Senior Lead, Indigenous and Community Relations

Closing Date: November 4, 2024

Job Summary

Reporting to the Manager, Social, Environmental, and Regulatory Affairs, the Senior Lead, Indigenous and Community Relations is primarily responsible for building and maintaining meaningful and effective relationships with the Tahltan Nation and Tahltan communities, other Indigenous Peoples, and Communities of Interest (COIs). This motivated individual will engage directly with communities, facilitating information sharing, and working to understand community interests and concerns. Additional responsibilities are not limited to involvement and continued development of COI identification and mapping, communication and engagement planning and tracking and community investment and benefits management.

Overview

Ideally, this position will be based out of the Smithers or Dease Lake offices, with frequent travel between local communities and the Project site, and occasional travel to Vancouver.

Located in Tahltan Territory in northwestern British Columbia, Galore Creek is one of the world's largest undeveloped copper-gold-silver deposits. Galore Creek Mining Corporation (GCMC), a partnership between Newmont Corporation (Newmont) and Teck Resources Limited (Teck), is committed to advancing the asset towards development in partnership with the Tahltan Nation and regulators. GCMC highly values its long-standing relationship with the Tahltan Nation, and continues to implement the 2006 Participation Agreement, including collaborating with the Tahltan Nation in regulatory processes and review of environmental performance, and providing preferential contracting and employment opportunities. Galore Creek strives for excellence in all of our activities and works closely with the Tahltan Nation and local communities towards the sustainable development of the Project.

More information on the Project is available at www.gcmc.ca.

Responsibilities:

• Be a courageous safety leader, leading by example and fostering a proactive safety and sustainability culture based on the common values on health, safety, environment, and communities shared by Teck and Newmont (the Partners).
• Engage with the Tahltan Nation, other Indigenous Peoples and COIs. Build meaningful and effective relationships between GCMC and the local community, including spending significant time in communities to gain a deep appreciation and respect for the diversity of views, and the full range of interests and concerns. Share information about the Project and hear and understand issues and ideas from a broad cross-section of the community.
• Be a key point of contact for the community to contact and connect with GCMC. Represent GCMC at community events. Be visible and available in the community. Be aware of ongoing issues and maintain strong connections with the community to hear of concerns as they arise.
• As an SME, lead and/or support the implementation and continuous improvement of strategies for collaborating and engaging with communities including COI mapping and identification, social baseline studies, social risk assessments and mitigations, strategic community investment, and local employment and procurement.
• Identify and assess social risk through appropriate social baseline studies and risk assessment processes; develop and implement plans to handle social risk and demonstrate that engagement plans and community investment are guided by baseline data and appropriate risk assessment. Lead commitments and maintain an up-to-date commitment register. Manage and track feedback and grievances received from Indigenous Peoples and COIs.
• Lead collaborative multidisciplinary efforts to ensure appropriate Tahltan involvement in technical and environmental aspects of ongoing Project studies, including access and infrastructure, closure, and tailings, and water management; ensure appropriate integration of traditional land use information, cultural heritage, and Indigenous Peoples knowledge, in particular Tahltan Knowledge.
• Supported by the Lead, Indigenous and Community Relations, guide the planning of external engagement activities such as Open Houses and in-community events, and coordinate Project-wide planning and activities around National Indigenous Peoples Day, National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, Tahltan Day, and other important community events and celebrations.
• Collaborate with Project team members to develop and deliver public-facing messaging and communications for the Project, including external communications, GCMC website and social media, and represent the company at external events. Contribute to the development and implementation of updated communications plans as the Project initiates a major regulatory approval process and enters a phase of increased Indigenous Peoples and COI engagement and growing public interest.
• Develop an in-depth understanding of the Project through involvement in the Project team, including the Management, SERA, Site Operations, Geoscience and Engineering groups, in order to be positioned to discuss the Project with Indigenous Peoples and COIs.
• Lead internal training initiatives such as providing Cultural Awareness Training for the Project team and the Project site. Work collaboratively with other members of the Project team and identify appropriate opportunities to involve other team members in community events and other engagement opportunities. Support Project team members in these opportunities, sharing knowledge of the community, and building bridges between the Project team and the community in an appropriate and respectful manner.
• Promote the company's commitment to sustainability, the environment, and health and safety; lead by example, and demonstrate honesty, sincerity, and openness to feedback.
• Foster a culture of open communication, build relationships across the GCMC organization and externally and be able to understand multiple perspectives.

Qualifications:

• 10+ years of relevant professional experience, including direct hands-on experience working in communities and with Indigenous Peoples, and experience in the mining industry.
• University or post-secondary degree preferred, but not required for candidates with strong relevant experience. Educational background in communications, social sciences, or sciences; or direct experience in mining, resource development, sustainability, community development, social policy, or related field considered an asset.
• Comfortable working and living in small communities and in rural and remote environments, and in hosting one-on-one engagements with Indigenous Peoples and COIs.
• Experience working directly with the Tahltan Nation, and/or working or living in Tahltan communities is considered an important asset.
• Experience with community and Indigenous engagement in support of a major regulatory review and approval process is considered an important asset for the role, particularly where there has been involvement in a successful Environmental Assessment (EA).
• Confirmed ability to build and strengthen positive relationships and trust with Indigenous Peoples and COIs, improving community relations, engagement, and support.
• Demonstrated expertise and success crafting, implementing, building and improving social and community relations strategies and programs.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills are required, including the ability to present to a variety of audiences, write clear and concise reports, represent the company in potentially challenging public settings, and develop and implement communication strategies, including on social media platforms.
• Awareness of best practice and current issues in Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) in Canada, particularly regarding Free Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) of Indigenous People, sustainability, and social responsibility.
• High degree of motivation, strategic planning, and self-starting capabilities.

Pay Range (Annual Salary): $117,00 - 144,000

HOW TO APPLY

At Galore Creek, we value diversity. Our teams work collaboratively and respect each person's unique perspective and contribution.

Qualified applicants interested in joining a dynamic team are encouraged to submit a resume and cover letter electronically.

We wish to thank all applicants for their interest and effort in applying for the position; however, only candidates selected for interviews will be contacted.

Your application to this posting is deemed to be your consent to the collection, use and necessary disclosure of personal information for the purposes of recruitment. Galore Creek respects the privacy of all applicants and the confidentiality of personal information.

Learn more about Galore Creek at www.gcmc.ca.