Chief Executive Officer (CEO)

Who We Are
The Ojibways of Batchewana First Nation (BFN) are a progressive and vibrant Indigenous community situated on the north-eastern shore of Lake Superior adjacent to the City of Sault Ste Marie, Ontario. The First Nation Is comprised of four land bases: Rankin, Goulais Bay, Obadjiwon, and Whitefish Island.

Batchewana First Nation has the charm of small-town life with access to urban areas and proximity to the international bridge. As part of the Association of Iroquois and Allied Indians and signatories to the Robinson Huron Treaty, Batchewana First Nation assert their sovereignty, jurisdiction, and expressions of nationhood through a multitude of approaches each and every day.

Summary of Position
Reporting to Chief and Council, the Chief Executive Officer is the most senior position in the Batchewana First Nation organization. The incumbent sets the tone for all employees and leads alignment of the organization with the vision and mission of BFN, the current and future needs of the membership as well as with the cultural and spiritual heart of the First Nation. The role serves as strategic advisor to Chief and Council, is responsible for implementing strategic priorities and for driving the goals and objectives of BFN administration. The CEO must be a “big picture” thinker with strategic insight in order to provide organization-wide direction and leadership. The incumbent is accountable for the successful delivery of administrative services, operations, programs and services to BFN citizens.

Key Duties and Responsibilities
1. Serves as a strategic advisor to Council, which includes providing opinions and information, attending meetings, engaging with legal and other advisors, providing briefings and developing recommendations in order to guide decision-making.
2. Ensures strategic plans are implemented by performing duties such as identifying long-term and short-term goals, developing operational objectives, ensuring completion of departmental work-plans and creating systems that enable reporting and performance measurement.
3. Directs and oversees a varied leadership team in order to promote teamwork, collaboration, accountability and high performance. This includes efforts such as ensuring regular individual and group communication, keeping abreast of projects and progress toward objectives and aligning efforts between functions with the overall strategy.
4. Oversees the development of regulations, bylaws, policies procedures and processes by performing duties that include ensuring documents are created when gaps exist, promoting regular process reviews, updates and Community/staff engagement in order to inform BFN approach and to build common understanding through good guiding documentation.
5. Ensures fiscal, legal and other organizational responsibilities are met which includes identification and mitigation of potential risks, ensuring legal and ethical compliance through all departments, overseeing fiscal reporting and responsibility and ensuring government reporting is completed to ensure future access to funding. Leads such efforts to ensure the interests of the First Nation are protected.
6. Oversees the financial planning and management processes by performing duties such as participating in the development and approval of budgets and audit cycles and ensuring effective tracking and control measures. Such efforts are required in order to ensure financial resources are allocated and utilized in a way that is fiscally viable and financially responsible for current and future requirements.
7. Takes accountability for finances through duties such as directing and overseeing financial reports, reallocation of funds and expenditure authorizations in order to ensure the financial management policies, procedures and guidelines of BFN are met.
8. Ensures adequate resources, including human, financial and capital are in place to support the operational requirements, strategies and future growth of BFN. Accomplishes this through duties that include ensuring processes are in place to bring awareness and action to access funding opportunities, aligning the organization structure with strategic direction, assessing project viability and working with functional areas to ensure assets are maintained and future capital requirements identified and obtained.
9. Oversees, guides and participates in current and potential revenue generating opportunities/projects in collaboration with operational leadership. Duties include ensuring potential projects are vetted operationally, are in keeping with BFN strategic direction and objectives, ensuring resources are allocated responsibly and that reporting is in place. Performs such duties in order to promote self-sustainability, realize assertions and enhance BFN’s financial resources.
10. Builds workplace culture through methods such as setting a good example of professional behaviour, guiding good decision making, setting standards, engaging and communicating with staff and ensuring employee matters are addressed and resolved fairly and equitably.
11. Represents BFN in community and external events and venues such as community gatherings, the media, mainstream entities and with government agencies in order to advance the best interest of BFN and develop/uphold a good reputation with various stakeholders.
12. Identifies, drives and leads organization change initiatives by performing duties that include, translating Chief and Council priorities in to action plans, keeping track of external factors that could impact BFN, understanding trends, identifying gaps and improvements in current practices and energizing staff members to move in new directions. Performs these duties in order to keep the organization on track and moving forward.

Qualifications and Experience
• Bachelors degree in a field such as Business, Public Administration, Indigenous Studies or related discipline is required
➢ Masters level degree in a field such as Business, Public Administration or Indigenous Studies is preferred
• Minimum of 10 years experience at a senior management/executive level - 5 of the 10 years experience in a First Nations environment
• Experience within a political environment involving a direct governing body such as Chief and Council is required

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities
• Demonstrated ability to lead through others, build productive teams and promote a spirit of collaboration, achievement and inclusion
• Ability to think critically, strategically and holistically regarding the strategic plan, the community plan and to help staff align the workplace efforts to achieve its goals and broader community goals
• Strong financial acumen, fiscal responsibility and budget management
• Excellent analytical, problem-solving skills and ability to make sound decisions
• Strong ability to navigate, lead and influence direction in politically led and complex environments
• Ability to comprehend and address complex political situations and matters of legal compliance
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills including the ability to build transparency and healthy flow of information
• Strong sense of ethics and the ability to keep sensitive information confidential
• Ability to clearly and diplomatically communicate with Council, staff, government representatives, Community members and diverse stakeholders
• Critical and creative thinking with a strength-based, systems focused and solution orientated mindset
• Strong project management and multi-tasking skills; ability to address diverse project needs associated with the development of community services, infrastructure and economic growth
• Strong interpersonal skills; highly capable of building relationships and collaborating with diverse interest groups and partners in private/public business sectors and government
• Highly developed conflict resolution skills and ability to maintain a sense of calm in the face of adversity
• Resilient personality and ability to thrive under stressful conditions

Working Conditions:
• Some travel is required
• Additional hours and non-standard hours of work with frequent meetings that may occur during evenings
• Extended periods that require focus and concentration
• Fast paced environment and competing priorities
• Multiple demands, frequent deadlines and exposure to complex and stressful situations

Other Requirements
• Vulnerable sector check (CPIC)
• Valid driver’s licence

What Can We Offer You for All Your Hard Work?
• Group Insurance Benefits- Life, LTD, Medical, Dental and Vision Coverage
• Pension Plan- BFN will match Employees contribution
• Paid statutory Holiday and Monthly sick time
• Management Leave

How to Apply & Deadline

Please forward your cover letter, resume and references to email:

[email protected]
Subject Line: CEO

ALL APPLICATIONS MUST BE RECEIVED BY Friday, October 18, 2024, AT 12:00 PM (Noon).