Program Officer, Operations, Indigenous Programs

Title: Program Officer, Operations, Indigenous Programs

Employee Working Location: Partially Virtual / Hybrid (Manitoba)

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.

Indigenous Programs Operations work collaboratively alongside Indigenous leadership, communities, and organizations to build and maintain relationships, and to offer services, training, and workshops that promote well-being and risk reduction through community ownership. The Indigenous Programs Operations team acts as a liaison between the community and the CRC, connecting communities with CRC service lines to deliver culturally safe, community-led programs that strengthen risk reduction and build resilience.

The Program Officer - Indigenous supports the planning, coordination, and implementation of community-based programs and services that address the needs of individuals and communities, particularly in remote or underserved regions. This role contributes to the effective delivery of program activities through logistical coordination, stakeholder engagement, and direct service delivery, including training and emergency response. The Officer plays a key role in supporting program monitoring, evaluation, and continuous improvement, ensuring that activities are culturally safe and delivered efficiently, compassionately, and in response to community needs.

In this role, you will:

• Coordinate and support the planning and execution of program strategy and service delivery activities that reflects cultural inclusion and safety.
• Build and maintain relationships with community organizations/structures, partners, and members to foster culturally safe engagement reflecting commitments against the CRC Indigenous Peoples Framework.
• Serve as a key point of contact for internal and external stakeholders, ensuring smooth communication and engagement that aligns with community expectations.
• Provide administrative and technical support for program implementation, including coordinating with internal and external stakeholders, managing and analyzing program documentation to ensure alignment with program parameters, and monitoring program progress.
• Facilitate educational training and workshops for diverse communities.
• Support program assessments, research, and analysis to inform program design and decision-making, ensuring activities are evidence-based and contextually relevant.
• Coordinate with program partners, including community organizations, government agencies, and other stakeholders, to support effective collaboration and program delivery.
• Contribute to program monitoring and evaluation efforts by supporting data collection, analysis, and reporting to measure program reach, impact, and effectiveness.
• Support the preparation and review of program or project documentation, including reports, success stories, and related materials, ensuring alignment with reporting requirements.
• Make recommendations to improve program procedures, processes, or guidelines, and support the development of new program opportunities or proposals.

What we are looking for:

• Qualifications include a minimum of 4-5 years experience and a 1-2 year post-secondary certification/diploma in social sciences, community development, international development or a related field and/or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Demonstrated experience working directly with equity deserving populations, including Indigenous, in a culturally safe, respectful, and reciprocal manner.
• Knowledge of program delivery practices, community engagement approaches, and basic monitoring and evaluation methods.
• Experience delivering workshops or educational programming.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications (Word, Outlook, Excel, PowerPoint), SharePoint and databases.
• Ability to identify, investigate and analyze problems, identify root causes and risks, and apply technical, functional and organizational knowledge to develop solutions.
• Communication skills, diplomacy and empathy to interpret information and deliver advice, clarify client or stakeholder needs, offer solutions, and resolve escalations in new or somewhat sensitive situations.
• Ability to build, maintain, and strengthen relationships with clients, community organizations, and external stakeholders.
• A valid driver's license is required.
• The ideal candidate has lived and/or has professional experience with First Nations, Inuit and/or Métis Nations or communities.
• Active in broader Indigenous networks and has an enduring commitment to sharing and advancing knowledge derived through Indigenous knowledge systems including balancing Western and Indigenous world views.
• The official languages recognized within the Canadian Red Cross are English and French however demonstrated skills and ability to communicate in an or multiple Indigenous language(s) or ability to communicate and adapt within Indigenous protocol is highly desirable.

Working Conditions:

• 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 (E-PIC).