Expansion Project Lead

About Canada Bridges and This Opportunity

Canada Bridges is an Indigenous-led organization supporting Indigenous youth and young adults aged 16-30 across Treaty 7 territory. We are hiring a Treaty 7 Expansion Project Lead for a 6-month full-time contract (July 2026 to February 2026) to lead regional expansion planning, implementation, documentation, and transition work across Southern Treaty 7.

This is a high-accountability leadership role where you will turn expansion priorities into organized action, manage people and timelines across communities and governance circles, protect documentation quality, and use strong judgment when working with youth-serving programs, Indigenous communities, staff, Elders, Knowledge Keepers, partners, and funders.

The role sits within Canada Bridges' sociocratic governance structure and serves as the link between the General Circle and the Program Circle. In this role, you work alongside the Executive Director as part of the General Circle, providing the operational support needed to help lead the organization and protect its staff, participants, and mission.

Success in this role requires deep cultural humility and strong operational discipline. You will serve as a steward of these programs on behalf of the Indigenous community in Treaty 7 territory while working in a process-driven environment where duty, loyalty, and safety are core values.

Position Details and Work Environment

• Employment Type : Full-time contract, 37.5 hours per week, July 2026 to February 2027.
• Compensation : $40 per hour.
• Work Model : Hybrid position with regular travel and in-person requirements based on expansion needs.
• Work Location : Piikani Nation or Calgary, Alberta office location.
• Travel Requirements : Class 5 driver's license and reliable vehicle required; mileage, lodging if applicable, and per diem covered for approved travel.
• If located in Calgary : prepare for 2–3-day trips to Piikani Nation each month, including some overnight or multi-day trips.
• Selection Process : Selected by the General Circle through Canada Bridges' sociocratic selection process.
• Accountability Structure : Accountable to the Executive Director and relevant circles through sociocratic governance, with direct supervision provided by the Executive Director or designate.

This is a deadline-driven leadership and expansion role where you will manage competing priorities, coordinate across communities and teams, track decisions and risks, keep organized documentation, and communicate early when something is at risk.

Key Responsibilities and Operational Domain

Your operational domain encompasses Treaty 7 expansion coordination, regional planning, staff and circle alignment, community engagement, documentation, reporting, budgets, risk tracking, and transition planning.

Regional Expansion Strategy and Project Leadership

Lead planning and execution of the Treaty 7 expansion project in alignment with organizational mission, approved program documentation, circle decisions, and funder commitments. Analyze community, program, staffing, travel, partnership, and resource needs across Southern Treaty 7, including Piikani, Kainai, Lethbridge, Pincher Creek, and assigned areas, turning expansion priorities into clear workplans with timelines, responsibilities, deliverables, and decision points.

Supervision, Circle Alignment, and Accountability

Coordinate, support, and hold accountable the NT7 Program Manager, ST7 Program Manager, Firekeepers Circle Leader, and other assigned expansion roles, setting clear expectations and ensuring supervisors have usable timelines and documentation. Model direct, respectful, and documented leadership that supports growth while maintaining clear standards.

Programming, Governance, and Operations Integration

Serve as the connector between program delivery teams, operations staff, governance circles, leadership, and community partners, translating circle decisions into practical implementation steps with owners and deadlines. Your collaborative strategy support is vital to helping the Executive Director accomplish organizational leadership while maintaining clear records of decisions, tensions, approvals, and risks. You are also responsible for maintaining the administrative rigour of the Program Circle by ensuring current backlogs, agendas, minutes, action trackers, and governance records are kept, that decisions are documented with clear owners and review points, and that circle processes remain structured, transparent, and usable.

Community Engagement and Partnerships

Build and maintain respectful relationships with Treaty 7 Nations, Elders, Knowledge Keepers, youth, community organizations, funders, and industry partners while supporting regional adaptation of UYP, IRT7, AYE, Firekeepers, and related programming.

Project Management and Reporting

Oversee timelines, milestones, deliverables, meetings, reporting, travel planning, budget tracking, and follow-up actions, and provide clear updates to the Executive Director, General Circle, Program Circle, funders, and partners. Reporting is a core responsibility in this organization because it enables the Executive Director to lead effectively and protect staff, participants, and the mission. Staff are expected to provide precise, decision-ready information rather than manage the Executive Director’s emotions; accurate data is a key form of care for this particular Executive Director leadership style.

Quality Assurance and Knowledge Transfer

Ensure expansion activities follow organizational policies, code of conduct, youth safety expectations, confidentiality requirements, and funder commitments while preparing the organization for transition to permanent regional leadership.

Selection Process

This is a highly competitive role. Shortlisted candidates may be asked to complete a brief, timed project leadership exercise, such as turning rough expansion notes into a workplan, staffing priorities, travel considerations, risk flags, reporting needs, and transition steps.

Finalist reference checks will focus on reliability, supervision, documentation, judgment, boundaries, budget awareness, and ability to deliver without repeated reminders.

Important Note

This role requires demonstrated follow-through, consistency, judgment, documentation, leadership, risk management, and professional execution. Values alignment alone is not sufficient for this position, operational competence and accountability are essential