Indigenous Partnership Lead / Planet Youth Co-Lead
United Way of Thunder Bay
1085 Carrick StreetThunder Bay, OntarioP7B6L9
This role is about building relationships rooted in respect, reciprocity, and shared learning. United Way Thunder Bay recognizes that Indigenous knowledge, voices, and lived experience are essential to guiding our work. Connection, community, and reciprocity are core values that will guide how this role supports partnerships and collaboration across the region.
We are seeking a passionate, community-driven individual to serve as the Indigenous Partnership Lead. This role spans the organization’s programs and initiatives to help strengthen relationships, trust, and collaboration with Indigenous communities across Northwestern Ontario. Thunder Bay is a hub for many northern and First Nation communities, and this position will actively nurture partnerships and connections across the region.
Because Planet Youth Thunder Bay (PYTB) is a priority initiative, this position will also serve as Co-Lead for Planet Youth, working alongside the Community Collaboration Manager to support the Icelandic Prevention Model locally. Together, they will ensure Indigenous youth and community voices are centered and guide the design, delivery, and learning connected to this initiative.
This is a 3 year contracted position.
Full Time
Social and community service workers
1
CA$47,000.00 - CA$59,000.00 per year
35
Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri
10/31/2025
n/a
Key Responsibilities
Organization-Wide Indigenous Engagement and Connections
- Nurture and grow relationships with Indigenous youth, families, caregivers, Elders, Knowledge Keepers, leaders, and organizations across Northwestern Ontario.
- Walk alongside, learn from, and co-design with partners to ensure that Indigenous voices, knowledge, and experiences help shape United Way programs and initiatives.
- Support staff and leadership in ongoing learning and practicing culturally respectful approaches and protocols, such as cultural safety, decolonizing frameworks, and best practices for Indigenous engagement.
- Contribute to reconciliation and inclusion efforts across the organization.
Co-Lead, Planet Youth Thunder Bay
- Work with the Community Collaboration Manager to co-lead PYTB initiatives.
- Ensure Indigenous youth and community voices help guide surveys, activities, and decision-making.
- Take part in coalition and working group meetings, bridging Indigenous perspectives with broader community partnerships.
- Support learning and reporting for Planet Youth in ways that reflect Indigenous approaches to knowledge and community priorities.
- Ensure that data collection, reporting, and evaluation respects Indigenous data governance principles, that information is shared in culturally relevant ways with communities, and in ways consistent with Indigenous values (e.g. holistic well-being, relational accountability).
- Data sovereignty: ensure that Indigenous communities guide how data is collected, stored, shared, used.
Community Guidance & Shared Learning
- Maintain a good understanding of the Planet Youth model and Icelandic Prevention Model guidance.
- Share Indigenous community insights with provincial, national, and global networks.
- Contribute to planning and long-term sustainability in ways that reflect community direction and shared learning.
- Center connection, community, and reciprocity as guiding values in all aspects of partnership and collaboration.
Communication, Collaboration and Coordination
- Keep open communication with Indigenous partners, community members, and internal teams.
- Support storytelling that reflects the impact of Indigenous engagement and partnership in United Way programs.
- Collaborate across teams to ensure approaches are culturally informed, relationship-centered, and support cultural, social, emotional, and physical wellbeing.
Qualifications
- Deep understanding of Indigenous communities in Northwestern Ontario, recognizing Thunder Bay as a hub for many northern and First Nation communities.
- Demonstrated experience with trauma-informed practice, cultural safety, decolonizing methodologies.
- Experience in Indigenous engagement, youth programs, community development, or partnership coordination.
- Strong relationship-building, communication, and facilitation skills.
- Experience working in community-based, coalition, nonprofit, education, youth, or public health settings.
- Ability to work collaboratively and respectfully with diverse groups, including youth.
- Experience organizing or facilitating traditional/cultural practices or protocols.
- Experience with convening or coordinating with Elders, Knowledge Keepers, or community advisory councils.
- Willingness to learn about the Icelandic Prevention Model and Planet Youth guidance.
- A combination of skills, education and life learning specific to traditional knowledge will be considered.
- An individual who is of Anishinabe ancestry with understanding, practice and sharing of Anishinabe history, culture, traditions, ceremonies and values is preferred.
- A Class “G” Driver’s License and access to a personal vehicle is preferred.
- Post-secondary diploma/degree in Indigenous Studies, Social Work, Community Development, or related field OR a demonstrable combination of education, work, and life experience, especially in traditional knowledge or practice.
Assets
- Lived experience within an Indigenous community.
- Experience in trauma-informed practice, equity-driven initiatives, and youth engagement.
- Understanding of Indigenous ways of knowing and learning, including approaches to evaluation.
- Bilingual or multilingual abilities, especially in Indigenous languages (ie., Ojibwe, Oji-Cree).
- United Way Thunder Bay is committed to Indigenous self-determination, reconciliation, and culturally safe practices. We encourage Indigenous candidates to apply; lived experience, traditional knowledge, and community involvement will be highly valued.
Working Conditions
- Hybrid work environment, with regular in-person meetings and community engagement required.
- Occasional evening or weekend commitments, depending on community events or coalition needs
United Way of Thunder Bay hires based on merit and is strongly committed to diversity and equity within its community and to providing a welcoming and inclusive workplace. It especially welcomes applications from Black, Indigenous and People of Colour, women, persons with disabilities, people of all sexual orientations and genders, and others with the skills and knowledge to productively engage with diverse communities.
If you require accommodations during any stage of the application or interview process, please let us know. We are happy to work with you to meet your needs.
Interested applicants should submit a resumé, complete with a detailed cover letter to the attention of:
Albert Brulé, Chief Executive Officer: abrule@uwaytbay.ca
Deadline for Applications: October 31, 2025, at 4:00pm
Selected candidates that meet the requirements will be interviewed on a rolling basis until the position is filled. We wish to thank all applicants; however, only those selected for an interview will be contacted.
Job Types: Full-time, Fixed term contract
Contract length: 36 months
