Director, Rights & Title

Position Title: DIRECTOR, RIGHTS & TITLE

Position Type: Full-Time

Reports to: Executive Director, Territory & Culture

Supervision of: Manager, Intergovernmental Affairs
Manager, Lands
Manager, Membership

Job Overview

Reporting to the Executive Director, Territory & Culture, the Director, Rights & Title is the senior administrative leader responsible for advancing and protecting Haisla Nation rights, title, territorial interests, and governance priorities through strategic leadership, policy development, intergovernmental engagement, and portfolio oversight.

The Director translates Council direction and Haisla Nation priorities into coordinated strategies for consultation, negotiations, territorial planning, land governance, intergovernmental relations, membership governance, and protection of Haisla interests across traditional territory and reserve lands.

Working with Council, executive leadership, legal and technical advisors, members, Elders, Crown governments, neighbouring Nations, industry, regulators, and partners, the Director ensures Haisla Nation is represented in accordance with Haisla values, laws, culture, and Nation-building objectives.

The Director provides strategic leadership and executive oversight to the Manager, Intergovernmental Affairs; Manager, Lands; and Manager, Membership, ensuring clear accountability, sound systems, financial stewardship, and coordination across the Territory & Culture division.

Organizational Status

The Haisla Nation is the band government of the Haisla people. Our mission is to build a powerful, prosperous and proud community, healthy in mind, body and spirit. Haisla Nation represents approximately 2,000 members, with approximately 700 residing in Kitamaat Village. We have lived on our traditional lands and waters for thousands of years, and they remain central to our work.

Duties & Responsibilities

Strategic Rights & Title Leadership:

• Develop, implement, and regularly review a Rights & Title strategy aligned with Council priorities, the Haisla Nation strategic plan, and the protection and advancement of Haisla sovereignty, jurisdiction, rights, title, and territorial interests.
• Advance Haisla Nation’s exercise of inherent rights, title, jurisdiction, and self-determination by aligning organizational strategies, negotiations, and governance initiatives with Council direction and long-term Nation-building objectives.
• Provide strategic analysis, briefing materials, recommendations, and decision support to the Executive Director, executive leadership, and Council, informed by Haisla values, community priorities, evidence, technical expertise, and appropriate legal guidance.
• Identify emerging risks, opportunities, legal or policy developments, and major project issues and coordinate appropriate organizational responses, governance processes, and escalation for high-risk or precedent-setting files.

Consultation, Negotiations & Major Projects:

• Lead the Nation’s strategic approach to consultation and engagement where Haisla rights, title, territory, or jurisdiction may be affected.
• Provide strategic direction, priorities, and escalation support to the Intergovernmental Affairs team regarding consultation, negotiations, government relations, regulatory engagement, territorial planning, archaeology, and other Rights & Title initiatives.
• Establish negotiation mandates, strategic objectives, approval pathways, and reporting frameworks for significant Rights & Title files before external commitments are advanced, within delegated authority and Council direction.
• Coordinate legal counsel, technical advisors, consultants, and internal experts to ensure negotiations and consultation responses are timely, evidence-based, consistent, and strategically aligned.
• Ensure commitments, agreements, consultation records, and follow-up obligations are documented and tracked, and represent Haisla Nation or support Council and executive leadership at high-level negotiations, regulatory processes, and intergovernmental forums as assigned.

Intergovernmental Relations & Territorial Governance:

• Lead and strengthen government-to-government relationships with neighbouring First Nations, Indigenous governments, Canada, British Columbia, municipalities, and regional bodies in support of Haisla sovereignty, territorial interests, and collaborative governance.
• Coordinate strategic policy engagement and governance frameworks, protocols, agreements, and procedures that strengthen Haisla Nation’s ability to exercise and protect its interests.
• Oversee territorial planning and related research, mapping, archaeology, traditional-use, and Rights & Title information required for informed decision-making, negotiations, and advocacy.

Lands & Land Code Governance Oversight:

• Provide strategic leadership and executive oversight to the Manager, Lands, ensuring reserve land administration complies with the Haisla Land Code, applicable Haisla laws and policies, approved land use plans, and Council direction.
• Provide executive oversight for significant land governance matters requiring escalation, including precedent-setting transactions, boundary issues, major development proposals, enforcement policy, and strategic Land Code implementation.
• Support strategic policy and governance direction for land use planning, land laws, bylaws, development frameworks, and enforcement priorities while maintaining clear delegation of day-to-day operational land administration to the Manager, Lands.
• Ensure land administration is coordinated with broader Rights & Title, territorial planning, consultation, infrastructure, environmental, servicing, resource, and regulatory considerations.

Membership & Governance Administration:

• Provide executive oversight to the Manager, Membership to ensure membership administration, governance records, applications, correspondence, reporting, and member services are delivered consistently, respectfully, confidentially, and in accordance with Haisla laws, policies, and Council direction.
• Ensure effective systems for membership records, Archives & Records, service delivery, privacy, preservation, authorized access, and escalation of complex or sensitive matters.
• Ensure membership, governance, historical, archival, and Rights & Title information is governed in accordance with Haisla Nation confidentiality requirements, records policies, Indigenous data governance principles, and authorized access protocols.
• Identify opportunities to improve service standards, records systems, digital tools, and administrative processes supporting membership and governance.

Program, Financial & Risk Management:

• Develop and oversee operating plans, budgets, forecasts, contracts, grants, consulting expenditures, and funding relationships, ensuring responsible stewardship of Nation resources and compliance with organizational policies.
• Establish and monitor portfolio performance measures, strategic work plans, major file reporting, risk registers, workload priorities, service standards, and organizational deliverables, taking corrective action and escalating material issues where appropriate.
• Ensure appropriate policies, procedures, records, internal controls, and accountability systems are maintained across portfolio activities.

People Leadership:

• Lead, coach, and support the Manager, Intergovernmental Affairs; Manager, Lands; and Manager, Membership, establishing clear accountabilities, priorities, service expectations, and performance measures.
• Build a respectful, collaborative, high-performing departmental culture grounded in Haisla values, accountability, professionalism, confidentiality, and service to members.
• Ensure managers and staff receive appropriate training, tools, performance management, workforce planning, technical support, and professional development.
• Foster succession planning and Nation capacity-building by supporting the professional growth of Haisla staff and development of internal leadership within the Rights & Title portfolio.
• Promote effective communication and coordination across teams so information, commitments, and decisions are shared appropriately.

Community, Council & Partnership Engagement:

• Support meaningful, accessible, and culturally appropriate engagement with Haisla members, Elders, knowledge holders, and community leadership on Rights & Title, land governance, territorial planning, membership, and other portfolio matters in accordance with file requirements and Council direction.
• Maintain productive relationships with governments, neighbouring Nations, regulators, industry, legal counsel, technical consultants, funders, and other partners while representing Haisla interests and approved mandates.
• Collaborate with the Directors of Stewardship & Natural Resources and Culture & Heritage to ensure environmental, cultural, language, heritage, archaeology, traditional knowledge, and Elders knowledge are appropriately considered where matters overlap.

Role Boundaries & Cross-Departmental Interfaces:

The Director, Rights & Title provides strategic leadership and portfolio oversight. To maintain clear accountability, delegated authority, and collaboration across the Territory & Culture division, the following role boundaries apply:

• The Manager, Lands is responsible for day-to-day Land Code administration, land registry, permitting, development approvals, and operational land compliance. The Director provides strategic oversight, escalation support, and alignment with broader Rights & Title and governance priorities.
• The Director, Stewardship & Natural Resources leads stewardship, fisheries, Guardian Watchmen, natural resource management, environmental protection, restoration, and climate programming. The Director, Rights & Title collaborates where these matters intersect with consultation, territorial interests, land governance, or negotiations.
• The Director, Culture & Heritage leads Culture & Language and Elders Services. The Director, Rights & Title collaborates where heritage, archaeology, traditional knowledge, language, or Elders knowledge is relevant to Rights & Title, land use, consultation, or territorial planning.
• The Director does not replace Council’s governance authority, legal counsel’s independent professional responsibilities, or managers’ delegated operational authority. Material commitments, binding agreements, litigation positions, treaty mandates, and precedent-setting decisions must proceed through the appropriate Haisla Nation approval authority.

Skills & Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Indigenous governance, law, public administration, political science, land or resource management, planning, or a related discipline. A Juris Doctor, master’s degree, or equivalent combination of advanced education and directly relevant leadership experience is an asset.
• Seven (7) to ten (10)+ years of progressively responsible leadership experience in Indigenous government, Rights & Title, land governance, government relations, consultation, negotiations, or closely related fields.
• Demonstrated experience representing or advising a First Nation or Indigenous government on complex consultation, negotiation, land, territorial, governance, or government-relations matters.
• Direct employment with, or senior strategic service to, a First Nation, Indigenous government, treaty organization, or Indigenous political organization is strongly preferred.
• Experience leading multidisciplinary teams and coordinating legal counsel, technical specialists, consultants, and internal programs.
• Working knowledge of Aboriginal and treaty rights, Indigenous title, consultation and accommodation, UNDRIP, BC DRIPA, the First Nations Land Management Framework, and relevant federal and provincial regulatory processes.
• Demonstrated political acuity in relationships involving Chief and Council, neighbouring Nations, Crown governments, regulators, industry, legal counsel, and community interests, with diplomacy, integrity, and confidentiality.
• Commitment to Indigenous governance, Nation-building, community accountability, and culturally grounded decision-making.
• Strong strategic, negotiation, facilitation, conflict resolution, analytical, and decision-making skills, with sound judgment in politically sensitive matters.
• Strong financial and people leadership skills across budgets, contracts, funding agreements, performance management, succession, and team development.
• Excellent organizational, interpersonal, written, verbal, presentation, and briefing skills, including managing competing priorities and confidential information.
• Ability and willingness to travel in Haisla traditional territory and attend meetings outside regular business hours when required.
• Satisfactory completion of a criminal records check.

Why Join Us?

We are proud to offer a supportive and inclusive work environment where your contributions make a meaningful impact. In addition to a competitive salary, we offer a comprehensive benefits package, including:

• Extended health and dental coverage
• Pension matching up to 5.5%
• 10 days of standard vacation
• 5 days of paid self-care days
• 10 days of paid sick leave
• 10 paid days during the Christmas office closure
• 5 days of other leave for personal matters (e.g., medical appointments or household emergencies)
• Professional development and training opportunities
• Employee assistance program (EAP)
• Cultural leave and wellness initiatives

Salary Range: $109,000.00 - $128,000.00 annually

Position Type: Full-time, permanent

Closing Date: Will remain open until the position is filled.

While we sincerely appreciate all applications, only those candidates selected for an interview will be contacted.