Title: Program Officer, Social Emergencies , Indigenous Programs

Employee Working Location: Partially Virtual/Hybrid (Canada)

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.

The Social Emergencies (SE) Program responds to an event or situation that exceeds the health and wellness resources and capacities of a community. The goal of the SE Program, in collaboration with the impacted community, is to provide stabilization, psychosocial support, resource mobilization, and support capacity building. The SE Program is guided by several complementary evidence-based frameworks, such as the CRC Indigenous Peoples and Community Engagement Pathway Frameworks and the Creating Safe Environments (CSE) Strategy, stewarded by Indigenous Programs. These frameworks align Risk Reduction and Resilience initiatives with principles for respectful engagement through all phases of a SE response to emphasize a community-driven, sustainable, and equitable recovery.

The Program Officer, under the direction of the Senior Manager, 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 contextually relevant, evidence-informed, and aligned with organizational standards and community priorities.

In this role, you will:

• Provide administrative and technical support to the SE Program. This may include coordinating with internal and external partners, managing and analyzing program documentation to ensure alignment with program parameters, and monitoring program progress.
• Coordinate and support the planning and implementation of the SE Program strategy that reflects cultural inclusion and safety.
• Coordinate with program partners, including community organizations, and governing agencies to support effective collaboration and program delivery.
• Support community-level response operations by coordinating with staff and volunteers to ensure the timely, organized delivery of program resources, including in remote or Northern regions.
• Support the preparation and review of SE programmatic or response-specific documentation, including psychosocial and stabilization reports, success stories, and other related materials, ensuring alignment with reporting requirements and ensuring cultural relevancy.
• Make recommendations to improve SE program procedures, processes, or guidelines, and support the development of new program opportunities or proposals.
• Collaborate with peers and cross-functional teams to share knowledge, support alignment, and contribute to effective program delivery.
• Stay informed on relevant policies, guidelines, and best practices in community or humanitarian programming, and contribute to continuous learning and improvement within the SE team.

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.
• Lived and/or has professional experience with First Nations, Inuit and/or Métis Nations or communities.
• 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.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications (Word, Outlook, Excel, PowerPoint), SharePoint, Canva, and other databases.
• 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 identify, investigate and analyze problems, identify root causes and risks, and apply technical, functional and organizational knowledge to develop solutions.
• Ability to build, maintain, and strengthen relationships with clients, community organizations, and external stakeholders.
• 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).