Director General, Indigenous Programming & Strategy

Posted: May 19, 2026 Closing date of the competition: May 31, 2026 Location: Canada Flexibility Profile: Mostly On-Site Position Status: Continuous - Full-time Position Number: 00164955 Division: National Film Board of Canada

Director General, Indigenous Programming & Strategy

The Organization

The National Film Board of Canada (NFB) has been shaping how Canadians see themselves—and each other—for more than 80 years.

As Canada’s public producer and distributor of audiovisual storytelling, the NFB occupies a unique space at the intersection of art, culture, and public service. It is both a creative engine and a national archive—home to a living collection of stories that reflect the country’s evolving identity, complexities, and truths.

With more than 14,000 works produced and thousands of awards earned globally, including multiple Academy Awards, the NFB has long been recognized for storytelling that challenges, inspires, and resonates across generations.

Through this work, the NFB has maintained an ongoing commitment to Indigenous storytelling. It has supported Indigenous voices in film and contributed to the production and distribution of works by Indigenous creators, helping to bring these stories to national and international audiences. Through its collaborations with First Nations, Inuit, and Métis filmmakers, the organization has been involved in a body of work that reflects the richness and diversity of Indigenous experiences.

Today, this commitment continues to evolve. The NFB is actively working to embed principles of reconciliation and Indigenous Narrative Sovereignty across its programming, partnerships, and institutional practices—ensuring that Indigenous stories are created, guided, and shared by Indigenous voices, on their own terms.

In doing so, the NFB is seeking to play a vital role in Canada’s creative ecosystem—supporting artists, amplifying diverse perspectives, and ensuring that the stories that shape this country remain accessible to all.

Mission & Vision

The NFB’s Vision: A Country of Contrasts United through Stories

In a land as vast and varied as Canada, stories bring us together.

The NFB’s mission is to harness the transformative power of storytelling to bridge the unique cultural, linguistic, and regional divides that exist across our country. The organization cultivates social cohesion and a shared sense of identity, where diversity is central to our heritage and celebrated as our greatest strength.

The NFB embraces the complexities of Canada, acting as a catalyst for connection and ensuring that every voice is heard and contributes to the country’s evolving cultural narrative.

The NFB envisions a future where stories serve as a unifying force that illuminates, engages, and inspires—empowering communities and enabling creative expression across a diverse and evolving nation.

Values

Respect

Respect is the foundation of the NFB’s creativity. By respecting diverse artistic visions and unique perspectives, the organization fosters a culture that celebrates collaboration and understanding.

Diversity

Diversity is a strength, reflected in both the NFB’s productions and the organization itself. The organization celebrates diversity by ensuring that it reflects the many facets of Canadian identity in all its vibrant forms.

Generosity

Generosity fuels the NFB’s mission. The organization shares resources and opportunities to empower colleagues and creative collaborators, building an inclusive creative community.

Integrity

Integrity guides the NFB in creating a legacy of authenticity and truth. The organization ensures that its work is rooted in honesty, transparency, and a commitment to excellence.

Courage and Empowerment

Courage drives the NFB to push boundaries and explore new frontiers. Empowerment is at the core of its work as collaborators, as individuals uplift one another and move forward together.

To learn more about the National Film Board of Canada, please

Strategic Plan

The NFB’s 2025–2028 Strategic Plan is intended to renew the organization for future generations while reaffirming its public mandate: to promote, preserve, and reflect the Canadian sense of self and to serve as a galvanizing force for Canada’s creative community. The Plan is structured around four strategic priorities:

• Shape the NFB for next generations – Enlist emerging storytellers, engage new audiences, and renew the organization to ensure long‑term relevance and sustainability.
• Foster a culture of creativity and innovation – Empower artists to push creative boundaries across formats, technologies, and storytelling approaches.
• Elevate awareness of the NFB and esteem for the organization – Strengthen public recognition of the NFB’s cultural value and national role.
• Expand and understand NFB audiences – Build deeper audience insight to evolve programming, platforms, and engagement.

To read the strategic plan, visit Action Plan

Guided by the recommendations of Canada’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission, and developed in collaboration with an Indigenous advisory group, the contains 33 commitments.

The Opportunity

This is a newly created leadership role within the NFB, informed by the insights, perspectives, and experiences of Indigenous staff, non-Indigenous colleagues, and Executive leadership. It reflects a clear organizational priority: to strengthen Indigenous leadership at the decision-making table and to support the organization’s ongoing evolution and renewal.

As Director General, Indigenous Programming & Strategy, the successful candidate will play a central role in guiding how Indigenous stories are supported, governed, and shared. Reporting to the Chairperson and Government Film Commissioner and serving as a member of the Executive Committee, this role carries both influence and responsibility.

At its core, this position is about creating the conditions for Indigenous storytelling to be led, governed, and supported in ways that respect Indigenous rights, protocols, and self-determination, while ensuring that Indigenous Narrative Sovereignty is not only upheld in principle, but embedded in practice across programming, partnerships, and institutional decision-making.

This role requires a leader who is able to build trust with Indigenous communities and creators, while also shaping strategy and influencing systems from within. It offers the opportunity to guide the evolution of Indigenous programming at the NFB and to help define what meaningful, culturally grounded leadership looks like within a dynamic public and cultural organization.

More than a role, this is an opportunity to contribute to transformation—ensuring that Indigenous voices help shape not only the stories being told, but the structures through which they are told.

Key Responsibilities

Indigenous Programming and Production

• Provides executive oversight and strategic direction for Indigenous-led filmmaking initiatives at the NFB.
• Works in close collaboration with the Director General, Programming and Production, and the Director General, Programming and Audience Development, to support integrated approaches to Indigenous programming, production, marketing, and audience engagement.
• Establishes and oversees culturally grounded approval and decision-making processes aligned with Indigenous governance principles.
• Engages with the Indigenous filmmaking community to build relationships and ensures their feedback is incorporated into programming and production frameworks.
• Collaborates with legal team to ensure that the NFB’s contractual and legal obligations regarding Indigenous Sovereignty rights are fulfilled and that they adhere to appropriate cultural protocols.
• Partners with Indigenous and non-Indigenous producers and staff to design strategies suited to the specific needs of each production and its regional or local context.
• Works with external partners on special projects and initiatives that maximize opportunities for NFB Indigenous programming and productions.

Institutional Strategy and Leadership

• Leads the development and implementation of a comprehensive Indigenous Strategy to operationalize and embed the NFB’s Indigenous commitments organization wide.
• Oversees the tracking and reporting of Indigenous Strategy initiatives; provides timely updates to the Chairperson and Government Film Commissioner and Executive Committee, and prepares stakeholder reports for community, government and industry partners.
• Acts as a cultural and ethical advisor to executive leadership; promotes trauma-informed and inclusive approaches to decision making that centre learning and cultural safety.
• Partners with People and Culture team teams to strengthen recruitment, retention, promotion and learning systems that advance Indigenous staff safety and success.
• Collaborates with Finance and Procurement teams to support the achievement of the NFB’s Indigenous procurement targets and ensure compliance with Government of Canada requirements.
• Supports the growth of Indigenous staff and filmmakers through mentorship and contributes to building a strong, enduring network of Indigenous leadership at the NFB.
• Promotes approaches that strengthen meaningful connection, collaboration, and shared understanding between Indigenous staff, leadership, and teams across the organization, while respecting distinctions-based perspectives and cultural safety.

Community and Distinctions-Based Engagement

• Supports and guides the development of strong relationships with Indigenous communities, organizations, and leaders, while serving as a key point of contact to ensure alignment with Indigenous priorities.
• Advances distinctions-based approaches that respect the unique governance, cultural and storytelling needs of First Nations, Inuit and Métis communities.
• Represents the NFB in national and international partnerships and develops relationships with Indigenous cultural organizations and funding agencies to support collaborative initiatives.

The Candidate

The NFB is seeking a leader who understands that storytelling is not just creative—it is cultural, relational, and deeply connected to identity.

The ideal candidate brings experience within Indigenous storytelling, media, or cultural sectors, alongside a strong understanding of governance and institutional environments. They are both strategic and grounded—able to navigate complexity while remaining accountable to community, culture, and relationships.

They are a trusted collaborator and thoughtful decision-maker, someone who leads with integrity, humility, and clarity. They are comfortable operating in spaces where expectations are high and accountability is shared, and they bring the judgement needed to balance creative, cultural, and organizational priorities.

Above all, they are motivated by purpose. They believe in the power of stories to connect and transform, and they are committed to ensuring that Indigenous voices are not only included—but centred, respected, and supported within a national institution.

Qualifications, Skills, and Abilities

• Creativity, judgement, adaptability, and autonomy, with a strong orientation toward collaboration;
• Strong analytical and strategic thinking skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities in a structured and disciplined manner;
• Ability to manage pressure and navigate sensitive, high-accountability contexts involving public institutions and Indigenous communities;
• Ability to synthesize complex cultural, governance, and organizational issues and support executive decision-making with clarity;
• Ability to build, lead, and inspire high-performing teams and foster the development of Indigenous and non-Indigenous talent;
• Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to exercise unifying, respectful, and culturally grounded leadership;
• Strong understanding of Indigenous governance systems, distinctions-based approaches (First Nations, Inuit, Métis), and community-based storytelling protocols;
• Ability to assess risk and accountability considerations related to Indigenous storytelling, governance, and institutional decision-making;
• Proficiency in office software (MS Office – Outlook, Word, Excel) and collaboration tools;
• Proficiency in English is required; fluency in or familiarity with an Indigenous language is a strong asset;
• Proficiency in French is desired; successful candidates who are not yet proficient will need to undertake French-language training;
• Willingness and ability to travel nationally to support leadership and community engagement responsibilities.

Education

• Lived experience and community-based expertise are recognized as equivalent to a formal educational background.

Experience

• Minimum of 10 years of senior leadership experience in Indigenous media, ideally including documentary or audiovisual production, governance, or cultural strategy in a complex organizational environment;
• Demonstrated ability to operate within public sector, Crown corporation, or federally regulated environments, including understanding of accountability, reporting, and governance requirements;
• Experience leading institutional strategy, change management initiatives, budgeting, team development, and cross-functional project delivery;
• Experience working with legal, policy, and contractual frameworks to ensure ethical, culturally appropriate, and rights-based practices.

Flexible Work Location & Travel

This position offers a flexible remote work arrangement, allowing candidates to be based anywhere in Canada.

The role includes regular travel to support national engagement activities, community relationships, and industry events, as well as periodic in-person presence at the head office of the National Film Board of Canada in Montreal. This structure supports meaningful connection across communities while maintaining strong alignment with the organization’s central operations.

The Application Process

To apply, please submit a cover letter and resume in PDF format to Pathways Executive Search outlining your interest, qualifications, and experience.

Email: , please include National Film Board of Canada in the subject line.

For more details or to further explore this important strategic leadership opportunity, please contact:

Joy Beshie • Principal

Pathways Executive Search

Telephone: 613-296-2315

Meaghen Fillion • Consultant (Bilingual)

Pathways Executive Search

Telephone: 204-292-8937

Pathways Executive Search is an international executive recruitment firm, known for its ability to attract and recruit talent in culturally grounded ways. Guided by Indigenous values and principles of Indigenous inclusion, Pathways walks with those looking to broaden candidate pools, find qualified and experienced candidates, and live out their values and commitment to creating workplace cultures where people can thrive.