Position: Community & Culture Coordinator

Location: Barrie

Reports To:
Director, People & Culture

Term: Full-time, permanent

Salary Range: $56,531-$60,000 annual + benefits

Context

The Ontario Aboriginal HIV/AIDS Strategy (Oahas) is an Indigenous-led organization committed to promoting and supporting healthy, thriving Indigenous communities through providing culturally grounded education and access to harm reduction to reduce the transmission of HIV and other STBBIs in our communities. Oahas operates based on the principles of Greater Involvement of People living with HIV/AIDS (GIPA), Meaningful Engagement of People living with HIV/AIDS (MEPA), nothing about us without us, Indigenous harm reduction, and respect for our cultural knowledges and teachings. These foundational principles guide all aspects of our relationships and work.

Organizational Values

Oahas organizational values are
Autonomy and self-determination, Accessibility, Innovation, Justice, Connection, Accountability, Hope and Advocacy. Based on our organizational values, we have developed agency-wide accountability behaviours that are shared with all Oahas staff and used as part of our performance evaluation tools. These include engaging in the work using direct communication, kindness, generosity of spirit, and respect.

Summary

This position is an in-office position
located in Barrie, Ontario, and reports to the Director, People & Culture. This position centers around Indigenous project management, cultural event
coordination, supporting cultural knowledge transfer, relationship building and collaboration with Elders and Knowledge Carriers, and opportunities for hands-on work with community members. While the position is based in Barrie, there will be significant travel within the province of Ontario required for this position. We are currently estimating that one week per month will involve travel.

Key Responsibilities

Community Development

• This position is responsible for developing relationships and building networks across the province to support Oahas community development efforts.

• Work with the Senior Management Team towards the development and on-going coordination of a provincial Elders & Knowledge Carriers Network.

• In collaboration with the Director,
  Programs and Services, this position will act as the lead staff for coordinating the Oahas Community Advisory Committee (CAC), including scheduling and facilitating monthly virtual meetings and capacity building sessions, supporting with recruitment, onboarding and orientation to the CAC, completing all financial submissions for timely payment of members, and soliciting feedback and guidance from the advisors on Oahas programs, services, campaigns and resource development.

• Support with the planning, coordination
  and implementation of Oahas annual events, namely the Indigenous People Living with HIV/AIDS (IPHA) Gathering
  and the All Staff Gathering, including facilitating connection toguest speakers, Knowledge Carriers, Elders,
  ceremony conductors, and helpers who are in alignment with Oahas Inclusivity Protocols.
  Coordinate teachings, ceremony and cultural activities for provincial events.

• During provincial events, provide and/or coordinate assistance and support to Elders and Knowledge Carriers.

• Liaise with First Nation communities and Indigenous community services organizations as needed to build relationships and partnerships as it relates to the work of Oahas.

Cultural & Ceremonial Support

• Work alongside the Director, Programs & Services, as well as Director, People & Culture, to identify needs and opportunities for community connection to cultural activities, teachings and ceremonies across the regions where Oahas program sites are located, including coordinating access to Elders and Traditional people to meet the needs of the community.

• Collaborate with Director, People & Culture on agency-wide cultural capacity building for staff, to promote cultural awareness, safety, and competency across Oahas teams.

• Collaborate with the Director, People & Culture, to develop agency-wide protocols and guidelines for bundle care.

• Work with the Program Site Teams to develop and maintain cultural resource lists and referrals for community members seeking external services.

• Review trainings and resources drafted by the Training & Resource Development Team to ensure and enhance cultural competency and Indigenous ways of knowing, being and doing in training and resource design and delivery.

Administrative & General Duties

• Collaborate with other members of the Central Office Team, including maintaining active communication with teammates for a smooth and efficient workflow.

• Participate in Oahas teams and external committees to communicate information, resolve problems and achieve the goals of the organization related
  to community and culture.

• Ongoing program reporting, data collection, file maintenance and records. management, including completing OCHART database entries.

• Ensure confidentiality and safekeeping of all Agency documents and records.

• Develop and maintain
  accurate, up-to-date and concise work files.

• Ongoing compliance with Oahas policies and procedures is a requirement for this job.

• May be required to assist with projects and other agency initiatives.

• Share in the care and responsibility for Traditional Medicines and bundle items as per protocol.

Qualifications

• Competency and a good understanding of Indigenous cultures, ways, teachings and history.

• Experience with the delivery of prevention, harm reduction, outreach, education, community-based, social services, health or cultural services.

• Prefer a diploma or degree in a relevant field and/or a combination of related experience, prefer qualification in adult education, learning science, Indigenous pedagogies.

• Minimum of three (3) years of experience working within a First Nation or Indigenous community services agency.

• Passion for nurturing culturally appropriate, community participation and modelling effective leadership within Indigenous communities.

• Ability to build trust, strengthen communication, establish partnerships within communities.

• Ability to exercise tact, diplomacy and respect when communicating with the Indigenous communities, stakeholders, other agencies and external contacts.

• Passion for nurturing culturally appropriate community participation and modelling effective leadership within the Indigenous communities.

• Open to diversity of teachings and Indigenous ways of knowing and doing, and gender-inclusivity.

• Supports cultural and ceremonial engagement through the lens and values of Indigenous harm reduction.

• Approaches work from a place of ensuring alignment between personal and organizational values.

• Lived Experience; Experience working with people living with HIV, and/or people who use drugs and other substances, and Indigenous communities.

• Ability to speak openly and freely about substance use, sexuality in a sex-positive, non-judgmental manner with service providers, service users and harm reduction workers (peers).

• Excellent personal and professional boundaries.

• Excellent planning, organizational, project management and team skills.

• Ability to work outside regular working hours as required; travel across the province will be
  required which may include evenings and weekends.

• Valid Ontario G drivers license is required.

• Ability to speak an Indigenous language is an asset.

Skills

• Training and adult/community education and facilitation skills & experience.

• Trust-building and collaboration.

• Openness and self-awareness.

• Precision and attention to detail is critical.

• Proven ability to coordinate community-facing networks, committees and events.

• Proficient with
  computer technology, including Microsoft Office Suite, Adobe Suite, and Canva.

• Demonstrated interpersonal, decision-making, problem solving, conflict management, critical thinking, analytical and organizational skills.

• Commitment to social justice, diversity, equity, decolonization
  and anti-oppression principles.

• Demonstrated excellence in managing multiple projects simultaneously and prioritizing tasks to meet deadlines.

• Strong communication skills, including ability to practice diplomacy, obtain/provide information effectively and tactfully with team members, partners, Elders and Knowledge Carriers, and community members with lived and/or living experience.

• Continuous learning and humility.

Oahas is committed to equitable representation and access. We strive to build an inclusive workforce that reflects the rich diversity of the communities in which we live. To this end, we strongly encourage applications from Indigenous people, and people with living/lived experience with drug use, sex work, homelessness, street involvement; those living/diagnosed with HIV or HCV; members of 2SLGBTQ+ communities, and persons with (dis)abilities.