Community Welcome Navigator

First Voice NL; San Juan de Terranova; Hybrid; CAD 42,000 - 52,000; Full time

Job summary

First Light is an Indigenous non-profit organization serving the urban Indigenous community in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador.

The Community Welcome Navigator role focuses on creating a safe, welcoming space, providing trauma-informed triage, and connecting people to First Light programs and external services. You will document inquiries, support planning, and collaborate with staff to ensure culturally grounded, low-barrier reception and service navigation at First Light’s Community

Qualifications

• Experience in community service, outreach, navigation, reception, crisis support, or related work.
• Knowledge of Indigenous histories and urban Indigenous communities is an asset.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality, appropriate boundaries, and follow-through.

Responsibilities

• Provide a warm, respectful, culturally grounded welcome to community members and visitors.
• Respond to in-person and telephone inquiries with patience and cultural humility.
• Maintain a welcoming Community Gathering Space and coordinate front-line responses.
• Build relationships with community members, including hesitant individuals.
• Document inquiries, referrals, and supports for planning and advocacy.
• Coordinate warm handoffs to staff or external service providers with appropriate confidentiality.
• Support reception coverage and contribute to low-barrier practices.

Skills

Relationship building

Active listening

Confidentiality

Crisis de-escalation

Calm under pressure

Cultural humility

Education

Relevant education/training

Job description

First Light is an Indigenous non-profit organization that delivers transformative programs and services that empower, uplift, and support the urban Indigenous community in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador. Our work spans health; housing, justice, and social supports; early learning and childcare; and arts and recreation. We walk alongside our community to foster inclusive environments that unite Indigenous and non‑Indigenous peoples, promote social well‑being, and drive sustainable change.

The Community Welcome Navigator serves as the primary relational and cultural point of welcome at First Light’s Headquarters. Working from the Community Gathering Space, the Navigator creates a safe, respectful, and welcoming environment for community members, partners, and visitors. The position responds to telephone and in‑person inquiries, provides trauma‑informed triage and de‑escalation, addresses immediate basic needs, and connects community members with appropriate First Light programs and external services through referrals and warm handoffs.

Working alongside the Front‑of‑House Office Administrator, the Community Welcome Navigator helps maintain consistent reception coverage and a coordinated response to the people entering or contacting First Light. While the Office Administrator maintains the systems, information, and operational processes, the Community Welcome Navigator leads relational engagement, needs assessment, and service navigation. The Navigator also documents patterns in community inquiries and needs to support service planning, organizational learning, and advocacy.

Who You Are & What You Carry

You understand that welcoming someone into a community space is relational work. You know how to listen carefully, recognize what a person may need, and help them find an appropriate next step without making assumptions or creating unnecessary barriers.

You are calm, grounded, and compassionate when someone is distressed, frustrated, or facing complex circumstances. You can respond with warmth while maintaining clear boundaries, protecting confidentiality, and recognizing when additional support is required.

You are rooted in Indigenous values of relationality, reciprocity, and respect. You have the humility to learn from the teachings and experiences of others and understand that cultural safety is created through everyday actions. You are comfortable working visibly in an active Community Gathering Space and contributing to an environment in which urban Indigenous community members feel welcomed, respected, and connected.

What You’ll Do

Community Welcome and Engagement

• Provide a warm, respectful, and culturally grounded welcome to community members, visitors, staff, and service providers entering First Light’s Headquarters.
• Respond to in‑person and telephone inquiries with patience, cultural humility, and a non‑judgmental approach.
• Help maintain a Community Gathering Space that is welcoming, safe, accessible, and responsive to the people using it.
• Build respectful relationships with community members, including people who visit First Light regularly or may be hesitant to engage with formal services.
• Maintain current knowledge of First Light’s programs, services, staff, events, and locations so that information provided to community members is accurate and helpful.

Front‑Line Triage and De‑escalation

• Listen to community members, identify their immediate concerns, and help determine the most appropriate response or next step.
• Use trauma‑informed, culturally safe, and strengths‑based approaches when engaging with people who may be distressed, frustrated, heightened, or experiencing barriers.
• Apply Therapeutic Crisis Intervention and other approved de‑escalation approaches within the scope of the position and the Navigator’s training.
• Recognize circumstances that require assistance from another staff member, supervisor, crisis service, or emergency responder and elevate concerns promptly in accordance with First Light procedures.
• Maintain calm, clear boundaries during complex or emotionally charged interactions.
• Support a coordinated organizational response when a community member requires assistance from more than one First Light team.

Immediate Community Supports

• Provide approved immediate supports, including emergency grocery gift cards, bus passes, and other low‑barrier assistance available through First Light.
• Complete required intake and distribution records while minimizing unnecessary barriers for community members.
• Monitor the availability of immediate supports and advise the appropriate staff member when supplies of allocated resources are running low.

Community Navigation and Service Improvement

• Help community members identify and access appropriate programs, supports, and resources within First Light and the broader community.
• Coordinate warm handoffs by connecting community members with appropriate staff or service providers, sharing relevant information in accordance with First Light’s confidentiality policies.
• Identify recurring barriers to accessing programs and bring them forward to the appropriate staff or supervisor.
• Maintain accurate records of front‑line inquiries, referrals, and supports in accordance with First Light policies and in collaboration with the First Light Research Team.
• Use front‑line data to identify emerging needs, service gaps, and access barriers and to inform program planning, service delivery, and advocacy initiatives.
• Work collaboratively with the Front‑of‑House Office Administrator and other staff to maintain consistent reception coverage and ensure coordinated, community‑centred service.
• Support general reception functions as needed.
• Contribute to the development of welcoming, culturally grounded, and low‑barrier front‑of‑house practices.
• Perform other related duties as required.

Skills, Experience & Requirements

We recognize that knowledge and strength come in many forms, including lived experience, cultural teachings, community care, professional experience, and formal education. Equivalent combinations of education and experience will be considered.

• Strong understanding of Indigenous histories and cultures, including the urban Indigenous community in St. John’s.
• Demonstrated ability to build trusting relationships and engage respectfully with people from diverse backgrounds and circumstances.
• A professional and dependable demeanor, with sound judgment, discretion, and the ability to maintain confidentiality, appropriate boundaries, and consistent follow‑through.
• Strong communication, active‑listening, problem‑solving, and conflict‑resolution skills, including the ability to remain calm in challenging situations.
• Experience in community service, outreach, navigation, reception, crisis support, or other relevant community‑facing work. Comparable lived, volunteer, or cultural experience will be considered.
• Relevant education (such as knowledge of Indigenous languages, or training in areas such as crisis intervention, first aid, mental health, or harm reduction) is an asset but not required.

This is an on‑site, public‑facing position located at the reception desk within First Light’s Community Gathering Space. The work environment is active and may involve frequent interruptions, varied noise levels, emotionally charged interactions, and contact with people seeking immediate or complex supports.

The Community Welcome Navigator may be required to move throughout the facility, accompany community members to other areas of the building, and respond to situations arising within the Community Gathering Space. The position requires the ability to work visibly in a shared community setting while maintaining confidentiality, cultural safety, sound judgment, and professional boundaries.

Preference will be given to qualified Indigenous residents of Newfoundland and Labrador.

First Light celebrates diversity and is committed to creating an inclusive and supportive environment for all members of our team. We welcome applications from all qualified candidates regardless of Indigenous identity or status, lived experience, national or other origin, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, religion, age, or other characteristics.

We strongly encourage applications from individuals who carry lived experience expertise, acknowledging the value and alignment with First Light’s organizational goals. We’re committed to supporting candidates throughout the application process by accommodating any disability‑related requests.