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Our Children Our Way Society – Executive Director Job Posting

Job Title:           Our Children Our Way Society Executive Director – Permanent/Full-Time

Department:      Executive

Reports to:        Board of Directors

Salary Range:  $123,100.01 – $157,100.11 (MCCF Band 5)

Closing Date:   Until Vacancy Filled

Job Summary

The Executive Director of the Indigenous Child & Family Services Directors – Our Children Our Way Society leads the Society’s Secretariat team and advances the goal of becoming a Centre of Excellence for Indigenous Child & Family Services in British Columbia. Responsible for the development, operations and day-to-day oversight of the Society, the Executive Director acts as the liaison between the Board of Directors and the Secretariat team. Working closely with the Board of Directors, the Executive Director will guide the growth of the Secretariat, implementing immediate and longer-term goals which will assist in realizing the Society’s vision and mission.

Rooted in Indigenous ways of caring for others, the Executive Director provides supervision, coaching, vision, direction and guidance to the Secretariat’s Leadership Team while maintaining overall responsibility for all employees, contractors, and financial resources.  The Executive Director also establishes and maintains strong professional relationships with Society members, partners, Indigenous leadership and stakeholders.  The Executive Director ensures the Secretariat remains accountable to the Our Children Our Way Society membership and responsive to their needs.  As the senior representative of the organization, the Executive Director is the primary spokesperson on all matters related to the business of the Society, protecting the integrity and reputation of the organization at all times.

Key Duties and Responsibilities:

Leadership and Vision

  • In collaboration with the Board of Directors and the Secretariat’s Leadership Team, develops, implements and monitors a strategic plan with clear and realistic goals, objectives and timelines.
  • Works as a collaborative, senior member of the Leadership Team, ensuring a healthy, culturally rooted and productive work environment where employees work together to achieve individual and Society goals.
  • Advances the Society’s advocacy goals relating to substantive equality and culturally based wellbeing for all Indigenous children, youth and families.

Community Collaboration and Relationships

  • Nurtures relationships and ensures effective and respectful communication, information sharing, collaboration and teamwork with members, partners, Indigenous leadership and stakeholders.
  • Promotes the engagement of Society members in the portfolio structure of the Secretariat team.
  • Represents the Society at events, conferences and other meetings.

Board Relations

  • Works closely with the Society’s Board of Directors, providing regular updates, strategic recommendations and support in governance matters.
  • Attends all scheduled board meetings.

Portfolio Structure

  • Approves the goals and objectives of the Secretariat’s portfolios as identified by the Secretariat’s Manager and Analysts, assisting in the development of strategies to achieve identified goals and objectives and identifying barriers to successful completion.
  • Ensures adequate resources exist to achieve the goals and objectives of each portfolio and any projected needs that may arise from these goals and objectives.
  • Establishes mechanisms for continuous evaluation, improvement and data-driven decision-making.

Human Resources

  • Leads the development, deployment and monitoring of recruitment and retention strategies.
  • Determines staffing resources, succession planning, training and development needs.
  • Establishes compensation for all positions within the Society and any amendments to these grids.
  • Ensures employees are adequately trained to fulfill the duties and responsibilities related to their positions.
  • Reviews and updates human resource policies as required and presents recommended amendments and/or new policies to the Board of Directors for final consideration.

Financial Management and Oversight

  • In collaboration with the agency’s Finance Manager, develops and manages the Society’s annual budget, ensuring fiscal responsibility and sustainability.
  • Ensures the annual budget, along with any major amendments, is presented to and approved by the Society’s Board of Directors.
  • Manages operational budgets and expenditures within approved budgets.
  • Identifies potential funding sources, prepares grant proposals, and cultivates relationships with funding partners.
  • Oversees the annual financial auditing process.

Contract Management

  • Oversees all funding contracts negotiated on behalf of the Society.
  • Ensures contract budgets are established and managed appropriately.

Core Competencies

  • Indigenous-Centered Service Approach is a desire to serve Indigenous people focusing one’s efforts on understanding their interests and a willingness to support Indigenous 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 issues. 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 peoples. It is noticing and readily adapting to cultural uniqueness 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 groups. 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 concepts, people, or issues. It implies going beyond the questions that are routine or required in the job. It may include 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 solutions.
  • 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.

Training, Education & Experience

  • Graduate degree in human services, social sciences or a related discipline with a social policy component (e.g., Social Work, Child & Youth Care, Psychology, Criminology, Indigenous Studies, Health Sciences, Law, Sociology, Education, Gender Studies, etc.), or an equivalent combination of education and work experience.
  • At least 10 years of progressive professional experience in the field of Indigenous child welfare, including direct client service delivery, service delivery planning and oversight, evaluation, and change management.
  • 5 – 7 years of experience leading, supervising and managing teams of multi-disciplinary professionals.
  • The Society recognizes and values Indigenous knowledge and experience which is gained over time. Relevant experience and other forms of post-secondary education/training will be considered, including:
    • Working within the child and family serving system (e.g., in child welfare, family services, guardianship, mental health, substance use, special needs, special education, adoption, youth justice, residential care, or early childhood development).
    • First Nations, Métis or Inuit political leadership, governance, or program/project research roles.
    • Professional development related to research and analysis.
    • Significant experience working within and for First Nations, Métis, Inuit and/or urban Indigenous communities.
    • Significant experience developing, implementing or evaluating anti-racist approaches, cultural safety, or inclusion frameworks.
  • Comprehensive understanding of the policies, standards, legislation and practice associated with delegated service delivery and operations.
  • Experience with contract negotiation, procurement, and management.
  • Experience developing, managing and monitoring multi-million-dollar budgets and expenditures.
  • Ability and willingness to travel, at times extensively, and to work evenings and weekends.
  • Successful completion of Criminal Records Review Act (CRRA) check.

Working Conditions

Day to day work will be performed remotely from home.  Regular travel, sometimes on short notice, and some evening and weekend work is also required.

Pay and Compensation

The compensation package is competitive with Executive Director positions within Indigenous, Provincial and Federal governments, and includes comprehensive benefits and the BC Public Service Pension Plan.

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 closing date. Review of applications will commence on December 15, 2024 by the Board of Directors.

Inquiries

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

 

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