About Us
Coastal First Nations – Great Bear Initiative (CFN-GBI) is an alliance of First Nations on BC’s North and Central Coasts and Haida Gwaii that work together to protect our homelands, build stewardship capacity, and develop sustainable economic opportunities. The Stewardship
Director’s Committee (SDC) provides a forum for sharing information and collaboration between the member Nations’ Stewardship Directors, CFN-GBI Senior Management, and CFN-GBI Program Managers to effectively implement government-to government agreements (“G2G”) and other initiatives that have been approved by the CFN-GBI Board. SDC membership includes the Directors of each of the CFN-GBI member Nations’ stewardship offices. The mandate and responsibilities of the SDC are established by the CFN-GBI Board. Operationally, the SDC also works closely with the Coastal Stewardship Network Team to implement on-the-ground stewardship initiatives within each of the communities.
Position Summary
The SDC Coordinator (“Coordinator”) is responsible for the coordination and facilitation of regular SDC monthly calls, in-person meetings (twice a year) and overall coordination of the committee.
This position reports directly to the CFN-GBI Senior Policy Advisor, works closely with CFN-GBI stewardship program managers (e.g., Lands Stewardship Program and the Coastal Stewardship Network program) and is guided by the CFN-SDC.
This part-time contract is estimated to be 15hrs/week with flexibility based on meeting schedules and potential deliverables. This position will be a remote working position along the BC Coast with travel to Vancouver required for in-person meetings.
SDC Background
Since 2000, both the CFN-GBI organization and the member Nations have made much progress collectively and individually to advance their shared vision. New Government-to-Government
(G2G) relationships and agreements with Canada and British Columbia have been developed to better understand each other’s interests and improve overall relationships. There has been significant development of lands and oceans governance and management capacity by the member Nations. CFN-GBI now has program managers actively coordinating the implementation of regional G2G lands and oceans agreements, and their resulting projects. Member Nations now have significant stewardship and integrated stewardship management capacity.
The CFN-GBI Board, comprised of elected and hereditary leadership from the member Nations, once actively involved in CFN-GBI negotiations and program activities, has evolved to play more of a strategic role. Simultaneously, the Stewardship Directors and senior stewardship managers of the CFN-GBI member Nations are taking on a larger role in coordinating and managing the implementation of G2G agreements and other initiatives that have been approved by the CFN- GBI Board, including policy development. Thus, the creation of the SDC (mandated by the CFN- GBI Board, and Board approved SDC terms of reference), a forum to collaborate, share ideas and provide strategic recommendations (i.e., stewardship related) on current and future initiatives to the CFN-GBI Board.
Duties & Responsibilities
The Coordinator provides meeting coordination and supports activities of the CFN-GBI SDC.
The Coordinator works to support the CFN-SDC by:
Planning, attending and facilitating in-person CFN-SDC meetings (twice a year) and monthly SDC Zoom meetings, including all logistics e.g., booking of meeting rooms, ordering of snacks for in-person meetings;
Developing agendas and collecting and distributing supporting documents and meeting notes for SDC meetings in a timely manner;
Facilitating internal decision-making processes of the CFN-SDC as required;
Supporting the implementation of action items arising from SDC meetings;
Receiving and approving travel claims for CFN-SDC members’ participation at in-person meetings;
Ensuring transparent communication between the CFN-GBI Board, staff, program managers, and the CFN-SDC.
Participating in other relevant workshops and conferences in support of SDC as requested.
The Coordinator contributes and seeks CFN-SDC feedback on the CFN-GBI strategic plan
The Coordinator supports CFN stewardship program managers in seeking CFN-SDC feedback on annual workplans and proposed projects of their programs
The Coordinator prepares annual budget, tracks CFN-SDC expenditures, and completes reporting for CFN-SDC funding agreements
The Coordinator writes quarterly reports, reports to funders and briefing notes as required
Desired Qualifications
This list of desired qualifications is what we are ideally searching for, but not all are required. Other combinations of education and experience may be considered; thus, if you don’t have direct experience in some of these areas, feel free to let us know how other experiences have equipped you to succeed in those parts of the role.
Skills & Experience
Direct experience with stewardship work from at least one of Coastal First Nation’s member-Nations;
Past participation, experience or a good understanding of Coastal First Nation’s stewardship programs and how they relate to the Nation’s work;
Experience planning and facilitating meetings, including but not limited to organizing meetings and group processes remotely through digital platforms such as Zoom and Teams;
Excellent organizational skills and experience;
Excellent written and some financial administration skills (e.g., preparation of budgets, completing travel claims, and administering payments to vendors).
Characteristics & Attributes
Possession of strong organizational, interpersonal and communication skills;
Skilled at working collaboratively as part of an organization and independently with limited supervision;
Experience maintaining self-care and resilience in a dynamic work context;
Strong, positive relationship building and maintenance skills (i.e. with the CFN- SDC, CFN staff and CFN program mangers).
Employment Equity
Our work is stronger when it benefits from the experience, knowledge, and wisdom of people from diverse backgrounds and experiences. Indigenous peoples, people with disabilities, women, members of racialized groups and members of other historically marginalized communities are encouraged to apply.
Please indicate in your cover letter if you would like to be considered for employment
equity by including the statement “I would like to be considered for employment equity.” No further elaboration is necessary unless you would like to provide additional information. Where candidates don’t differ significantly in terms of other desired qualifications, priority will be given to applicants from CFN-member Nation communities, Indigenous background, and employment equity.
Terms of Employment
Position Type: Part-time 6-month contract position. Contract renewal after this time may be considered dependent on funding and capacity.
Anticipated start date: May 30, 2022
Compensation: $55 - $60 per hour, based on experience Reporting: Position reports to Paul Kariya, Senior Policy Advisor Location: Remotely worked
Tech Requirements: Access to a computer, reliable internet and phone service are required.
Travel Requirements: The position will require travel to Vancouver when it is deemed safe to do so – COVID precautions will be strictly followed. Travel expenses will be covered, as per CFN-GBI travel rates.
To Apply
Please email a resume and cover letter, with subject title stating your Full name, CFN- SDC Coordinator Role Application to Leslie Brown, lbrown@coastalfirstnations.ca
Within your cover letter please answer the following: why you are interested in this role; what qualifications or experience you have that address the desired qualifications; and any other relevant information that may help us make a decision. We thank you for your interest.
Application deadline is 5pm April 29, 2022