With the appointment of a new Chair and two Commissioners, the hiring of a new Executive Director and the establishment of a centralized headquarters in Winnipeg, MB, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) is moving forward to fulfill its mandate. The primary goals of the TRC over the next five years are to acknowledge the Indian Residential School (IRS) experience, impacts and consequences; promote awareness and public education about the IRS and its impacts and legacy; provide a holistic, culturally appropriate and safe setting for former students, their families and communities as they come forward to the TRC; create and foster understanding, healing and reconciliation through national and community events as well as statement-taking; and the establishment of a permanent National Research Centre.
As members of the TRC Executive Management Committee, reporting to the Executive Director, our client is seeking key individuals for these newly created Director roles:
Director of Research, Historical Record and Report Preparation: This role will appeal to an academic professional with expert knowledge in the area of IRS who will develop and implement the policies, quality standards, frameworks and guidelines for the drafting of the TRC's reports. She/he will be responsible for all of the logistics of report publication, development and implementation of a National Research Program, and will oversee all research projects and contracts, establishment of a comprehensive electronic database/information management system, and the creation of an extensive historical record of the IRS system and its legacy for future preservation, study and reference.
Director of Statement Gathering and National Research Centre: This opportunity will appeal to an oral historian with a proven ability to foster environments where people feel safe and comfortable to share sensitive and highly emotional stories. She/he will be responsible for all aspects of the statement-taking processes undertaken by the TRC including the development and direction of a national strategy that will ensure statement takers are respectfully trained in a variety of methodologies and that several appropriate options are made available to those who wish to share their stories. With approximately 85,000 IRS survivors, the successful candidate will be responsible for ensuring operational frameworks across the regions which will reach out to all survivors, their families and impacted communities as well as former IRS staff, government and church officials. This Director is responsible for the overall planning and establishment of a National Research Centre.
Director of Events Planning and Artistic Programming: This opportunity will appeal to an energetic event planner with a reputation for planning and delivering powerful, well organized, and culturally appropriate large-scale national events which are described as nothing less than "world class". Accountable for overseeing all aspects of the National events put on by the Commission, this role also will oversee developing and implementing an artistic component. While this Director's focus is on large-scale national events, they will also be involved in planning and logistics for community events where TRC Commissioners are involved.
Director of Communications and Community Liaison: This position will appeal to an individual who has a strong ability to build and maintain close relationships with media, public stakeholders, and Aboriginal communities and organizations and who has demonstrated abilities to navigate effectively in highly sensitive and political situations. The successful candidate will be responsible for developing vibrant, creative, and cost effective communication strategies to raise the understanding and awareness of the TRC to achieve its mandate utilizing innovative mediums such as Web 2.0, webcasting and multi-media applications as well as traditional means of communications.
For complete position profiles of each of these roles please visit our website at www.higginsinc.com
Comprehensive compensation packages with benefits and relocation are offered for these roles located in Winnipeg, Manitoba. If you have any questions, please contact Brenda LaRose directly by Phone: (204) 257-9929, Fax (204) 257-9707 or via Email bhiggins@higginsinc.com. Deadline for applications is December 13th 2009.