CONTRACT POSTING: PROJECT MANAGER

This contract is suitable for an autonomous, self-employed person with strong community organisational skills and administrative competence.

The Tasiutigiit Association of Cross-Cultural Families of Inuit and Native Children is seeking a Project Manager.

Tasiutigiit is a registered association of foster and adoptive families of Inuit and native children. Tasiutigiit provides services to Inuit and native children living in the greater Montreal area in foster and adoptive homes, and to those placed in Youth Protection facilities.

Although the Association does not promote the removal of indigenous children from their communities, Tasiutigiit assists children and youth already living in non-indigenous homes to establish and maintain positive connections with their people and culture.

Services include regular activities programs (including outdoor activities, craft groups, teen evenings, culture sessions, therapeutic workshops, participation in Inuit and Aboriginal festivals, etc), information and education sessions to adoptive and foster parents and to child welfare workers, a lending library of Inuit books and DVDs, and a website for members. Inuit and First Nations families participate in our activities, to share their friendship and culture.

The Project Manager, in collaboration with the Tasiutigiit Board of Directors, will uphold the mission of Tasiutigiit and will develop and deliver programs that meet the needs of Inuit and First Nations children/youth and the families that care for them.

Specifically, the Project Manager (PM) will

  • Develop and coordinate a regular program of family activities, (one every 6 weeks or so), scheduled three to six months in advance, and spread out over the four seasons: e.g., sugar shack, family picnics, Christmas party. The presence of the PM at most family activities is required, so that he/she can build relationships with parents and promote friendships between participants.
  • Develop and coordinate programs and activities suitable for adolescents and young adults in collaboration with the youth animators. These programs are to incorporate elements of the Circle of Courage approach (or a similar Inuit-based approach to life-skills development).
  • Develop and coordinate activities, workshops and programs suitable for children: whenever possible, the PM will include an indigenous cultural component or a life skills component in the activity; will schedule events at least three months in advance; will ensure that one of the Inuit/indigenous animators provides facilitation/animation. The presence of the PM is not required at every activity aimed at children.
  • Based on the parent’s group program that was developed for the association, organize sessions on a regular basis, according to the needs identified in collaboration with the Board. The program will be delivered by hired facilitators.
  • Develop programs to identify and recruit members, through collaboration with indigenous organizations and Youth Protection agencies, and through outreach and social media.
  • Promote membership retention through regular phone calls to members and documenting the contact with each family, being receptive to members’ needs, circulating newsletters, website updates and an annual satisfaction survey.
  • Recruit, train and retain a bank of Inuit/indigenous youth animators so that an animator(s) is/are present at all or most events.
  • Will prepare and coordinate one or two Culture Camps each year: these may include family camps in Southern Quebec/Greater Montreal region, participation at Cree or First Nations camps, or visits to Nunavik. The annual camp program will be decided in collaboration with the Board.
  • Write funding applications, in collaboration with the Board, and will submit all required written funding reports at the appropriate times (mid-term and final) to the Board for approval, prior to submission to funding organizations.
  • Will manage finances by proposing a yearly budget to the board for their approval, and will manage this budget, to ensure that funds are available for planned activities and animation expenses over the yearly cycle. The Project Manager will keep a ledger of income and expenses, submit quarterly financial reports to the Board, and will prepare the Annual Financial Report (April to March fiscal period) to be ready for the Audit Committee in early May of each year.
  • Will report to the Board as required, and will be available to attend Board meetings upon request.
  • Will complete administrative tasks required for the smooth running of the association: these include maintaining an accurate Register of members, updated email contacts, managing the website, managing authorizations for consents to share photos, submitting the yearly Registre des enterprises du Quebec (REQ) declaration, and completing participation and payment sheets for each activity, activity evaluations forms, statistics and other documentation for planning and evaluation purposes.
  • Represent Tasiutigiit at the Montreal Urban Aboriginal Network or at other organizations at the request of the board.

Position requirements:

  • Strong organisational and planning skills
  • Bilingual (French and English) required. Inuktitut fluency an asset
  • Administrative competency: able to manage budgets, financial reporting, grant writing and funding applications and reports. Functional knowledge of Microsoft Office (Word, Excel), and email communications.
  • Reliability, personal integrity, ability to take initiative and to be self-directed
  • Good communicator and able to build relationships with indigenous and non-indigenous persons
  • Openness to learn about Inuit and indigenous values and practices , and about the effects of multi-generational trauma
  • Ability to work within the Cultural Safety approach with indigenous persons
  • Strong aptitude for interpersonal relations, team work and collaboration
  • Ability to build and maintain networks with other organizations
  • Comprehensive experience of working with community organisations or programs an asset
  • Previous working experience with indigenous organisations an asset

Conditions:

After a trial period of 3 months, the successful candidate will be offered a contract as a self-employed person for a period of 12 months, to be extended upon mutual agreement.

It is the intention of the Board to seek a Project Manager who will be able to make a long-term commitment following the initial contract, so that a stable partnership can be maintained with the Board and with members.

A confidentiality agreement and a criminal record verification will be required of the successful candidate.

Remuneration:

The contract is for up to 50 hours per month at $30 per hour (up to $1,500 per month), with an expectation that the successful candidate could choose to be unavailable for up to one month each year (longer periods of unavailability may negatively affect the running of the programs).

There will be a mileage allowance set at the provincial rate for travel to events. Monthly invoices for services are to be submitted on the last day of the month, with payment being made within 14 days.

The successful candidate sets his/her own schedule of flexible hours when it comes to developing and preparing activities, but must include availability for scheduled events as needed on weekends, and for evening meetings up to once a month upon request by the Board.

Starting date: Preferably Mid-June 2018, but can be discussed.

Deadline to present an offer of services: May 28, 2018

Please e-mail your application to:

An application that does not provide an application letter, CV, and names and contact details of two references will be considered incomplete.

Interviews of chosen applicants will be held within 2 weeks of deadline to apply.