Socioeconomic Lead, Indigenous Homelands Program

Ecotrust Canada; Vancouver; Hybrid; CAD 42,000 - 48,000; Part time

Job summary

A community-focused nonprofit in Vancouver is seeking a part-time Socioeconomic Lead for the Indigenous Homelands Program. The role involves leading economic analyses and developing frameworks that prioritize cultural and environmental values. Candidates should have a Master's degree in economics, over 7 years of experience, and a commitment to Indigenous community empowerment. This position offers flexibility and a generous benefits package.

Benefits

Generous benefits package

Flexible work schedule

Qualifications

• 7+ years' experience in economics or related field.
• High level of understanding in financial management of projects.
• Comfortable with scenario modelling.

Responsibilities

• Lead economic design of frameworks balancing diverse values.
• Conduct comprehensive analyses for the Routes to Roots project.
• Design and pilot the housing reparations project's economic aspects.

Skills

Economics expertise

Financial literacy

Exceptional communication

Project management

Data stewardship

Education

Master's degree in economics or related field

Tools

Microsoft Excel

Job description

Overview

Position: Socioeconomic Lead, Indigenous Homelands Program
Organization: Ecotrust Canada

Start Date: October 15, 2025
Submission Closing Date: September 30, 2025
Position status: Part-time (20 hours per week); generous benefits package after three months; permanent position, with possibility of increasing to full-time hours with additional funding
Location: Remote (must be based in BC)
Compensation: $42,000 – $48,000 starting range, commensurate with experience. (~$40.40–$46.15/hr; FTE equivalent: ~$67.2k–$76.8k). Salary progression reviewed annually.

The Indigenous Homelands (IHL) Program supports community members from remote First Nations to be able to return to and thrive on their homelands in ways that honour their social, cultural, and environmental well-being. Our team works on research and on-the-ground community projects, and has produced several knowledge tools, with a focus on four key pillars: decolonial governance, land stewardship, circular economies, and holistic housing.

Position Summary

Are you an economist who critically examines what “economy” actually means in practice? Are you good with numbers but also deeply care about the people who are behind them? Did you get into your field with the hope of changing the current economic structures in a way that can make a positive impact? Then you may just be the socioeconomic unicorn we’re looking for!

Ecotrust Canada’s Indigenous Homelands Program is seeking a dedicated, thoughtful, and innovative individual to join our small but passionate Indigenous Homelands team, as our first-ever Socioeconomic Lead. This position will support our team to explore how economy, social, cultural, and environmental values are intertwined and interdependent; support our partner communities to prioritize projects that align with their values while also being fiscally sustainable; create economic analyses for complex issues surrounding Indigenous homelands, land tenure, and housing; and build tools to increase financial literacy in rural and remote Indigenous communities.

In this role, you’ll co-design practical tools and analyses that reflect how life is lived in place—supporting community-led priorities across homelands, land tenure, and housing. You’ll help build a holistic cost–benefit approach that looks beyond price tags to include well-being, stewardship, and resilience; lead economic work on circular, local supply-chain efforts like Routes to Roots; and create accessible housing-finance materials for our Indigenous Housing & Homelands Toolkit.

This role is ideal for an economics and finance expert who excels at making complex financial concepts accessible to everyone. You'll essentially act as an 'economic translator,' breaking down the jargon, shifting the intimidation into inspiration. This role is also ideal for someone who aligns with our values—understanding that place-based economics are part of a broader holistic framework of well-being and community resilience. We are looking for someone who is willing to think and act innovatively with us to critically examine the status quo—to build alternative community-based economic models. Might this be you?

Specific Duties and Responsibilities

• With the support of the IHL team, lead the economic design of a holistic cost-benefit/values integration framework, which explores the balance between economic, social, environmental, and cultural values when prioritizing competing projects;
• With the support of the IHL team, lead the economic development of a comprehensive analysis for the Routes to Roots project (a circular economy supply chain network), regarding local versus distanced sourcing of raw materials and supplies; this analysis should not only consider economic factors but cultural, environmental, and social trade-offs as well;
• With the support of the IHL team, design and pilot the economic development aspect of our Indigenous housing reparations project. This would include setting up a template with a “citizen science” approach so that participating First Nations community leaders across Canada can submit and interpret local data;
• Create a module for our Indigenous Housing & Homelands Toolkit on Basic Housing Finances, to support community members in better understanding finances in relation to their housing and land tenure rights;
• Support our partner communities to better analyze their projects’ long-term fiscal sustainability alongside other values and lenses, including cultural, social, and environmental well-being;
• Apply data stewardship principles and Indigenous data governance practices for all socioeconomic data we co-create (often described as OCAP and CARE).

Support the Indigenous Homelands Program with other duties as needed and help strengthen decolonial methods that work with real-world complexity and draw on multiple economic lenses to meet the needs of each community and context.

Skills and Qualifications

Required

• 7+ years' experience and training in economics or a related field
• Master's degree in economics or related field, or equivalent life experience
• High level of understanding in financial literacy and financial management of projects; comfortable with scenario modelling
• Understanding of political economy and an eagerness to apply a variety of innovative economic systems and approaches to our work, including place-based, non-monetary trade, and circular economies, as well as local supply chain networks
• Exceptional communicator, both written and oral, including comfort with distilling economic & financial information to the public and multiple demographics/learning styles, as well as exceptional writing and editing skills for diverse content (i.e., toolkits, blogs, reports, etc.)
• High level of comfort with Microsoft Excel, and other related digital literacy and computer skills
• Self-motivated and results-oriented, with the ability to take initiative and work independently as well as collaboratively
• Understanding of and value for multiple ways of knowing
• Understanding of Canada’s colonial history, its ongoing impacts on Indigenous communities, and a commitment to decolonization, reconciliation, and justice

Preferred Assets (not required)

• Driver’s licence
• Lived experience in rural, remote, and/or Indigenous communities
• Experience working with or within First Nations governance structures
• Familiarity with or willingness to learn about Indigenous housing ecosystems, land governance, and/or cultural revitalization practices

Our Approach to Indigenous Partnerships

At Ecotrust Canada, we build long-term, reciprocal partnerships with Indigenous Nations. Our work in the Indigenous Homelands Program is rooted in respect for Indigenous governance, knowledge systems, and self-determination. Our program is land-based and rooted in place—where we call “home,” and where we have worked and lived for many years. We deeply value authentic, long-term relationships, both with people and place.

Work-Life Balance and Well-Being

Ecotrust Canada implements a 32-hour 4-day work week for full-time staff (between Monday-Thursday), with flexibility to accommodate staff needs. Due to this position’s part-time nature, this role would work on Mondays, plus other day(s) totaling 20 hours. There will be exceptions throughout the year for travel to partner communities (approximately 3-5 times per year for this position), which will involve work/travel on evenings and weekends. We prioritize community visits, our community partners' needs, their seasonal wheels (i.e., harvest seasons, festivals, etc.), and our project deadlines. Beyond this, with strong communication and collective support, we believe we can find a healthy work-life balance that can support our team to thrive—both personally and professionally, individually and collectively.

About Ecotrust Canada

Ecotrust Canada is an enterprising non-profit that works with rural, remote, and Indigenous communities toward building an economy that provides for a healthy and resilient natural environment; sustainable and abundant energy, food, and housing; prosperous and meaningful livelihoods; and vibrant cultures and inclusive societies. We call this approach “building an economy that provides for life.” Our on-the-ground work and systems approach is entrepreneurial, partnership-based, and relentlessly practical. To learn more, visit ecotrust.ca.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

For this role, we will prioritize someone who is Indigenous and/or who is from a rural, remote community in British Columbia – someone who understands first-hand our program’s mission, to nurture a vibrant and culturally relevant economy.

Ecotrust Canada is an Equal Opportunity Employer, and our employees are people with different strengths, experiences, and backgrounds who share a passion for our mission. All of our employees’ points of view are key to our collective success, and inclusion is everyone’s responsibility.

Ecotrust Canada is committed to building respectful and reciprocal relationships with Indigenous communities and peoples. We are committed to upholding and respecting Indigenous governance, rights, and title in the places we live, work, and dream together. For more information, please see our Framework for Advancing Reconciliation here.

Application Instructions

The brief cover letter (1-2 pages) should highlight a community-facing economics project that you have led, the role you played in that project, and provide a plain-language writing sample (or link to a writing sample). Deadline: Tuesday, September 30, 2025 (11:59pm PT).

Please mention you saw this at GoodWork.ca.

Tentative Timeline

1. Applications close: Tuesday, September 30, 2025 (11:59pm PT).
2. Interviews and reference checks: Monday-Thursday, Oct 6–9 (virtual).
3. Final decisions & conversations: Tuesday-Thursday, October 14-16.
4. Tentative start date (virtual): Monday, Oct 20, 2025.
5. Required availability: Oct 25–30, 2025 for in-person training (in Vancouver) and in-person Staff Retreat (in Prince Rupert, BC).

Current status: Open/apply now. Date posted: Sep 24 2025 ID: 74418