Manager of Community Mobilization at First Light

Job Description – Manager of Community Mobilization

Position: Manager of Community Mobilization

Department: Advocacy

Reports to: Director of Advocacy

Summary

At First Light, knowledge is carried through community relationships, lived experience, cultural teachings, and research. The Manager of Community Mobilization helps turn that knowledge into shared learning and action, bringing First Light’s people and partnerships together around priorities identified by the urban Indigenous community.

Reporting to the Director of Advocacy, the Manager leads three coordinators and their teams across community engagement, reconciliation, experiential learning, communications, and events. The Manager guides initiatives such as the Metro Reconciliation Partnership and the Lunar Inn and ensures follow-through on priorities arising from the Advocacy Council, Action Circles, and Gathering of Voices.

The Manager helps shape departmental advocacy planning, translates priorities into coordinated work, and cultivates the partnerships and resources needed to sustain these efforts. Working closely with the Research & Public Policy Lead, the Manager helps connect community knowledge and research with First Light’s public education and advocacy campaigns. Throughout, the position ensures the team’s work remains grounded in cultural humility, accountability, and community priorities.

Who You Are & What You Carry

You understand that meaningful change grows through relationships, trust, and sustained effort. You can see how different areas of work fit together, give people clear direction, and support them in carrying commitments through. You recognize the knowledge and wisdom of Elders, Knowledge Holders, community members, staff, and partners, and you exercise sound judgment about how that knowledge is shared to help advance positive systemic change.

You are a supportive people leader, a thoughtful advocate, and a capable planner. You listen well, follow through, adapt when circumstances change, and help others work through complex relationships and competing priorities.

What You’ll Do

Relationships, Reconciliation & Community Priorities • Build and maintain reciprocal relationships with Indigenous communities, governments, and organizations; Elders and Knowledge Holders; and public institutions and others. • Support the Relational Connections Coordinator in building community and institutional relationships, guide the Metro Reconciliation Partnership and its two reconciliation circles, and ensure follow through on shared commitments toward institutional change. • In collaboration with the Director, ensure priorities identified through the Advocacy Council, Action Circles, and Gathering of Voices inform the overall direction of the department. • Work with teams across First Light to identify recurring systemic barriers affecting community and develop coordinated responses through advocacy and public education. • Represent First Light at assigned meetings, events, and external committees, coordinating with the Director on sensitive issues and organizational commitments.

Public Learning & Knowledge Mobilization • Support the Knowledge Sharing Coordinator in developing and evaluating experiential learning opportunities, particularly those offered through the Lunar Inn,building relationships with organizations seeking learning opportunities. • Work with staff and partners to mobilize knowledge of Indigenous histories, contemporary realities, community experiences, and research to drive meaningful and lasting change. • Work with the Research & Public Policy Lead to identify priorities arising from community engagement and to incorporate relevant findings into public education, partnership development, and advocacy. • Ensure knowledge shared through public learning respects cultural protocols, is used with appropriate permission, and recognizes the contributions of Elders, Knowledge Holders, and community members.

Communications & Events • Support the Story & Connections Coordinator in leading storytelling, communications, and event planning, ensuring that work reflects community guidance and advances organizational priorities. • Guide the development of communications and events that make First Light’s work accessible, reflect community guidance, and strengthen relationships with community and partners. • Identify sensitive issues in public messaging and media matters, escalate them to the Director with recommendations, and work together with the team to determine an appropriate response.

Team Leadership • Supervise and coach three coordinators, supporting them to lead their staff, set priorities, manage workloads, and develop their skills. • Translate departmental priorities into coordinated workplans, with clear responsibilities, timelines, and regular review of progress. • Resolve competing priorities and address barriers to progress across the three teams, keeping their work coordinated and deliverables on track. • Bring emerging opportunities, significant risks, and decisions requiring strategic direction or organizational commitments to the Director, along with recommendations for action. • In collaboration with the Finance and Operations team, participate in recruitment, onboarding, and performance management while also supporting direct reports in fulfilling these responsibilities for their own staff.

Planning, Growth & Sustainability • Contribute to advocacy and departmental planning by identifying community priorities, partnership opportunities, capacity needs, and lessons from the team’s work. • Identify funding opportunities and develop project concepts, proposals, budgets, and work plans with staff and partners to sustain and expand work in line with community priorities and First Light’s capacity. • Manage assigned budgets and resources, track deliverables and partnership commitments, and ensure timely reporting to funders, partners, and leadership. • Support evaluation that considers outcomes alongside relationships, participation, learning, and community benefit.

Skills, Experience, and Requirements

First Light recognizes that knowledge and experience come in many forms, including lived experience, cultural teachings, community care, professional experience, and formal education. Equivalent combinations of education and experience will be considered. • Post-secondary education in Indigenous Studies, Communications, Education, Business, Political Science, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and relevant experience. • Strong understanding of rights, histories, cultures, and lived realities of Indigenous Peoples in Newfoundland and Labrador, including urban Indigenous communities. • Experience leading and supervising staff across complex work involving multiple projects, teams, and external partners. • Strong relationship-building, facilitation, planning, and communication skills. • Experience in Indigenous community engagement, reconciliation, public education, communications, advocacy, or related work. • Experience developing funding proposals and budgets, managing resources, and reporting results to community and funders. • Sound judgment in navigating competing priorities, sensitive relationships, and public messaging. • Proficiency with Google Workspace and virtual collaboration tools; Salesforce experience is an asset. • Access to reliable transportation. • Availability for occasional evening or weekend activities and travel.

Pay: $75,000.00-$80,000.00 per year

Benefits: • Casual dress • Company events • Dental care • On-site parking • Paid time off • RRSP match • Wellness program • Work from home

Work Location: In person