Heart and Stroke Foundation

Manager, Community Engagement

Heart & Stroke is looking for a Manager of Community Engagement for the First Nations Food Systems (FNFS) Project for an 11 month contract starting May 1st.

First Nations Food Systems started in 2009 as part of a larger Province of BC‐funded project, administered by the Heart & Stroke Foundation. Four years ago, First Nations Health Authority (FNHA) took over funding of the Project. Since that time, the FNFS has grown from 17 to 74 BC First Nations communities, driven by community demand to improve access to fresh vegetables and fruit and, through that, improved food security. With now FNHA playing a greater role in
the partnership, the FNFS now seeks to expand its scope beyond the production of fresh fruit and vegetables to ensure the work is completed through an Indigenous lens, including traditional foods and building community‐level connections and exchange between the FNFS community projects and other community programs and activities, such as cultural, language, mental and physical health, and education programs.

In order to support widening the scope of the FNFS, the Community Engagement Manager will focus on two key goals in 2019‐2010:

1. Increasing engagement of community members in FNFS and other food‐related activities participating communities, as requested by community coordinators and the Field Technical Team.
2. Promote and facilitate inter‐community networking and knowledge exchange on Indigenous food and health‐related issues, resources, challenges, and opportunities.

To accomplish these goals, the Community Engagement Manager will:

• Work with the Technical Team Manager and the Field Technical Team, as well at the FNFS Project Coordinator, to be introduced to, learn about, and build relationships with the communities.
• Meet with the Field Technical Team regularly to discuss overall project logistics, challenges, and opportunities.
• Work with community Project Coordinators, Community Contacts, and Field Technicians to identify key issues, challenges, and opportunities that can be
  addressed through strategic approaches to community engagement.
• Work with communities to promote inter‐community networking around knowledge‐exchange. This will include working with the project team to organize
  regional and sub‐regional gatherings as possible.
• Working with the coordinators of local gardening projects and/or contacts in local administration to identify opportunities for engagement within each community,
  develop engagement plans, and implement those plans. These may include increasing or enhancing engagement of traditional knowledge keepers, inclusion of
  traditional foods in FNFS community plans, ensuring cultural protocols are followed, and promoting involvement with other community programs or groups.
• Organize regional and sub‐regional gatherings and workshops.
• Work with community partners to develop and implement community engagement plans in selected communities.
• Work with communities to identify and implement opportunities for networking, collaboration, and knowledge‐sharing on food and health.
• Organize multi‐community workshops and knowledge‐sharing events including regional and sub‐regional gatherings as necessary.
• Ongoing liaison with FNHA regional teams to identify ways to link them with FNFS.
• Work with communities to identify points of convergence within each community between FNFS and other programs and activities, including traditional knowledge‐keepers and food‐related activities.
• Produce monthly reports on the progress of community engagement activities.
• Produce final project report.

The successful candidate will have:

• Extensive knowledge of and in‐depth experience with First Nations way of life, culture, and history.
• Minimum three years of experience working in community engagement with First Nations communities.
• Minimum five years of experience in community‐based food security, food sovereignty and gardening/agricultural work.
• Demonstrated experience in project/program management and budget planning.
• Excellent knowledge of Microsoft Office.
• A valid British Columbia Driver’s License – this position requires travel across BC.

As an employer, Heart & Stroke is committed to respecting diversity within our workforce. As this is a project that works with First Nations, we ask that all prospective First Nations and Aboriginal proponents self‐identify and preference may be given to qualified First Nations and Aboriginal applicants.

For more information or to submit an application or proposal to contract, please contact Jeff Sommers at jeff.sommers@heartandstroke.ca.