First Nations, Indigenous Nations

Management position, or opportunity
to be trained in management skills

Position: Operations Director
Organization: Lillooet Learning Communities Society (Lillooet Learns) Sát’mec Ull’usmíntwal’ Swátet.scal 
Website: https://www.lillooetlearns.ca
Location: St'át'imc territory / Lillooet BC  (open to other Indigenous candidates who would be willing to work in Lillooet)

About Lillooet Learns:

Lillooet Learning Communities Society (Lillooet Learns) is a not-for-profit organization incorporated in 2002 that envisions scúzas es7áma smáwal' lta St'át'imcúlmecwa, a good life for all in St'át'imc territory. LLCS has a mandate of 50% parity on the board of directors and aims to grow this representation in LLCS at all levels of the society's operations.

Lillooet Learns connects people and strengthens community by working as a convener and a backbone organization for Lillooet and the St'át'imc communities. The organization's goals are to connect people to the systems, services and information they need, to bring partners together through collaboration, to support Indigenous-led approaches to justice, healing and systems change, and to build community wealth so that our communities grow and become economically resilient. Our work focuses on creating changes that help regional communities thrive.

Lillooet Learns is the host organization of the Community Connect Innovation HUB, where community members, partners and organizations come to access resources, share space and work together. Other programming and projects include Elder Connect, Restorative Justice, Mentorship and Training, and Community Conversations. Our team, programs and partnerships have grown to the point where we need a management team, and we are searching for an Operations Director to lead the internal operations of the organization alongside the Executive Director.

About the Position:

The goal of this position is to expand the organization's capacity by building the internal systems, policies, and staff support that allow Lillooet Learns to grow. To date, one Executive Director position has carried executive leadership, finance, operations, and human resources. This new position takes the internal side of that work so that both roles can be done properly.

The Operations Director is the first point of contact for staff and turns our strategy into work plans, procedures and daily practice. You will oversee human resources, supervise staff across all of our program areas, review and improve our operational policies and procedures with an equity lens, strengthen our governance practices, and manage the systems and technology the organization runs on.

This is a leadership position. We are ideally looking for someone with management, project and executive-level experience who is comfortable making decisions, supporting a team, and holding accountability for how the organization operates and presents itself in community. Because we are grounded in relationship building, bridging differences, and taking action on reconciliation, it is important to our board and operations team that decision-making is led by someone from the St'át'imc communities.

• Compensation: $35,000 - $55,000, negotiable depending on experience and hours commitment
• Full-Time Equivalent: 0.5 FTE – 0.65 FTE to start and increase to 0.75 FTE (20-25 hours a week to start, moving toward more hours after probationary and training period)
• Contract Type: Employment Contract
• Contract Length: 1 year, with renewal and a 3-month probation period
• Schedule: Flexible schedule, based at 633 Main Street, with more in-office working time at the beginning of the contract
• Works Closely With: Executive Director, Community HUB Manager, Bookkeeper
• Reports to: Executive Director
• Supervises: Program and administrative staff across all program areas, including justice programs, volunteer services, Elder Connect and the HUB team, and operational contractors
• Employment Benefits: Comprehensive benefits package

Note of Negotiability and Candidate Preferences

Lillooet Learns is ready to negotiate elements of the job position with potential candidates who fit with our team and value the overall vision of our work in community.

Please apply if you feel excited by this opportunity, even if you may be interested in different hours or have specific requests. Our team is willing to negotiate the number of hours per week.

We also want to ask community members who may not have the experience or qualifications listed to please apply and write about it in your cover letter or have a conversation with our hiring committee about why you want to work with us. Lillooet Learns supports lifelong learning and is open to discussing training and mentorship for the right candidate.

Key Duties and Responsibilities

Human Resources and Staff Support

• Be the first person staff come to with questions, concerns or issues
• Supervise and mentor staff across all of our programs, and check in with them about their work, priorities and deadlines
• Lead fair and open hiring, from writing the job posting through to onboarding a new person
• Run staff reviews, and organize training and learning opportunities for the team
• Look after payroll, benefits, time off and WorkSafeBC with the bookkeeper, and make sure we follow employment rules
• Oversee our contractors and the work they do

Operations, Policy and Governance

• Write and update our policies and procedures, including personnel, health and safety, and privacy
• Make sure our policies are fair, reflect St'át'imc and community values, and work for the people they affect
• Make sure we follow employment law, funder rules and our own standards
• Write down how we do things, so the knowledge stays with the organization and not just with one person
• Get operational information ready for board and committee meetings, and support our advisory and steering committees
• Notice problems early and bring them forward with ideas for fixing them

Work Plans and Delivery

• Turn our strategy and funding commitments into work plans that staff can follow
• Keep track of what is due, who is doing it and when, across all of our programs and funders
• Watch for delays and raise them early, while there is still time to fix them
• Collect program information and data on time so the Executive Director can report to funders
• Run our staff meetings and management check-ins

Information and Technology

• Look after our software, subscriptions, equipment and other assets, and work with our technology providers
• Help bring in new systems and technology, and train staff to use them
• Keep our information safe, backed up and shared in ways that protect people's privacy

Leadership

• Work as a partner to the Executive Director and share responsibility for how the organization runs
• Bring a practical view into planning, including what we can realistically take on
• Support and teach staff rather than direct them, which is how this organization has grown
• Represent Lillooet Learns in the community and with partners

Specific Projects:

In the first year, this position will also lead a few specific projects. These are funded and tied to how we are growing:

1. Review our policies and procedures with an outside consultant, and put the approved updates in place
2. Help develop our Equity and Reconciliation Action Plan, and lead the work of putting it into practice
3. Set up a new database to track our programs and our impact, and train staff to use it
4. Help roll out a new communication system for reaching newcomers, residents and partners
5. Help build the 2027 operations plan once the new strategic plan is approved
6. Write down how each program area does its work, so services stay consistent

Qualifications & Experience:

• Management experience, including direct supervision of staff and responsibility for their development
• Project management experience, with a record of taking work from planning through to completion
• Executive-level experience working with senior leadership or a board of directors
• Knowledge of human resources practice, including hiring, performance management and BC employment standards
• Experience developing or improving policies, procedures and internal systems
• Knowledge of St'át'imc territory, communities and protocols
• Experience in a non-profit, First Nation government or community organization is an asset
• Experience with equity work, governance review, or funder reporting is an asset
• Education in management, human resources, business administration or a related field, or a combination of relevant education and experience

Job Skills & Abilities:

• Demonstrated ability to supervise, mentor and support a team
• Strong written communication, particularly for policy, work plans and internal documentation
• Excellent organizational and time management skills, with the ability to track many pieces of work at once
• Ability to see the equity implications of internal decisions, including who a policy may unintentionally exclude
• Ability to maintain a high level of confidentiality in all staff and personnel matters
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office, Google Drive and the ability to learn new software
• Strong collaborative skills and proven ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with internal and external contacts
• Ability to work independently and make decisions within your area of responsibility

Other Requirements:

• Clear Criminal Record Check
• Occasional travel throughout our region
• Able to work occasionally on evenings or weekends
• Driver's license and appropriate insurance

Hiring Preference:

Preference will be given to St'át'imc candidates, and second preference to other Indigenous candidates. Our mandate is 50% parity on the board of directors, and we are extending that commitment to our operations team.

Lillooet Learning Communities Society is an equal opportunity employer that embraces diversity and encourages an attitude of lifelong learning.

Interested candidates, please apply by emailing your Cover Letter and Resume to director@lillooetlearns.ca and use the following e-mail subject line: "Application for Operations Director". Position open until filled.

While we appreciate all applications, only those selected for an interview may be contacted.

Please mention you saw this at GoodWork.ca.