Principal Advisor, Indigenous Engagement & Conservation

At Wilder Institute, we are on a journey to ensure we are practicing conservation inclusively and we are looking for an experienced professional to help us strengthen our conservation relationships with Indigenous peoples and organizations. The Wilder Institute’s Conservation & Science team is seeking a permanent full time Principal Advisor, Indigenous Engagement & Conservation who will play a central role in shaping, coordinating, and supporting the Wilder Institute’s Indigenous Engagement strategy and reconciliation efforts with First Nations, Inuit and Métis rights holders.

This position will lead the organization’s efforts to build respectful, collaborative, and lasting relationships with Indigenous communities, in collaboration with other Wilder Institute staff. This role integrates conservation priorities with Indigenous knowledge systems, ensuring that our conservation work aligns with Reconciliation and community values.

The Principle Advisor, Indigenous Engagement & Conservation will be responsible for providing strategic advice and operational guidance on Wilder Institute’s efforts to advance Indigenous engagement, including the development and execution of strategies to ensure policies, programs and standards reflect our commitments to Reconciliation and inclusive conservation. Working in close collaboration with the rest of the Conservation & Science Team and external and internal networks, this position will provide advice and guidance on Wilder Institute’s conservation activities to improve intercultural competency among employees and strengthen conservation relationships with Indigenous peoples and organizations.

Our Purpose |We act for wildlife; saving species and inspiring people to join us.

Our Core Values |Drive impact, nurture connection, cultivate hope, and be bold.

Location:

Onsite at Wilder Institute’s headquarters in Calgary, Alberta, with opportunity to work from home up to two days per week.

• Develop and maintain trusted partnerships with Indigenous governments, communities, and organizations, alongside other Wilder Institute staff.
• Strong intercultural competency and experience navigating nation-to-nation and rights-holder relationships across First Nations, Métis, and Inuit peoples
• Identify key external stakeholders for Wilder Institute to engage, consult and partner with, as part of our Reconciliation journey.

• Design and support engagement frameworks that respect and include Indigenous rights, treaties, cultural protocols, and worldviews.
• Lead the development of an Indigenous Engagement strategy in consultation with key internal parties.
• Advise and recommend pathways to progress in line with the objectives and priorities of the Indigenous Engagement strategy and assist staff on the implementation of the strategy into processes, policies and procedures, supporting in the identification of gaps and areas for improvement within our conservation activities.

• Provide expert guidance to the rest of the Conservation and Science team on Indigenous engagement, Indigenous-led conservation, and local, regional and national reconciliation initiatives to strengthen Wilder Institute’s strategies, policies and programs in its commitment to Reconciliation and inclusive conservation.
• Advise on right practice with respect to internal governance and advisory structures on Indigenous engagement and Reconciliation.
• Conduct and/or support research for benchmarking to advise on Indigenous engagement and Reconciliation best practice, standards, policies and trends in the ENGO sector.
• Provide support and advice on an as-needed basis, to the rest of the Conservation and Science team and other teams in Wilder Institute to…