Nch’ḵay̓ was established in 2018 as the economic development arm of the Squamish Nation.  Our mandate is to develop, manage and own the active businesses of the Nation and allow for the separation of business and politics within the Squamish Nation. The name, Nch’ḵay̓ was chosen as a reference to the Great Flood – the flood that forced Squamish Nation ancestors to tie their canoes to the highest mountain in the territory, Mount Garibaldi, to survive. Our mission is to generate wealth and create prosperity from economic opportunities for current and future generations of the Squamish Nation. This role is offered to members first and the broader community if an appropriate application is unavailable. This position will mainly work out of Nch’ḵaỷ Head Office. Our Head Office is in North Vancouver, BC on the traditional, ancestral and unceded territory of the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh(Squamish) Nation and its people.

Position Status

This is a Permanent Full-time.

Scope of the Position

The Vice President of Forestry is passionate about the forest and its role in the social, environmental, and economic aspects of Nch’ḵaỷ and the Squamish Nation. The Vice President of Forestry is a Values-based leader who plays a critical role in all NDC – Forestry’s environmental performance, sustainability, safety, reforestation, and forest-based conservation initiatives. This position is critical for providing leadership on large-scale forest management issues for NDC at both the Federal and Provincial government levels and the operational performance activities.

The Vice President of Forestry will collaborate with NDC’s Leadership Team, the Squamish Nation, and other stakeholders on pertinent issues relating to forest management, sustainability, stakeholder relations, and access to fiber. Vice President of Forestry informs and advises NDC’s leadership of the impacts and opportunities of government policies and political agendas relating to forest management and engages in strategic committees related to the implementation and development of existing and planned legislation.

The Candidate

The Vice President of Forestry should:

• Be passionate about safety, ensuring the safe execution of forestry and woodland operations,
• Have outstanding environmental performance and sustainability. Looking beyond the status quo to work toward a more comprehensive land management framework that is consistent with our values and the values of our stakeholders.
• Have the utmost respect for and understanding of Indigenous Nations in Canada and the important role they play in ecosystem management.
• Have a deep understanding of the development, planning, and execution of sustainability linked directly to core certification regimes (SFI, PEFC, FSC, etc.)
• Be dedicated with an eagerness to coach and mentor staff within woodlands harvesting; road building; and programs for reforestation, silviculture, fire prevention and suppression, wildlife management, environmental protection, and insect and vegetation control.
• Work under the model of Servant Leadership to provide advice, recommendations, and other consultative services about forestry matters to employees and management.

Experience & Technical Competency

• Minimum of 10 years of senior management experience within the industry or government is required.
• Proven commitment to safety
• Working knowledge of the policy and legislative processes at the Provincial and Federal level
• University degree in Forestry or related discipline
• Actively, Registered Professional Forester (RPF) in British Columbia
• Possess an excellent understanding of technical forest management, including forest estate modeling, planning, and logging systems.
• Demonstrated communication, analytical and organizational skills.
• Excellent interpersonal, negotiation, and facilitation skills
• General knowledge of forest sector manufacturing processes and accounting practices.
• Must be able to manage multiple projects and maintain current knowledge of government policies and regulations.
• Must be detail orientated and have an aptitude for communication and writing reports.

    What You’ll Do

• Manage, coach, and see to the professional development of your team members to enhance their skill level and expertise.
• Provide expertise and guidance to the team to promote, implement and enforce best practices within the department.
• Provide forest management leadership on TFL and licenses by overseeing the quality and delivery of work on the forest management and timber development contracts by third parties.
• Support the development of 10-year forest management plans on the TFL and licenses by providing expertise on the development of wood supply model inputs, silvicultural ground rules, regeneration standards, and engagement with the Squamish Nation.
• Coordinate the planning, implementation, monitoring and reporting for all silvicultural/renewal activities, consistent with approved forest management plans, annual work schedules, annual reports, forest certification and environmental management requirements, policies, and legal obligations.
• Act as a primary liaison with the Squamish Nation regarding the development and implementation of the forest management plans, understanding Squamish values, and collaboration on various initiatives with their Rights and Title Department.
• Act as the key liaison person with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (MNRF), Squamish Nation, District of Squamish, and other key stakeholders in the development and implementation of forest management plans.
• Collaborate with Squamish Nation Rights and Title to support the implementation of the Squamish Nation forestry policy and principles, forest management plans and coordination between harvest and silviculture projects, ensuring Squamish values and community input is respected in all operations.
• Prepare and manage annual budgets and forecasts for forestry operations with the assistance of our Finance team.
• Abide by internally established control systems and authorities, lead by example, and encourage all forestry employees to act in accordance with all applicable laws, Squamish values, Nch’ḵay̓ group policies and standards, including environmental, health and safety policies.
• Manage the Forest Renewal Trust Funds by negotiating annual renewal rates, maintaining/monitoring of monthly min balances, submitting monthly reimbursement claims, and providing quarterly updates to MNRF.
• Manage the provincial road funding program in collaboration with Squamish Nation.
• Act as the Company’s representative on the Squamish Community Forest board for the cooperative Sustainable Forest License with the District of Squamish.
• Assist in the development of provincial and regional forest management and silvicultural policies, guidelines, and initiatives as our Representative on various MNRF and forest sector committees.
• Provide leadership for regulatory, third-party forest sustainability and certification audits.

What You bring

• Hold a University Degree in Forestry or a related degree.
• Have a minimum of 10 years of experience in forest management planning and silviculture, including experience in supervising teams.
• Hold a BC Registered Professional Foresters designation or be eligible to apply for RPF status within one year.
• Possess excellent spoken & written English skills.
• Have solid functional skills with GIS.
• Experience working with or alongside First Nation Governments or organizations is desirable.
• Have a valid driver’s license and the availability to travel regularly, as needed.
• Demonstrate leadership and flexibility.
• Be self-directed and demonstrate organization and planning skills.
• Communicate effectively and have the interpersonal skills to interact with diverse stakeholders.
• Act professionally, with integrity and discipline.

What We Offer

Nch’ḵay̓ builds value for our employees by providing a career where they can contribute, grow, and prosper. We offer a competitive salary based both on what you bring to the role and benchmark to market conditions. You’ll also get a competitive benefits package and be eligible to participate in our Performance bonus program.

If you are looking for a dynamic work environment, competitive employment conditions and an opportunity to test your abilities, we invite you to blend your talent with our incredible team. We are open to receiving applications from qualified candidates even if they don’t completely match the required qualifications; we look for people interested and willing to commit to Nch’ḵaỷ to learn and develop into this role.

We’re committed to an equitable team member experience, opportunity, pay and support for every employee regardless of gender identity or expression, race, ethnicity, family or marital status, religion, socio-economic status, veteran status, national origin, age, sexual orientation, education, disability, or any other characteristic that makes you unique.

Thank you in advance to those that apply. We appreciate your interest. Only the most suitable will be contacted for an interview.