Job Description
Manager, YouthEngagement
Typeof Position: FullTime, Manager (overtime exempt)
Placeof Work: Office/Hybrid/Remote
Reportsto: Directorof Programs
Coordinates:Yes, Youth Engagement and Gathering ourVoices (GOV) Team
Supervises: Yes, Youth Engagement and GOVTeam
TravelRequired: Occasionally(site visits within B.C. as required)
Purpose
Located within theterritory of WSÁNEĆ (Saanich), Lkwungen (Songhees) and Wyomilth (Esquimalt)peoples, the BC Association of Aboriginal Friendship Centres (BCAAFC) is theumbrella association for the 25 Friendship Centres throughout the Province ofBritish Columbia. The BCAAFC collaboratively works to promote and deliveraccessible programs and services that target urban Indigenous peoples and thatsupport their vision of health and wellness.
The Manager, YouthEngagement leads BCAAFC’s year-round approach to meaningful engagement withIndigenous youth, with primary responsibility for the planning and delivery ofGathering Our Voices (GOV): Indigenous Youth Leadership Training. GOV isBCAAFC’s flagship youth event and brings together up to 2,000 delegates fromacross British Columbia and Canada for plenary sessions, workshops, a careerand education fair, cultural activities, and opportunities for connection andleadership development. Beyond GOV, the Manager works with Friendship Centres,youth, Elders, partners, and funders to strengthen youth engagement throughoutthe year, mobilize resources, and develop responsive initiatives that supportIndigenous youth leadership, connection, wellness, and participation.
Duties Include
Youth Strategy & Engagement
- Leadsthe development and implementation of a year-round Indigenous youth engagementapproach aligned with BCAAFC’s mandate, strategic priorities, and FriendshipCentre values.
- Buildsand maintains relationships with Friendship Centres to understand local youthpriorities, strengthen regional and year-round engagement, and supportmeaningful opportunities for Indigenous youth participation and leadership.
- Developsaccessible and culturally grounded ways for urban, rural, and remote Indigenousyouth to inform BCAAFC initiatives, programs, policy positions, and events.
- Workswith youth, the Provincial Indigenous Youth Council, Elders, Cultural Supportstaff, Friendship Centres, and the GOV Core Planning Team to establish thevision, purpose, priorities, and cultural protocols that guide youth engagementactivities, including GOV.
- Leadsyouth engagement communications, including website and social media content,newsletters, outreach materials, event materials, press releases, and otherpublic-facing communications.
- Identifiesand advances opportunities for year-round youth programming, leadershipdevelopment, mentorship, networking, training, and knowledge sharing incollaboration with Friendship Centres and partners.
Gathering Our Voices (GOV)
- Leadsthe overall planning, delivery, evaluation, and continuous improvement of GOV,providing guidance and support to the core planning team.
- Developsand oversees the human resource and volunteer plans for GOV including staffingrequirements, role descriptions, orientation, scheduling, team support, andfollow-up.
- Managesthe procurement process, guiding the logistics team in sourcing and negotiatingterms with venues, accommodations, and external vendors, and prepares majorcontracts for leadership approval.
- Overseesthe process through which Friendship Centres apply to host GOV and worksclosely with selected host Friendship Centres to support meaningful localinvolvement in planning and delivery.
- Managesissue resolution and risk assessment regarding venues, vendors, delegates, andpartners, escalating significant risks as appropriate.
- Leadspost-event and post-initiative follow-up, including acknowledgements, debriefs,reporting, evaluation, and documentation of key learnings and recommendations.
Operations & Leadership
- Supervises,mentors, and supports the Youth Engagement and GOV staff team, includingconducting performance evaluations and fostering a collaborative workenvironment.
- Createsand manages annual workplans, business plans, project timelines, risk plans, communications strategies, and evaluationframeworks for GOV and other approved youth initiatives.
- Mobilizesresources to support GOV and broader youth engagement work, including funddevelopment, proposal writing, sponsorships, partnerships, grants, anddonations.
- Maintainspositive relationships with youth, Friendship Centres, funders, sponsors, hostcommunities, venues, vendors, facilitators, and other partners.
- Providesregular updates to the Director of Programs, Executive Director, Provincial IndigenousYouth Council, BCAAFC team, and Board as required.
- Managesassigned budgets, monitors expenditures and revenues, and ensures appropriatefinancial controls and reporting requirements are met.
- Overseesreporting, evaluation, data gathering, and knowledge sharing for GOV and otheryouth engagement initiatives, including reports to BCAAFC, funders, sponsors,and partners.
- Ensuresappropriate cultural, accessibility, safeguarding, emergency response, andsafety planning is in place for youth events and engagement activities.
- Undertakesother related youth engagement and program management responsibilities asassigned.
Skills and Abilities
- Demonstrated knowledgeof Indigenous communities, cultures, and perspectives, and a strongunderstanding of how to work respectfully within cultural protocols.
- Demonstrated abilityto build respectful, reciprocal relationships with Indigenous youth, Elders,Friendship Centres, communities, and partner organizations.
- Knowledge ofculturally grounded, youth-centred, trauma-informed, and accessible engagementpractices.
- Excellentorganizational, planning, project management, and time management skills, withthe ability to coordinate multiple priorities and meet tight deadlines.
- Strong understandingof large-scale event management, year-round engagement planning, financialmanagement, and risk management.
- Ability to leadcollaboratively, work independently with minimal supervision, and support ateam through periods of high activity.
- Strong verbal andwritten communication skills, including proposal development, funder reporting,presentations, correspondence, facilitation, and digital engagement.
- Ability to identifyfunding opportunities, develop partnerships, and mobilize financial and in-kindresources.
- Ability to workeffectively under pressure in a fast-paced environment and respondconstructively to changing circumstances.
- Sound judgment andskill in addressing challenging situations, resolving issues, and escalatingrisks appropriately.
Qualifications
- Completededucation in youth engagement, event planning, community development, businessadministration, project management, or a related field, and a minimum of 5years of related experience. An equivalent combination of education andexperience may be considered.
- Significantexperience working with Indigenous communities and Indigenous serviceorganizations.
- Demonstratedexperience engaging Indigenous youth and coordinating large-scale, multi-day,multi-venue events or comparable complex initiatives.
- Provenproject management experience
- StrongPC software skills including experience with Microsoft Office (Word,PowerPoint, SharePoint, Teams and Excel).
- Workingknowledge of WordPress, MailChimp and graphic design skills are an asset.
- Strongaccounting/budgeting background is an asset.
- Mustbe able to provide clear, current criminal record check including vulnerablesector check.
- Validdriver’s license a strong asset.
- Abilityto do work flexible hours on occasion (such as during GOV youth conference),and travel (within BC) as required.
- Preferencewill be given to qualified Indigenous applicants. Ensure your cover letterself-identifies ancestry and your experience meeting required skills andabilities.
Compensation package includes
- Threeweeks’ paid vacation (prorated for partial years of service), with additionalpaid time off during office closure at the end of the year
- Employeehealth benefits plan starting on first day of employment
- Startingsalary from $80,000 per year, based on experience
- RRSPmatching of up to 8% of annual salary to a maximum of $8,000 per year
- Monthlyemployee wellness fund
- Upto 10 employee wellness days per year to support employee quality of life
In accordance with Section 41 of the BC Human Rights Code,preference will be given to qualified candidates of Indigenous ancestry.
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