Vice President, Indigenous Achievement and Excellence

Indspire

3d • Hybrid

About The Position

Indspire is a national Indigenous charity that invests in the education of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis students, empowering individuals, strengthening communities, and building a stronger country for all. Indspire is seeking a Vice President, Indigenous Achievement and Excellence, who will report directly to the Chief Operating Officer. This role leads Indspire's direct learner investments, providing strategic vision, program development, and operational oversight across the organization's flagship Indigenous learner-facing portfolio. The portfolio encompasses four interconnected areas: the Building Brighter Futures Bursaries and Scholarships Program; the new Advancing Brighter Futures: Leadership, Skills Development and Capacity Building Program; the creation and stewardship of a Laureate and Alumni Network connecting more than 400 Laureates and 80,000 alumni; and sustained program leadership in support of Indspire's 2026–2031 Strategic Plan and beyond. The Vice President takes programs from concept to delivery and scale, building the systems, partnerships, and evidence base that move Indigenous learners not only into education but through it and into meaningful, sustainable careers and leadership.

Requirements

• Post-graduate degree in Education, Public Administration, Indigenous Studies, or a related field.
• Minimum 10 years of progressive leadership experience in senior roles, ideally within Indigenous-led or community-based organizations.
• Deep knowledge of Indigenous communities, cultures, and education and workforce landscapes in Canada.
• Demonstrated experience developing and leading complex programs, managing teams, and driving organizational change.
• Strong financial acumen, including budget development and oversight.
• Strong ability to plan, execute, and deliver results.
• Demonstrated collaborative and inclusive leadership style, with the ability to lead diverse teams.
• High level of accountability, sound judgment, and effective decision-making skills.
• Strong cultural competency, humility, and commitment to Indigenous self-determination.
• Excellent interpersonal, written, and verbal communication skills, with proven stakeholder engagement experience.
• Demonstrated commitment to advancing Indigenous learner success.
• Ability to travel nationally as required.

Responsibilities

• Delivering Indspire's 2026-2031 Strategic Plan, with accountability for: Igniting Indigenous Learner Potential: Expanding access to financial support and strengthening supports at critical transition points across diverse learning pathways. Celebrating and Elevating Indigenous Excellence: Engaging Laureates as ongoing mentors, ambassadors, and leaders who contribute beyond the Awards. Strengthening Pathways to Opportunity and Leadership: Building connected pathways programs and activating mentorship, alumni, and Laureate networks. Leading Through Relationship, Knowledge, and Influence: Fostering reciprocal partnerships and using research and data to strengthen learner outcomes.
• Providing strategic leadership, direction, and oversight for Indspire's full learner investment portfolio, ensuring alignment with the mission and the 2026-2031 Strategic Plan.
• Developing and executing multi-year program strategies and operational plans that carry the portfolio through the life of the Strategic Plan and position it for long-term scale.
• Serving as a member of the senior leadership team, contributing to organizational strategy, planning, and decision-making.
• Translating strategy into well-designed, deliverable programs - owning the path from concept and design through implementation, evaluation, and continuous improvement.
• Fostering a positive, inclusive, and high-performing team through coaching, mentorship, and performance management.
• Providing executive oversight of Building Brighter Futures, a program of more than $30 million annually, ensuring program integrity, fairness, efficiency, and measurable impact.
• Overseeing application, assessment, adjudication, funding disbursement, and reporting processes, ensuring they remain accessible, learner-centred, and low-burden at scale.
• Ensuring funding models and eligibility criteria are equitable, culturally relevant, and responsive to the diverse realities of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis learners.
• Strengthening data capture, evaluation, and reporting to demonstrate outcomes and sustain donor, partner, and government confidence.
• Leading the design, launch, and growth of Advancing Brighter Futures, building it from pilot phase toward a nationally scalable program and an eventual investment footprint comparable to Building Brighter Futures.
• Designing and implementing programming across the full arc of the learner journey, from high school readiness through post-secondary training, early-career employability, and mid-career leadership and upskilling.
• Establishing and managing cohort-based delivery, micro-credentials, work-integrated learning, employer-connected pathways, and leadership development in partnership with post-secondary institutions, training providers, and employers.
• Positioning Indspire as a national convener and connector, bringing together institutions, employers, governments, and communities around shared learner outcomes.
• Building the evidence base from early pilots to support expanded philanthropic, corporate, provincial, and federal investment.
• Leading the creation, launch, and ongoing stewardship of a Laureate and Alumni Network connecting more than 400 Indspire Award Laureates and over 80,000 alumni.
• Designing structures that engage Laureates as mentors, ambassadors, and leaders, and that give alumni a sustained sense of belonging and purpose within the network.
• Activating mentorship and networking relationships that support learner confidence, guidance, and leadership growth, and enable members to give back through service and community connection.
• Connecting the Network to Indspire's programs, gatherings, and storytelling so that recognition translates into ongoing pathways and intergenerational impact.
• Building and sustaining national partnerships across Indigenous communities, education systems, training institutions, employers, industry, governments, and funders.
• Collaborating with Development, Communications, and Government Relations teams to secure funding, promote programs, and demonstrate impact.
• Representing Indspire at national events, conferences, and forums.
• Working with the COO and CEO to develop, manage, and monitor program and departmental budgets across a multi-program portfolio of significant scale.
• Ensuring compliance with funding agreements, reporting requirements, and organizational policies.
• Providing regular updates to the COO on program performance, risks, and opportunities.
• Championing innovation in learner funding and program delivery models.
• Using research, evaluation, and data insights to inform program design, strategy, and policy recommendations.
• Establishing outcome-based measurement that tracks learners beyond graduation into employment, advancement, and leadership.

Benefits

• A competitive benefits and pension plan.
• 3 weeks’ vacation with paid personal and sick days, as well as additional holiday closings.
• Opportunities for professional growth and cultural learning.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Executive