Indigenous Partnerships Program Manager

Program: Maajii-akii-gikenjigewin Field Crew Program and future Indigenous programming

Location: Duluth, MN

Salary: $63,000 – $65,000

Schedule: Full-time, exempt; Monday-Thursday, 7:00 AM – 5:30 PM

Benefits: Health and dental insurance, paid time off, 401(k) Safe Harbor retirement saving plan

Conservation Corps Minnesota & Iowa (CCMI) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and AmeriCorps grantee that engages hundreds of youth and young adults each year in programs and initiatives that improve access to outdoor recreation, restore natural habitat, protect waterways, and respond to community needs and natural disasters. Our mission is to engage youth and young adults in meaningful service, leadership development, and environmental stewardship. Our vision is a world in which everyone has equitable access to nature, is equipped to succeed in career and life, and is empowered to make a difference in conserving natural resources. Learn more at conservationcorps.org. 

Our values embody safety, service, respect, equity, and community. In working toward our vision, we believe that it is important we commit to the following:

• Using equity as a lens for the work we do and decisions we make
• Building a shared vision surrounding Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion goals with our partnering organizations and communities, and
• Providing an equitable training environment and high-quality programming to all our participants.

Read our full Justice, Equity, Diversity, & Inclusion statement online at: conservationcorps.org/about/jedi/.

Position Summary:

The Indigenous Partnerships Program Manager is responsible for all aspects of CCMI programming occurring in partnership with Indigenous Communities and/or Native-led organizations. This is a new staff position and intended to foster new partnerships and programming and as such will by its nature evolve in both position responsibilities and number of staff. This currently includes managing operations for the Maajii-akii-gikenjigewin (Starting out in Earth Conservation) field crew program, which is dedicated to FDL resource management division projects and seeks to provide stewardship, environmental education, and workforce development opportunities for Indigenous young adults. Duties for the Maajii-akii-gikenjigewin program consists of program outreach and development, 

program planning, mentorship and support of corpsmembers, work project management, and relationship building. The Indigenous Partnerships Program Manager will also work to foster relationships and build programming with other interested Tribal Nations and Indigenous-led organizations, as per their specific community’s needs and vision in relation to land stewardship and workforce development. The Indigenous Partnerships Program Manager supervises and delegates responsibility for various duties to the Maajii-akii-gikenjigewin Program Coordinator.

Relationships: The Indigenous Partnerships Manager reports directly to the Field Crews Program Director, supervises the Maajii-akii-gikenjigewin Program Coordinator, communicates directly with FDL Resource Management staff, and oversees all Maajii-akii-gikenjigewin corpsmembers.

Key Responsibilities:

• Plan, administer and promote all aspects of Indigenous Partnerships within the region for AmeriCorps members.
• Collaborate and partner with the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa and other Ojibwe Bands and Indigenous Communities to design, implement, and administrate culturally relevant Indigenous program offerings focused on environmental stewardship and education
• Recruit, interview, select, train, assign, evaluate and manage performance of AmeriCorps members.
• Train and supervise Maajii-akii-gikenjigewin Program Coordinator to effectively manage program workload.
• Design and execute educational, technical, and safety trainings responsive to the needs of corpsmembers.
• Sound judgment and ability to respond competently to unforeseeable situations associated with managing staff and AmericCorps members, while appropriately navigating different cultural realities.
• Building and maintaining reciprocal relationships with Tribal Nations and Native-led organizations to support environmental education, stewardship efforts, and workforce development opportunities for Indigenous young adults
• Consult and communicate with the AmeriCorps Field Programs Director on planning, personnel, project budgets, grants, program status, equipment, and other infrastructure or cultural support needs.
• Manage program evaluations and implement changes to continuously improve operations.
• Contribute to and complete program and grant reports as necessary.

Training

• Oversee AmeriCorps member development to ensure that corpsmembers achieve personal and program success through the principles of teamwork and service-learning.
• Develop a training plan for Indigenous programming staff and AmeriCorps members and communicate timeline and curriculum.
• Support Maajii-akii-gikenjigewin Program Coordinator to develop, provide, and coordinate required trainings such as defensive driving, vehicle operation and maintenance, tool and equipment use and safety, herbicide application, prescribed burning/wildland fire, tree ID, and on-the-job trainings for crews starting new jobs or using specialized tools.
• Support the Maajii-akii-gikenjigewin Program Coordinator in developing and coordinating regional training events and education days.
• Help coordinate and actively participate in program-wide crew member & crew leader trainings.
• Safety
• Conduct safety reviews and post-incident investigations to mitigate risk exposure of the Corps.
• Clear Americorps members for service after reviewing medical history forms at term start.
• Manage return to work following injury/medical leave.
• Assist in developing new or improved safety trainings, presentations, manuals, etc.

Crew Operations/Supervision

• Assist with regional AmeriCorps member recruitment and conduct interviews, hiring/exit paperwork, and orientations/end term events.
• Utilize active conflict resolution and restorative justice practices to address crew challenges and conflicts as they arise. in accordance with AmeriCorps and Corps policy and in partnership with the AmeriCorps Field Programs Director and/or Human Resources as needed.
• Spend time directly with crews in the field (includes trainings, site safety visits and working with crews).
• Plan, coordinate, and facilitate professional and personal development opportunities in order to increase corpsmembers’ access to employment and secondary education opportunities upon completion of the program.
• Supporting Relationships and New Initiatives
• Complete Financial and Performance Reports for Tribal partners as needed.
• Help develop and support new programming and initiatives with current and future Indigenous communities and Native-led organizations
• Meet with Tribal partners on a consistent basis to discuss and evaluate programmatic challenges and strengths, in order to ensure programming continues to align with community needs and vision
• Attend important community and cultural events hosted by Tribal partners
• Track budgets and write up reports for grants that support on-the-ground Indigenous programming
• Identify and apply for funding that supports current Indigenous programming and new initiatives

Administration

• Review, sign, and submit all vehicle/employee accident reports and workers compensation reports, and staff timesheets, expense reports, time off logs, receipts, and monthly credit card logs as required.
• Attend and actively participate in staff meetings and conference calls.

Qualifications:

• Supervisory and leadership experience and ability to effectively interact with young adults from diverse cultural, socioeconomic, and ethnic backgrounds.
• Demonstrated experience in coordinating and facilitating programming and training within or across large organizations.
• Working knowledge of conservation project management and the values and concepts related to Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) and Tribal Sovereignty
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Minimum of 2 years of experience working with Indigenous communities
• Ability to work well with minimal supervision, multi-task, and be flexible in responsibilities.
• Valid driver’s license and good driving record.
• Familiarity with AmeriCorps programming
• Proven ability to work effectively with, interact and communicate with individuals, teams, and partners coming from diverse backgrounds and communities
• Ability to utilize a Trauma-informed perspective, that takes into account the historical and current day realities of colonization for Indigenous corpsmembers and their communities, while respecting and recognizing the inherent strengths of their cultures and lifeways

Freedom to Act: This employee has the authority to direct and administer field activities. Activities are subject to established policies and directives of State and Federal laws.

While this position description describes the general nature and level of work being performed, it is not an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, and skills required. All positions at the Corps may require duties outside of normal responsibilities.

CCMI is an Equal Opportunity Employer and is committed to creating an inclusive environment that values the diversity of its staff and members. Employment decisions with CCMI will be based on merit, qualifications, and abilities. CCMI does not discriminate in employment opportunities or practices based on race, color, creed, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, military service, union membership, marital status, familial status, sexual orientation, gender identity, status with regards to public assistance, genetic information or any other characteristic protected by law.

Women, minorities, and people with disabilities are strongly encouraged to apply.