Head of Indigenous and Community Relations

Northland Power Inc.; Toronto; Hybrid; CAD 133,000 - 166,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

RRSP matching

Health, dental & vision benefits

Paid parental leave

Wellbeing program

Birthday off + 3 floating days

Job summary

Northland Power Inc. in Toronto is seeking a Head of Indigenous and Community Relations to lead engagement with Indigenous Nations, rights holders, and local communities throughout project lifecycles, from development to operations.

You will provide strategic advice, supervise negotiations, and ensure regulatory alignment, while guiding stakeholder mapping, community investments, and economic participation across Canada, the U.S., and beyond.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree is required.
• 8+ years of experience leading Indigenous engagement, consultation, and negotiations.
• Experience leading community relations, stakeholder engagement, community investment, or social impact programs in infrastructure, renewables, or project development.
• 5+ years in renewable energy, infrastructure, and/or large-scale project development.
• Formal training or certification in dispute resolution.
• Experience developing or supporting Social Impact Assessments for Equator Principles Category A projects.

Responsibilities

• Lead Indigenous and community engagement strategies across project lifecycles.
• Provide senior advisory on consultation, regulatory frameworks, and related risk management.
• Support agreements and economic participation initiatives with Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities.
• Guide community relations across the Americas and international hubs to align with company values and project delivery.
• Provide internal governance, reporting, and oversight for Indigenous and community affairs.

Skills

Indigenous engagement

Stakeholder engagement

Negotiation

Regulatory knowledge

Leadership

Dispute resolution

Education

Bachelor's degree in business, History, Social Sciences, Indigenous Studies, or related discipline

Job description

Who We Are:

At Northland, we're enablers of change, united by our journey to transform the energy sector into the foundation for a sustainable future. Since our inception, we've been early movers in the energy industry, adopting new initiatives that pave the way for communities across the globe and helping forge their path towards a carbon-neutral landscape. We're a different kind of independent power producer. As developers, owners and operators who are at the forefront of the energy transition, we're uniquely positioned to leave a lasting impact in the regions where we operate. We've expanded our business across Canada, the United States, Latin America, Europe and Asia to become a global leader, all by bringing together industry experts to find solutions with an entrepreneurial mindset. While our work powers communities across the globe, Northland is powered by our people.

What you’ll do:

The Head of Indigenous and Community Relations is responsible for advancing and maintaining respectful, constructive, and outcomes-focused relationships with Indigenous Nations, rights holders, local communities, municipalities, community, and regional stakeholders in support of Northland Power's development, construction, and operations activities. This role provides strategic advice and hands-on leadership related to Indigenous partnerships, community relations, stakeholder engagement, Duty to Consult, negotiations, community investment, and economic participation, ensuring alignment with regulatory requirements, corporate objectives, Indigenous priorities, and local community expectations. The role is based in Toronto and requires working from the corporate office at least 4 days a week under our hybrid working model.

Key Responsibilities

Indigenous and Community Engagement

• Develop and lead a company-wide Indigenous strategy that complements and strengthens Northland Power's corporate business strategy.
• Build, maintain, and steward long-term, trust-based relationships with Indigenous Nations, including First Nations, Métis, and Inuit communities, across all phases of the project lifecycle.
• Serve as the primary senior point of contact between Northland Power and Indigenous leadership, including Chiefs, Councils, and designated representatives, including participation on the Board of Directors with all First Nations partnerships
• Cultivate and actively manage critical, high-level relationships with Indigenous leaders to ensure community interests, priorities, and concerns are meaningfully understood and addressed.
• Apply a deep working knowledge of Indigenous histories, territories, governance structures, and inter-Nation relationships to inform engagement, risk management, and partnership strategies.
• Develop and maintain region-specific community engagement strategies that reflect local priorities, municipal considerations, community expectations, and project-specific relationship needs.

Consultation & Regulatory Leadership

• Provide senior-level leadership for Indigenous and community consultation programs to meet provincial, federal, and international regulatory requirements, including Duty to Consult matters.
• Coordinate closely with development, construction, and operations teams to design, execute, and manage region-specific Indigenous and Community Affairs programs across jurisdictions.
• Act as a company-wide subject matter expert on Indigenous-related legislation, government policy, regulatory frameworks, and emerging best practices.
• Advise senior leaders and project teams on consultation strategies, risks, mitigation measures, accommodation approaches, and regulatory positioning.
• Ensure consultation and engagement programs distinguish between Indigenous Nations, governments, and rights holders, and broader local communities, municipalities, and regional stakeholders.

Agreements, Partnerships & Economic Participation

• Support the negotiation of agreements with Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities, including MOUs, LOIs, Impact Benefit Agreements, equity and shareholder agreements, and operations and maintenance agreements.
• Identify, structure, and advance economic participation opportunities, including equity ownership, procurement and subcontracting, training, and long-term employment opportunities.

Community Relations

• Provide strategic guidance and internal consultation to project teams across the Americas and our international hubs on community relations best practices, stakeholder mapping, local engagement, and community impact engagement strategies.
• Partner closely with business leaders to develop and implement community relations and engagement plans that support project delivery, strengthen local relationships, and align with Northland's values.
• Chair Northland's Community Investment Committee, leading the development and execution of the company’s community investment strategy, governance, and funding priorities, to maximize positive impact measurement, and local benefits approach in the communities where we operate.

Internal Advisory, Governance & Reporting

• Serve as a trusted strategic advisor to senior leadership, providing expert guidance on Indigenous and community matters across the portfolio.
• Direct the preparation of briefings, reports, and recommendations for the Executive Leadership Team and Board of Directors.
• Regularly report on Indigenous and Community Affairs' strategy, progress, risks, and priorities, both at the portfolio level and for specific projects.
• Track and report on community commitments, emerging local issues, stakeholder sentiment, and social impact outcomes to support informed decision-making.
• Provide leadership on Indigenous and social policy matters, offering insight on evolving government priorities and regulatory trends.

External Representation & Oversight

• Manage Northland Power's participation in industry associations, stakeholder forums, and working groups related to Indigenous and community relations.
• Represent Northland with local governments, municipalities, community organizations, regional partners, and other stakeholders where broader community relationships are critical to project success.
• Oversee external Indigenous and Community Affairs advisors and consultants by defining scope, setting expectations, establishing reporting standards, and ensuring consistent quality and outcomes.
• Partner with internal teams to source, contract, and manage external resources across multiple jurisdictions.
• Develop and manage annual budgets related to Indigenous and Community Affairs activities.

Travel

• Frequent travel across Canada is required to support project development, operations, and relationship-building.

Qualifications and experience

• Bachelor's degree in business, History, Social Sciences, Indigenous Studies, or a related discipline.
• 8+ years of experience leading Indigenous engagement, consultation, and negotiations, with a demonstrated record of building trusted relationships.
• Demonstrated experience leading community relations, stakeholder engagement, community investment, or social impact programs for major infrastructure, renewable energy, or project development environments.
• 5+ years of experience in renewable energy, infrastructure, and/or large-scale project development.
• Formal training or certification in dispute resolution, alternative dispute resolution, and conflict management.
• Experience developing or supporting Social Impact Assessments for Equator Principles Category A projects.

What’s In It for You:

• Thoughtful benefits - A competitive RRSP matching scheme of 8%; extended health, dental and vision benefits for yourself and your immediate family from day one; paid parental leave; Accident and Life Insurance and disability benefits are just a few of the benefits you'll be able to access.
• Wellbeing first - Staying true to our taking care of ourselves and each other value, you will have access to our global Wellness Program and Employee Assistance Program, including access to mental health resources.
• Floating days and Birthdays off - As part of our commitment to promoting a healthy work-life balance, you will get your birthday off so you can celebrate however you choose! You will also receive three additional days off annually to observe any other events that are important to you.

We hire talented and passionate people from different backgrounds. If you're excited about a role but your past experience doesn't align perfectly to this job description, we still encourage you to apply. Learn more about our diversity, inclusion and belonging commitments.

#LI-SM1 #LI-ONSITE

Pay Range: $132,800.00 - $166,000.00 This document is a guide. The duties, responsibilities, and requirements of the jobs as described herein are not inclusive and are subject to change. Northland Power is an equal opportunity employer and we are committed to creating a fair, inclusive and accessible environment. As part of our commitment we work to ensure our application process is accessible to all candidates. If you require special assistance or accommodation during the hiring process, please notify a member of the HR Department. We use AI-enabled tools to help identify applications that meet job-related criteria. All applications are reviewed and decisions are made by people. This is a replacement position. Motivated by a common vision of energy's place on our planet, we believe in powering a better world for generations to come. Join our journey as we work towards a more sustainable future.