Reporting to the Commissioner & Medical Officer of Health, this position builds collaborative relationships with local Indigenous communities and organizations, built on a foundation of trust, respect, reciprocity, partnership, collaboration and open communication. The position will work with communities to co-design and advance public health initiatives that incorporate Indigenous ways of knowing and doing into public health programs and services to support the needs of Indigenous Peoples in alignment with the Ontario Public Health Standards.
The Manager will:
- Work in partnership with First Nations, Inuit and Metis communities to identify positive health outcomes, public health needs and shared public health priorities, built on a strength-based and wholistic approach to health and well-being.
- Lead capacity-building initiatives to support Health Department staff to develop and deliver respectful and culturally inclusive programs and services.
- Lead and oversee outreach to build relationships with Indigenous Peoples, communities and organizations.
- Provide strategic advice to the leadership team to support strong relationships with Indigenous Peoples, communities and Indigenous-led organizations.
- Develop policy recommendations that include culturally relevant approaches for the leadership team.
- Work with community to co-design short-term and longer-term strategic program goals, priorities and evaluation plans to guide culturally grounded public health programs and advance Indigenous health priorities.
- Lead efforts to engage and work with First Nations, Inuit and Metis to identify health information of interest, data gaps and opportunities to measure health outcomes, in accordance with OCAP, OCAS and IQ principles.
- Represent the Health Department in local and provincial Indigenous Circles, networks, working groups and committees.
- Report on Indigenous public health issues and support advocacy efforts.
- Lead specialized staff and oversee human resources functions, including recruitment, orientation, performance and skill development.
Ideally, the successful applicant will possess:
- Lived experience and strong connections to Indigenous Peoples and communities.
- An undergraduate degree in a health-related field, Indigenous Health, Indigenous Studies, public policy, or a combination of lived experience, education and strong connection with First Nations, Inuit and Metis groups.
- Knowledge of Indigenous histories, cultures, practices, and governance structures.
- Knowledge and understanding of Indigenous health equity and determinants of health and practical knowledge of cultural awareness and trauma-informed approaches.
- Knowledge of public health and familiarity with the Health Protection and Promotion Act and Ontario Public Health Standards.
- Experience successfully leading and managing program development and implementation, preferably for a public health department, Indigenous health organization, healthcare organization or other non-profit or government agency/organization (e.g., municipality, provincial ministry or provincial agency).
- Knowledge of data governance principles such as OCAP (First Nations), OCAS (Metis), and IQ (Inuit).
- Outstanding verbal and written communication skills, and an ability to interact professionally with a diverse group of staff, partners, elected officials, and community members.
- A master's degree in public health, public health policy, Indigenous Studies, or other relevant discipline is considered an asset.
- Proficiency with Microsoft Office software.
- Candidates who have similar experience, education, qualifications or related work experience are encouraged to apply as the needs of the organization continue to evolve.
