Program Director – Northern Leadership and Treaties Full Time

The Gordon Foundation is a charitable organization with a long history of protecting Canada’s water and working in Canada’s North. We deliver programs to support public policy development, implementation and understanding by conducting and disseminating research, supporting leadership development, and providing a forum for public discourse.

The Foundation’s Northern Leadership programming focuses on ensuring that policy impacting the North is informed by northerners. This program builds on the Foundation’s history of supporting, mentoring, and developing knowledge building opportunities for emerging leaders in Canada’s North and across the Arctic.

In line with this work, the Foundation runs the Understanding our Treaties initiative, which brings together emerging Indigenous leaders to learn from experts about modern land claims. The cornerstone of Understanding our Treaties is its innovative Treaty Simulation model, where participants explore critical treaty issues from caribou and fish co-management to impact benefit agreements. Understanding our Treaties is in high demand across Canada as Indigenous communities and organizations are looking for creative ways of engaging the next generation of treaty negotiators.

About the role

The Director will play a pivotal role during a formative time for the Foundation’s Northern Leadership and Treaties programming, which includes ushering the Understanding our Treaties initiative into its next phase of growth. Since 2019, Understanding our Treaties has built the networks and programming needed to address gaps in treaty education for Indigenous communities, including through the delivery of 40+ Treaty Simulations across Canada. Building on this success, the incoming Director will explore, evaluate and implement new approaches to broaden the impacts of Understanding our Treaties.
Reporting to the CEO of The Gordon Foundation, the Director will lead a highly collaborative team to continuously improve existing programming, while also building partnerships and funding needed to meet growing demand. The team is driven by the purposeful impact of these programs, which the Director will guide by providing material insights with a forward-thinking outlook.
We seek an engaging, collaborative, and strategic leader with a first-hand connection to Indigenous communities, as well as strong relationship management skills, an understanding of public policy analysis and development, government relations expertise, and experience managing staff and budgets.
• Only applicants who self-identify as Indigenous (First Nations, Inuit, or Métis) will be considered for this opportunity.
• The salary range is $90,000 to $125,000.
• The position includes a comprehensive benefits package.
• This is a permanent position.
• The position is remote or can be based in our Toronto office.
• The position involves regular travel across Canada and requires working flexible hours, for example, during events.

To apply, please send your resume and cover letter to [email protected]. Desired start is May 2026. Applications will be reviewed as they are received. Only candidates invited for an interview will be contacted.

Key Areas of Responsibility

Program Design and Delivery

• Work with the President and CEO to develop a long-term strategic direction for the Understanding Our Treaties initiative and other projects and translate this direction into implementation
• Work collaboratively with Indigenous communities and other partners to shape delivery of programming
• Manage program staff to ensure their success  
• Manage program budgets
• Report regularly to the Board of Directors
• Report to funders
• Collaborate with Foundation staff on inter-program opportunities

Outreach and Promotion

• Work closely with Foundation staff to communicate the impact of the Foundation’s programming
• Develop partnerships and collaboration opportunities that will maximize reach and impact of Foundation programming
• Develop and maintain relationships with representatives from different levels of government to explore opportunities for funding and collaboration

Experience and Skills

If you don’t meet all the requirements below, we would still love to hear why you would be a great fit.  
• Post-secondary degree in political science, public administration, Indigenous studies, development studies, or environmental studies or comparable work experience
• 5-7 years’ relevant work experience
• Program development experience 
• A proven ability to build strong networks in northern and/or Indigenous communities, with various levels of governments, and the not-for-profit sector
• Strong speaking and presentation skills  
• Strong knowledge of human resources, project management, financial management, and program evaluation
• Experience working with volunteer Boards of Directors
• Self-motivated and able to work largely independently