vision for the Secretariat.

The Executive Director will report directly to the ICFSD Board of Directors (Executive) and will be responsible for providing executive level managerial, planning, strategic and implementation expertise and guidance to the Secretariat team.

The Executive Director will provide exceptional leadership and build strong relationships with partners, with Indigenous leadership, and with stakeholders. The Executive Director must also ensure that the Secretariat remains accountable to the ICFSD Society membership and responsive to their needs.

The Executive Director creates external partnerships to maximize client service and/or improve interagency Relationships. The Executive Director will evaluate programs and activities to ensure that client’s needs are met. As well the Executive Director ensures that program standards, guidelines, and policies of the organization are developed and maintained while ensuring that appropriate systems are in place to support and maintain culturally safe approaches. The Executive Director gathers statistics for funders as needed and performs other related duties as required.

The Executive Director must  have the  right blend of:

• solid social work approach and understanding, and
• demonstrated organizational leadership and development experience.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in a related human/social service field, law, economics, or the equivalent in education and experience.
• Knowledge of the history and current context of Indigenous child and family service delivery in BC.
• Familiarity with Indigenous Child & Family Service agencies
• Experience establishing collaborative relationships and leading organizational change associated with implementation.
• Ability to use Microsoft Office Products and other applications in a Windows environment.

Core Competencies:

• Indigenous-Centered Service Approach is a desire to serve Aboriginal people focusing one’s efforts on understanding their interests and a willingness to support Aboriginal people in determining their own future.
• Analytical Thinking is the ability to comprehend a situation by breaking it down into its components and identifying key or underlying complex issu It implies the abilities to systematically organize and compare the various aspects of a problem or situation, and determine cause-and-effect relationships to resolve problems in a sound, decisive manner. Checks to ensure the validity or accuracy of all information.
• Building a Trusting Relationship is working to build or maintain ethical relationships or networks or contacts with people who are, or may be, potentially helpful in achieving work-related goals and establishing advantages. These people may include agencies, colleagues, etc.
• Change Leadership is championing the achievement of intended, real change that meets the enduring vision of Indigenous self-determination.
• Cultural Agility is the ability to work respectfully, knowledgeably and effectively with Indigenous peop It is noticing and readily adapting to cultural uniqueness in order to create a sense of safety for all. It is openness to unfamiliar experiences, transforming feelings of nervousness or anxiety into curiosity and appreciation.
• Expertise includes the motivation to expand and use technical knowledge or to distribute work- related information to others.
• Flexibility is the ability and willingness to adapt to and work effectively within a variety of diverse situations, and with diverse individuals or group Flexibility entails understanding and appreciating different and opposing perspectives on an issue, adapting one’s approach as situations change and accepting changes within one’s own job or organization.
• Information Seeking is driven by a desire to know more about things, people, or i It implies going beyond the questions that are routine or required in the job. It may include “digging” or pressing for exact information; resolution of discrepancies by asking a series of questions; or less-focused environmental “scanning” for potential opportunities or miscellaneous information that may be of future use.
• Managing organizational resources is the ability to creatively think about allocation of organizational resources (e.g., people, materials, assets, funding) to support the self-determination of Indigenous people.
• Problem Solving/Judgment is the ability to analyze problems systematically, organize information, identify key factors, identify underlying causes and generate solution
• Strategic Orientation is the ability to link long-range visions and concepts to daily work, ranging from a simple understanding to a sophisticated awareness of the impact of the world at large on strategies and on choices.

Other Requirements: Criminal Record Check; Class 5 Driver’s License and Abstract; reliable form of transportation. Must be prepared to work a flexible schedule.

Pay and Compensation: Commensurate with position

Start date: As soon as possible

Applying for Position: Please send your resume and cover letter to [email protected]. This is an open posting with no close date. Review of applications will commence on April 27^th by the Board of Directors (Executive).

Inquiries: Please send email to [email protected] regarding any questions regarding this position