Job Posting EXTENDED: Executive Director

Application Deadline Extended to June 22, 2022

The Cowichan Watershed Board (CWB) is a local governance entity created in 2010 to promote water and watershed sustainability in the Cowichan/Koksilah watersheds, ancestral home of the Quw’utsun First Nation, Vancouver Island, BC.  Co-chaired by the Cowichan Tribes’ Chief and the Cowichan Valley Regional District (CVRD) Chair, the Board represents a unique partnership between First Nations and local government. Through this model, Cowichan Tribes and the CVRD work together to advance whole-of-watershed health, demonstrating a commitment to moving down the path of reconciliation. The Board is widely recognized for its leadership in indigenous co-governance, advancing both provincial and local models of shared decision-making over water. The Board is also valued for leading strong watershed science projects, creating a culture of water conservation, promoting science-based advocacy, and pursuing respectful community-based solutions.

The Cowichan Watershed Society (CWS) is a registered BC Non-Profit Society which provides financial and administrative support to enable the work of the CWB. Its directors are a sub-set of the CWB members.

The Society is seeking a part-time permanent Executive Director to serve both organizations. The position reports to both the Society Co-Chairs and the CWB Co-Chairs and oversees a small staff team (1-2), and various project teams, along with many partnership and volunteer initiatives. The location is your own home-based office, preferably within the Cowichan-Koksilah watershed.  Download the posting here.

Duties and Responsibilities

Provide Executive Director services for the Cowichan Watershed Society and the Cowichan Watershed Board including:

1. Development and execution of the Board’s annual Business Plan to advance watershed health priorities in collaboration with CWB, Cowichan Tribes, and CVRD. 
2. Honouring and implementing the Board’s 5 core Principles.
3. Maintaining excellent First Nation, intergovernmental,  and community relations.
4. Ensuring the Board has access to the best information available to support decision-making, including western science and indigenous ways of knowing.
5. Management, development and governance of a small non-profit organization, including fundraising, financial management, human resources, and risk management.
6. Other activities as directed by the Board.

Qualifications and Attributes

The candidate will demonstrate the following:

• Strong understanding of wild pacific salmon ecosystems and a proven track record of environmental conservation.
• Respect for and commitment to upholding First Nations rights and culture and advancing reconciliation through indigenous watershed co-governance.
• Engaging and entertaining public speaker and facilitator, skilled at bringing people together in a positive, welcoming, and motivating atmosphere.
• Experience with the governance of non-profit Boards. Demonstrated expertise in strategic planning and non-profit financial management.
• Experience working with First Nation, Federal, Provincial and Local Governments, as well as community and environmental organizations.
• Respectful and collaborative communication skills, both written and verbal.
• Ability to work well with people of all ages and backgrounds individually and in team working arrangements.
• Effective problem resolution skills.
• An impactful and persuasive ambassador of the CWB and its partners in meetings with senior Government officials and the media.
• Flexibility to adapt to the varying workloads and scheduling requirements of a small lean non-profit.

 Interested applicants should submit an expression of interest by email, including resume and references, to info@cowichanwatershedboard.ca by Wednesday June 22, 2022.  Please include Executive Director in the subject line.

Questions may be directed to the current Executive Director, Tom Rutherford at tom@cowichanwatershedboard.ca

Download the posting here.