Scope of the Position
The Chief of Staff (CoS) serves as a senior strategic partner and integrator to the CEO and Executive Leadership Team (ELT). Operating with a high degree of trust and discretion, acting as a force multiplier for ELT but predominantly the CEO in enabling faster decision-making, reducing noise, and ensuring the right issues surface at the right time, this role is designed for a highly analytical, politically attuned, and relationship-oriented leader who can synthesize complex information, coordinate across the ELT, and act as a trusted interpreter between political, cultural, and commercial perspectives.
Success in the CoS role requires knowing when to act, when to advise, and when to listen. The right candidate will earn trust thought consistency, cultural humility, and a genuine commitment to the wellbeing and best interests of the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Community.
Duties, Responsibilities, Authority, and Accountabilities
Strategic Insight & Advisory
- Pressure test strategic proposals, assist in identifying blind spots, and elevating risks before decisions reach the CEO or Board.
- Support the CEO and ELT in shaping strategy and organisational priorities that align with Sḵwx̱wú7mesh vision and values.
- Track progress against Nch’kay Group’s strategic plan and strategic priorities, flagging early where commitments are at risk of slipping or deviating course.
- Serve as a synthesizer of information, ensuring the CEO has clear, concise, and actionable insight.
Executive Team Integration
- Act as a coordinator across ELT, ensuring alignment, clarity, and follow through on enterprise priorities.
- Own the rhythm of the ELT, including meeting cadence and action tracking. Ensuring the collective time of CEO and ELT is used well and focused on strategic initiatives and priorities.
- Serve as a neutral intermediary when priorities conflict, offering balanced second thought and supporting the ELT navigate trade-offs.
- Identify where cross-functional coordination is breaking down and assist the CEO and ELT in quietly resolving issues before they escalate.
- Facilitate effective ELT discussions by informing the agenda, clarifying issues, and ensuring decisions are well framed.
Shareholder Interface
- Serve as a trusted interpreter between political, cultural, and commercial perspectives in interactions with the Squamish Nation, various levels of Government, industry partners, and Nch’kay Group.
- Provide strategic support and preparation for the CEO’s engagement with the Squamish Nation Council and Nch’kay Board.
- Act as a primary day-to-day interface with Nexwsxwníw̓ntm ta Úxwumixw (Council), key leadership in various levels of Government, and Community, escalating to the CEO selectively.
External Relationship Management
- Manage key external relationships, ensuring respectful, transparent, and proactive engagement.
- Support the CEO’s external engagements by preparing briefs, synthesizing context, and ensuring alignment with Nation expectations.
Organisational Alignment & Communication
- Gather input across the organisation and reflect the CEO’s current thinking when representing the Office of the CEO.
- Ensure that messaging, priorities, and expectations are consistent and well understood across teams.
- Maintain a posture of advising and informing rather than directing or making decisions.
Council & Board Support
- With the support of the Corporate Secretary, coordinate follow-through on Board and Council directions, tracking commitments and reporting back as appropriate and directed by the CEO.
- Maintain a forward-looking view of the governance calendar to ensure the CEO and ELT are prepared well in advance.
Knowledge, Skills, and Qualifications
- Highly analytical, with strong judgement and the ability to surface risks early.
- Demonstrated ability to build trust quickly across diverse and sometimes competing stakeholder groups.
- Experience or familiarity with key legislation and concepts, including UNDRIP and UNDRIPA, Aboriginal rights and title, and Indigenous economic reconciliation initiatives, is beneficial.
- Proven experience in managing confidential and sensitive information with absolute discretion.
- Significant Senior Leadership experience in strategy, policy, governance or executive advisory roles.
- Experience working with Indigenous governments, communities or political structures.
- Ability to move fluidly between high-level strategic thinking and detailed execution as the situation demands.
- Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to engage with diverse stakeholders.
- Exposure with cross-functional leadership and complex stakeholder environments.
- Calm, steady and thoughtful in moments of conflict.
- Comfortable operating with ambiguity and shifting priorities.
