Senior Indigenous Program Advisor

Title: Senior Indigenous Program Advisor
Employee Working Location: Partially Virtual / Hybrid (Montreal, QC)
Employment Status: Permanent Full-time

The Canadian Red Cross (CRC) – an inspirational not for profit organization – helps people and communities in Canada and around the world in times of need and supports them in strengthening their resilience. As a Canada’s Best Employers 2024, we are committed to having an accessible, diverse, inclusive, and barrier-free work environment.

Reporting to the Director, Community Relations, the Senior Indigenous Program Advisor will serve as a subject‑matter expert for the development and implementation of a strategy and programs in collaboration with Indigenous communities in Quebec, working in support of and in close coordination with various teams. This role ensures that the initiatives meet community needs and aspirations, are evidence‑based, culturally appropriate, and effective while meeting relevant policies and standards. Key responsibilities also include supporting ongoing evaluation and recommendations to enhance processes, approaches, and programs, as well as reporting activities. Responsibilities also include developing and maintaining a strong network of relationships with multiple external stakeholders, including partnerships to enhance program impact and sustainability.

In this role you will:

Provide advisory expertise and support operational deployments

• Serve as a subject-matter expert by providing strategic advice and well-informed recommendations to senior leadership and other stakeholders on matters related to collaboration with Indigenous communities, and guide decision‑making by proposing relevant solutions tailored to the organization’s specific needs.

• Actively contribute to the development of CRC’s Indigenous strategy in Quebec in collaboration with other teams and external partners, and provide leadership to facilitate its coordinated and collaborative implementation.

• Proactively support leadership in the development and ongoing refined of annual objectives and reference documentation related to the area of activity, and develop and maintain an annual work plan aligned with these objectives.

• Ensure the development, planning, and improvement of community engagement strategies with Indigenous communities, ensuring that engagement approaches meet community needs and aspirations.

• Maintain a high level of expertise through ongoing strategic monitor, including tracking and analyzing best practices, applicable standards and legislation, evidence‑based research, as well as trends, emerging issues, and opportunities in the field, while accounting for the complexity and evolving nature of the information.

• Ensure the development, planning, and delivery of programs, either directly or by providing expert support to teams within specific mandates or projects, and contribute to identifying and securing funding for new initiatives.

• Ensure that activities are culturally appropriate, align with best practices and meet community needs.

• Identify and manage operational risks to ensure sustainable and effective implementation.

Build and maintain relationships with stakeholders

• Identify key external and internal stakeholders involved in the deployment of CRC’s strategy, services and programs within Quebec Indigenous communities, and establish and maintain strong working relationships in coordination with other teams.

• Represent and strategically position the area of activity within internal and external collaborative structures, providing advisory input to influence decision-making, negotiate, advance opportunities, and position the Red Cross.

• Lead and coordinate the efforts of multiple teams and stakeholders within collaborative structures, fostering synergy among participants, consolidating key information, and ensuring progress on deliverables.

• Actively engage with various teams to support the recruitment, skills development, and supervision of volunteer responders, Indigenous Peoples Relations in Quebec.

Monitoring, evaluation, reporting, and standards compliance

• Contribute to the design and finalization of dashboards and other monitoring tools, and prepare internal and external reports (activity, analytical, and expertise reports) to inform decision‑making and guide organizational strategies.

• Ensure the ongoing monitoring, documentation, and evaluation of assigned files, making necessary adjustments to support effective delivery and ensuring that lessons learned are captured and integrated across the organization.

• Lead or provide recommendations for the development or enhancement of tools, procedures, standards, guidelines, and programs, and support their implementation to increase effectiveness and impact.

• Ensure the application, maintenance, and continuous improvement of standards, procedures, and guidelines, in compliance with the Indigenous peoples framework.

Other duties

• Be available on an ad hoc basis to support disaster responses in Indigenous communities that require increased engagement from CRC teams.

• Support leadership in the development and ongoing monitoring of the budget for the area of activity.

• Perform other related tasks as required.

What we are looking for:

• A bachelor’s degree or a relevant combination of education and experience.

• Five to eight years of relevant and recognized experience in an advisory role supporting leadership and teams on collaboration with Indigenous communities.

• Lived experience within an Indigenous community and/or direct professional experience working with at least one Indigenous community.

• In-depth knowledge of Indigenous communities in the province, including networks, organizations, issues, and opportunities, as well as strong cultural awareness.

• Experience working on community engagement and resilience‑building projects, particularly with Indigenous communities.

• Proven experience in contextual analysis, as well as in the development, implementation and proactive management of programs in complex environments.

• Familiarity in monitoring and evaluation systems, with experience analyzing and synthesizing data for reports and/or proposals.

• Excellent facilitation skills, with the ability to work effectively in a team environ and to contribute to team building.

• Flexibility and ability to work with ambiguity/in a fluid work environment.

• Must be comfortable navigating difficult and emotionally charged situations, including with individuals who have experienced traumatic events.

• Fluency in English and French (spoken and written); knowledge of an Indigenous language spoken in Quebec is an asset.

• Strong proficiency and hands-on experience with MS Office 365 applications and project management tools.

• Must have a valid driver’s license (a driver’s abstract may be required).

Working Conditions:

• Alternating between remote work, office-based work, and in-person work within communities.

• Regular travel across the province, sometimes for several consecutive days.

• Non-traditional working hours will be required during emergency response operations and/or deployments.

• Where skills are equivalent, preference will be given to qualified candidates who self-identify as Indigenous.

• Under certain conditions, a candidate who is legally recognized as a member of a First Nation may be eligible for an income tax exemption.

• As we work with and support people (managers, colleagues, beneficiaries/customers, volunteers, donors and external partners) and communities in Canada and around the world, applicants whose first language is not English may be required to perform the responsibilities of the role in English.

• Eligibility to work in Canada: At this time, we welcome applications from candidates eligible to work in Canada. If you are not a citizen or permanent resident of Canada, we encourage you to carefully review your visa to find out whether you are eligible to work in the job you are considering applying for. Refer to our FAQ for more information.

• If you are selected for this role, you will be required to complete a successful pre-employment screening process which includes a satisfactory Enhanced Police Information Check.