Indigenous Relations Specialist (St. Thomas) - (Job Number: ST.000077)

Drive your Career!

We love our cars, but it’s the people behind them who make them what they are. To market, sell, and service great cars, we need great people.

That’s why at Volkswagen Group Canada, we are passionate about our cars and our brand and foster this same passion and drive in our people.

We know that the right people in the right positions can do incredible things, and we love making that happen.

We are currently looking for an Indigenous Relations Specialist based out of St. Thomas, ON

Our mission has started. Volkswagen Group’s largest cell factory in St. Thomas will carry out all battery activities from processing raw materials to developing a unified Volkswagen battery to managing the European and North American gigafactories.

Headquartered in Salzgitter, Germany, we are experiencing the transformation of mobility up close. Our goal is to contribute a positive impact to our global society, the environment and the economy.

To reach these goals we need your POWER!

Reporting to the Communications Manager, the Indigenous Relations Specialist will manage the organization’s approach to developing new relationships with Indigenous leaders, communities, and businesses in the region based on a mutual foundation of trust, respect, and understanding.

The Indigenous Relations Specialist will be responsible for coordinating and facilitating the full range of PowerCo SE's St.

Thomas facility's Indigenous community engagement and relationship management initiatives, including active and future projects.

The successful candidate will advise operational project teams on regulatory, planning, management, and related strategies.

In concert with the other departments at PowerCo SE's St. Thomas facility, the Indigenous Relations Specialist will also be expected to liaise with Indigenous communities and external stakeholders, regulators, government, and non-government agencies.

This position will work collaboratively with other departments within PowerCo SE and will be instrumental in advancing Indigenous relations goals.

These include Indigenous staff recruitment and retention, engagement with Indigenous communities and organizations, and strengthening internal awareness of Indigenous cultures and reconciliation.

This is a flex hybrid model, requiring 2 days per week in the St. Thomas office.

Primary Responsibilities :

• Leads internal collaboration and alignment of key internal stakeholders to implement initiatives that strengthen communication with Indigenous communities.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with local Indigenous leadership and communities.
• Participates in short and long-range planning, establishing Indigenous-related priorities and business development opportunities.
• Act as a central coordination point for navigating relationships and partnership initiatives between PowerCo and Indigenous communities and businesses.
• Engages and works with local, regional, and national leaders in Indigenous engagement to learn about strategy and practice, understand trends and developments, and how they may impact PowerCo, our partners, and customers.
• Participates in PowerCo’s Indigenous relations strategies, including identifying potential business opportunities with Indigenous groups.
• Actively represents the company in relevant meetings and events.
• Develops and implements Indigenous related participation and engagement plans, as required.
• Identifies, tracks, and monitors issues, concerns, and interests identified by Indigenous groups.
• Support PowerCo SE's St. Thomas facility's practitioners in developing effective, respectful, and sustainable relationships with Indigenous communities, organizations and businesses to foster dialogue.
• Travel within the Region will be required.
• Perform other duties as needed.

Desired Skills :

• Postsecondary Education and a proven 5+ years’ demonstrated working experience in a Business and Indigenous Community Engagement
• In-depth knowledge of the history and present-day context of Indigenous Peoples in Southern Ontario and other jurisdictions in Canada, including governments and organizations.
• Experience with Indigenous knowledge systems and worldviews.
• Demonstrated experience in Indigenous Relations development, along with strong communication and interpersonal skills and a demonstrated ability to work within a collaborative environment.
• Experience building partnerships and working with Indigenous businesses, community members, governments, and organizations.
• Ability to manage and prioritize workloads within tight timeframes.
• Strong organizational skills
• Self-starting attitude, critical thinking, intellectual curiosity, and problem-solving abilities
• empathy and curiosity, as well as ability to learn, question the world around oneself, bounce back from mistakes and stay creative.
• Must possess a high level of integrity and personal accountability.

What you’ll get in return :

• A flexible and collaborative team dynamic
• Opportunities for development
• Opportunities to participate in exciting company events that give back to the community.
• Competitive employer paid benefits and overall compensation package
• And much more!
• Please note that we appreciate the interest of all candidates, however only those under consideration will be contacted.

Volkswagen Group Canada Inc. is committed to diversity and inclusion in the workplace. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, family status, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, age, disability, or any other characteristic protected by federal, or local laws.

Volkswagen Group Canada Inc. is committed to providing accommodations for people with disabilities including during the application process.

If you require an accommodation because of a disability, we will work with you to determine what reasonable accommodation may be available to meet your needs whether it be as an applicant or an employee.

Applicants need to make their needs known in advance. If you are selected for an interview and require an accommodation, you are encouraged to advise the Recruiter who will consult with you to determine an appropriate and reasonable accommodation. #LI-Hybrid #LI-TD1

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