Indigenous Relations & Socio-Cultural Planner

Overview

Are you someone with strong leadership and technical capabilities?  Do you enjoy working collaboratively in a team environment and building both internal and external relationships? Are you a thoughtful leader, a trusted advisor and a problem solver? If you enjoy entrepreneurship and innovation, this opportunity is for you! As someone with excellent communication skills and business acumen, you will thrive in our fast-paced and agile environment.

Your opportunity

Our Planning and Design group is looking for an Indigenous Relations & Socio-Cultural Planner to join our team of multidisciplinary professionals in our Ontario-based (Toronto/Oakville/Kitchener/Guelph/Hamilton/Ottawa) office.

You will be a member of Dillon’s Planning and Design group, which operates across the country and comprises: policy, physical, development, environmental and socio-economic planners; Indigenous consultation and engagement specialists; urban designers; landscape architects; transportation and transit planners; and graphic artists.  You will be a key part of our multidisciplinary group serving our public, private, and Indigenous clients on a variety of exciting projects across the country including: infrastructure, environmental assessment and planning projects.  You will also work with our Environmental and Engineering Services technical groups to provide clients with a full-service, integrated and superior customer experience. At Dillon, we operate as one team.

Responsibilities

What your day will look like

Technical Execution (80%)

1. Lead and support the collection of Indigenous Knowledge, as well as socio-cultural and traditional land and resource use data collection
2. Lead and support baseline programs and effects assessments with respect to Indigenous peoples, including Aboriginal and Treaty Rights and Interests and cultural impact assessments
3. Provide advice on current best practices and legal rulings related to the Duty to Consult (DTC)
4. Provide technical expertise and advisory support related to Indigenous Knowledge, Aborignal and Treaty rights and interests, including best practices, cultural protocols and considerations, the integration of Indigenous Knowledge into assessment and planning processes, and other related matters (e.g., UNDRIP, FPIC, etc.) to project teams and clients
5. Support, guide, and develop resources to support understanding of DTC and impacts on Aboriginal and Treaty rights and interests
6. Work with planners and project managers in coordinating and carrying out environmental assessments and permitting/approvals processes for a range of projects
7. Contribute to environmental assessment projects, other planning or policy projects including baseline and background research, report writing, socio-economic data collection and analysis, Indigenous Knowledge studies, and fieldwork (as required)
8. Lead the development, coordination, and implementation of programs for Indigenous and regulatory consultation and work with our teams to prepare associated materials (letters, notices, etc.), activities (engagement events, meetings, etc.) and documentation (records of consultation, databases, etc.)
9. Synthesize and analyze background document research, planning inputs, and engagement outcomes, including identifying key themes and planning considerations
10. Collaborate with and support technical and professional staff from across the company and sub consultants to complete project assignments
11. Communicate with clients, community leaders, and members, staff and others regularly in a clear and professional manner, both orally and in writing
12. Provide mentorship to and manage more junior staff including delegating project-related tasks to team members with an appropriate level of direction, guidance, review, and feedback
13. Undertake project management and project coordination roles
14. Travel for project work across Canada as required
15. Other duties as assigned

Business Development & Administration (17%)

1. Support Business development efforts through working with clients and identifying project opportunities
2. Develop and coordinate proposal work

Learning and Development (3%)

1. Participate in corporate, office, and technical group meetings and activities.
2. Contribute to the career growth and development of less tenured team members through leadership, technical direction, mentorship, coaching and training recommendations
3. Work with the larger Dillon team to identify and apply emerging best practices and new approaches to project activities, as well as legislative changes that may impact our work
4. Contribute to Dillon’s corporate profile through active participation in professional associations and committees, and representing the team at conferences and workshops

Qualifications

What you will need to succeed****

1. A degree in planning, geography, environmental science or a related field, preferably at the Master’s level
2. Ability to work in a fast-paced consulting environment with multiple project demands and timelines
3. Adaptive and responsive in the face of emerging challenges and opportunities
4. Strong communication (written and verbal) and interpersonal skills - must be proficient in report and plan writing and able to prepare high-quality deliverables
5. Versatile and adaptable with ability to work in a self-directed, multidisciplinary team setting
6. Highly developed critical thinking skills
7. Professionalism and personal accountability for attention to detail, time management, and organization skills to achieve quality, schedule, and budgetary expectations
8. A desire for continuous learning, professional development, and tackling new challenges
9. Business acumen and understanding of the consulting environment
10. Willingness to travel, as needed
11. Able to work across multiple time zones, as needed
12. A valid driver’s license

Experience

1. 5+ years of related work experience, preferably in the consulting industry, but will consider less
2. Experience with provincial environmental assessment (EA) and federal impact assessment (IA) legislation and various assessment processes
3. Experience working with and/or for Indigenous Communities in Canada in the areas of Indigenous Knowledge, traditional land and resource use (TLU/TEK), and socio-cultural assessments
4. Experience preparing and delivering Indigenous consultation programs for a range of clients, including developing communication materials and program documentation
5. Experience facilitating meetings and workshops
6. Experience working with Indigenous Communities and understanding of culturally-appropriate approaches to planning and engagement

Why choose Dillon

Dillon is powered by people who are technically proficient, passionate about socially important projects, and motivated to deliver superior, tangible results. We strive to remain at the forefront of technology and innovation, and are empowered to continually grow and develop.

We live our core values:

• Reliability: words result in actions that build trust;
• Achievement: do the work to hit the target;
• Continuous development: always learning; always adapting; always growing;
• Creativity: discover new possibilities;
• Courage: do the things that matter, especially when it’s hard;
• Inclusiveness: enabling belonging to draw strength from our differences.

In addition, we offer:

• Employee share purchase plan
  • Dillon is 100% employee owned and share ownership is open to all employees.
• A competitive compensation package
  • Comprehensive health benefits
  • Generous retirement savings plan
  • Student loan repayment assistance with matching employer contributions
• Flexible work hours and remote working options
  • Dillon values its staff and the contributions that are made each day and understands that work arrangements can differ based on personal needs and business needs.  We are taking a trust-based approach to offer a variety of flexible and remote work options to help balance the competing demands of work and personal life.
• Learning and Development opportunities
  • As a knowledge-based business, the organic growth of our knowledge and skills occur through our work performance and roles. The creation and sharing of knowledge allows us to take local knowledge to scale, capture lessons learned through experience, and continuously improve service delivery. The development of self and others is an evident and measured core behaviour within our organization.
  • We use a composite approach to development including coaching to build the how, mentoring to share lessons, advising to round out perspectives, and co-creation of knowledge through internal, learning opportunities.
• Focus on Innovation
  • The ability to anticipate, examine, and adopt new and innovative solutions is a crucial driver for the continual and progressive advancement of our business performance. In our culture, people are empowered to reflect and question current practices and seek forward looking solutions to today’s problems and tomorrow’s opportunities.
• Employee and Family Assistance program
  • A variety of EFAP tools and online resources to support well-being are available to all employees.
• Wellness Subsidy
  • Our employees can take advantage of wellness subsidy that can be put towards expenses for a variety of health and/or wellness related activities such as gym membership, purchase of home fitness equipment, yoga classes  and dance classes

About Dillon

Dillon is a proudly Canadian, employee-owned, professional consulting firm specializing in planning, engineering, environmental science and management. We partner with clients to provide committed, collaborative, and inventive solutions to complex, multi-faceted projects. With 20 offices and more than 1000 employees across Canada, Dillon offers a wide range of services related to building and improving facilities and infrastructure, protecting the environment, and developing communities.

Now operating for over 75 years, we continue to strive for excellence in everything we do. Dillon has been listed as one of Canada’s Best Managed Companies for the past 16 years and has the distinction of having achieved Platinum Club member status in this program.

Employment Equity, Diversity & Inclusion at Dillon:

Dillon is committed to the principles of employment equity, inclusiveness, and diversity within our organization. We strive to achieve a workplace where opportunities are based on skills and abilities and that respects and values differences.

Inclusion is more than a word to us, it is the way we choose to run our business.

Please connect with us if you require accommodation in the interview process. We would love to hear from you!

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