CEO; Executive Lead

About BC First Nations Justice Council

The BC First Nations Justice Council (BCFNJC) represents First Nations in BC on justice-related issues to bring about transformative change to the legal system. Created in 2015 by the BC Assembly of First Nations, the First Nations Summit and the Union of BC Indian Chiefs, the Council has a clear mandate to challenge approaches that contribute to the growing over-representation of First Nations children and youth in the care of government and First Nations men and women in incarceration, and to productively engage with government to advance strategies that achieve better outcomes for Indigenous people in the justice system.

The BCFNJC works with First Nations to support their self-determination over justice and to advance justice system reform for all Indigenous Peoples. It provides free legal services and support to help Indigenous people in BC navigate the justice system with respect and understanding. Through the BC First Nations Justice Strategy, signed in 2020, the Council upholds self-determination, reclaims legal traditions and addresses systemic injustice to support the well‑being of future generations.

We are seeking a Chief Executive Officer (Executive Lead) to provide the strategic leadership that carries our mission forward. Reporting to the Justice Council, you will serve as our senior ambassador and advocate, cultivating respectful relationships with First Nation communities, partners, funders, and governments while ensuring alignment with Indigenous governance, laws, and protocols. You will work in close partnership and collaboration with the Chief Operating Officer (Operations Lead), each role reinforcing the other so you can lead confidently externally while trusting that internal operations are well managed.

This role calls for a leader distinguished by integrity and honesty, one who makes principled decisions and stands behind them, and who is committed to the work itself rather than the title, bringing the resilience to guide the organization through change. Above all, you will understand that transforming the lives of our most vulnerable peoples is the priority, carried out through trauma‑informed practice, emotional intelligence, and a thoughtful balance of compassion and accountability.

As the CEO, you will be responsible for these key functions:

• Develop and implement both short and long‑term strategic and tactical plans in accordance with organization goals and objectives.
• Regularly report, accurately and as needed, to the Justice Council on the organization’s status against, and ability to meet, its strategic and operational objectives.
• Provide effective direction, leadership, and support for direct reports, in a culturally appropriate, healing‑centered and resilience‑building manner.

• Build and maintain positive relationships with funders, partners, and community.
• Lead respectful, strategic engagement with First Nations’ leadership and representative bodies, including the First Nations Leadership Council as well as the Assembly of First Nations at the national level, the Indigenous Justice Secretariat, federal, provincial, and municipal governments, justice‑sector partners, Indigenous organizations, and the 204 First Nations communities across British Columbia, and other Indigenous organizations.
• Create a streamlined process for Council‑member engagement that is organized, efficient, effective, and tied to the overall strategy of BCFNJC.

• Work in tandem with the Finance Lead in managing project budgets, forecasts, and long‑term financial plans; ensure corporate adherence to annual budgets.
• Diversify BCFNJC’s funding base.
• Help determine resource allocation among business units and/or departments.

• Provide executive oversight of the organization’s operating model, leadership structure, and internal accountability systems, with day‑to‑day operational leadership delegated to the Operations Lead, the internally focused executive…