Executive Director

Ross River Dena Council (RRDC) is seeking a leader and community builder to take on the role of Executive Director. This is for an initial term of one year, with the potential to extend.

Based full-time in Ross River, the Executive Director serves as the vital bridge between Chief & Council, administration, staff, community members, and external partners. Reporting directly to Chief & Council, you will oversee the overall operations of the RRDC administration including helping Council to set the strategic direction, implementing strategies, priorities, goals and objectives of the RRDC, and leading the organization in its delivery of the mandate set at the RRDC General Assembly. This senior leadership role requires a professional, deeply committed leader who will ensure all governmental systems, programs, and services run effectively while remaining deeply grounded in Kaska ways.

Key Responsibilities

• Strategic Leadership: Translate Council’s political decisions into operational plans, and provide governance support,
• Operations, Programs & Policy: Oversee daily administration, implement organizational policies, and guide department Directors in service delivery,
• Financial Oversight: Manage the RRDC budget, maintain strict financial controls, and ensure all mandated reporting is completed,
• People Leadership: Provide exceptional leadership and supervision by driving work plans, building HR capacity, and modeling positive organizational culture
• Community & External Relations: Act as the core liaison between Council, staff, and external partners, while securing funding and negotiating contracts in RRDC’s best interest,

What You Bring

How we work is as important as what we do. We expect that you will bring the following skills:

• Community-Centered Leadership: A deep, empathetic commitment to serving the Kaska people. You listen deeply, build trust across the community, and approach your work with genuine kindness, patience, and tolerance.
• Team Building & Unity: Proven senior management experience with a knack for motivating and uniting teams across the organization. You excel at fostering collaboration among staff, Directors, Council, and the Membership.
• Exceptional Communication: A master communicator across all channels—formal and informal, written and verbal. You easily bridge the gap between leadership, administration, and diverse external audiences.
• Creative Problem Solving & Decision Making: An independent thinker who takes full ownership of outcomes. You bring the strong analytical skills needed to solve complex operational challenges and translate Council decisions into action.
• Conflict Resolution: Skilled in navigating difficult situations using kind, clear, and effective conflict resolution. You apply patience and understanding to find mutually acceptable solutions.
• Reliability & Integrity: A dependable, professional leader who maintains strict organizational integrity, reliability, and loyalty.

Required Experience, Education

This leadership role requires a significant depth and breadth of leadership experience. We value diverse pathways to leadership and will consider combinations of the following including but not limited to/such as:

• Grade 12 education plus several years of experience working in a Yukon First Nation setting.
• Alternative combinations of education and training, paired with demonstrated managerial or leadership experience
• A relevant diploma or degree would be considered an asset

Conditions of Employment

• Class 5 (minimum) Yukon Driver’s license
• Criminal record check with Vulnerable Sector check

Compensation

$100,000 to $130,000, dependent upon experience.