Senior Socio-Economic Consultant, Indigenous Relations

About the Position

Senior Socio‑Economic Consultant – Indigenous Relations. 10‑15+years of experience in Indigenous relations, consultation or engagement, with experience in Impact Assessment an asset. Professional bilingualism in French and English (written and oral) is a strong asset. Must reside in Quebec (Montreal or Quebec City) or Toronto and Eastern Ontario. Avaanz is now part of SLR Consulting (Canada) Ltd., bringing together specialized socio‑economic and Indigenous relations expertise with SLR’s global technical capabilities in ecology, water, geotechnical, and power engineering.

As a senior practitioner, you will play a critical role on a major infrastructure program, leading large, multi‑community engagement portfolios across crown corporation and private proponent environments. You will be part of a matrix team, working closely with project directors, technical experts and client Indigenous relations teams.

• Design, manage and implement Indigenous consultation and engagement strategies that align with regulatory requirements, client mandates and reconciliation principles.
• Co‑lead structured engagement programs involving multiple Indigenous Nations in Quebec and Ontario, guiding coordinators and consultants responsible for planning, logistics and documentation.
• Oversee workplans, schedules and deliverables, ensuring consistency with client‑style governance and reporting frameworks, with special attention to the analysis and reporting requirements of an Impact Assessment Act‑governed project.
• Lead facilitation and support of client meetings with Chiefs and Councils, leadership, staff, Elders and community members (in‑person and virtual).
• Build and maintain trusted, long‑term relationships with Indigenous partners.
• Lead and support initiatives related to employment, procurement, business development and capacity funding.
• Lead and support the negotiation, tracking and implementation of relationship agreements, MOUs, protocols, and capacity funding arrangements.
• Lead and support the development of socio‑economic benefit agreements.
• Provide oversight and, as needed, develop systems to provide clients with consultation records, engagement summaries and regulatory documentation for internal and client review.

Travel to Indigenous communities and project meetings as required (typically monthly, up to four times a month in busy engagement windows). Primarily within Quebec and Ontario.

Competitive total compensation package, including comprehensive benefits, vacation and a suite of wellness initiatives.

Salary range: $110,000 – $150,000. Final agreed compensation will be commensurate with education, designation, experience, parity and location.

• 10‑15+years of experience in Indigenous relations, consultation or engagement; experience in Impact Assessment an asset.
• Professional bilingualism in French and English (written and oral).
• Must reside in Quebec or within reasonable commuting distance of the Quebec border.
• Demonstrated experience with Indigenous and Crown consultation processes.
• Major projects engagement and/or consultation experience.
• Proven ability to lead multi‑stakeholder teams and coordinate technical specialists, regulators and community representatives.
• Strong facilitation, relationship‑building and field engagement experience.

• Large infrastructure and/or linear projects with a focus on regulatory processes.
• Strong relationship‑building experience with First Nations.
• Experience working in crown corporation project environments.
• Familiarity with engagement management platforms (e.g., Borealis).
• Post‑secondary education in Indigenous studies, social sciences, environmental planning or a related discipline.

Must reside in Quebec (Montreal or Quebec City) or within reasonable commuting distance of the Quebec border, or in Toronto and Eastern Ontario.

SLR strives to build diverse teams that reflect the communities we work in, and encourages applications from traditionally underrepresented groups including women, visible minorities, Indigenous peoples, people identifying as 2

SLGBTQ…