Senior Socio-Economic Consultant, Indigenous Relations

Senior Socio-Economic Consultant, Indigenous Relations

• 10-15+ years of experience in Indigenous relations, consultation, or engagement, with experience in Impact Assessment an asset.

• Professional bilingualism in French and English (written and oral) is a strong asset.

• Must reside in   Quebec (Montreal or Quebec City)   or   Toronto and Eastern   Ontario ;

Avaanz is now part of SLR Consulting (Canada) Ltd., bringing together Avaanz’s specialized socio-economic and Indigenous relations expertise with SLR’s global technical capabilities in ecology, water, geotechnical, and power engineering. Together, we deliver integrated environmental and social services across Canada, supporting both fast-paced assignments and complex, multi-year infrastructure initiatives.

Within this structure, you will play a critical senior role on a major infrastructure program, including large, multi-community engagement portfolios (crown corporation / private proponent environments with structured governance, reporting, and regulatory oversight).

We are seeking a senior practitioner who combines strong relationship-building skills with proven experience leading Indigenous consultation and engagement programs in Canada. This role is ideal for someone who thrives in structured project environments, a strength in analysis and reporting, leads teams with confidence, and delivers engagement that is both technically rigorous and grounded in respectful, community-based practice.

Role Overview

In this position, you will work alongside the Indigenous Relations Lead and client team, with a focus on client needs in Indigenous relations and engagement workstreams for major infrastructure and Impact/environmental assessment projects. You will be responsible for leading and/or coordinating engagement delivery, directing junior and intermediate staff delivering engagement activities, and ensuring Indigenous perspectives are meaningfully integrated into project design, assessment, and decision-making processes.

The role operates within a matrix team structure, working closely with project directors, technical subject-matter experts, and client Indigenous relations teams.

Key Responsibilities

Engagement and Leadership

• Design, manage, and implement Indigenous consultation and engagement strategies that align with regulatory requirements, client mandates, and reconciliation principles.

• Co-Lead structured engagement programs involving multiple Indigenous Nations, in Quebec and Ontario.

• Guide coordinators and consultants responsible for engagement planning, logistics, and documentation.

• Oversee workplans, schedules, and deliverables, ensuring consistency with client-style governance and reporting frameworks, with a special attention to the analysis and reporting requirements of an Impact Assessment Act governed project.

Facilitation & Relationship Management

• Lead, facilitate and support client meetings with Chiefs and Councils, leadership, staff, Elders, and community members (in-person and virtual).

• Build and maintain trusted, long-term relationships with Indigenous partners.

• Lead and support initiatives related to employment, procurement, business development, and capacity funding.

• Lead and support the negotiation, tracking, and implementation of relationship agreements, MOUs, protocols, and capacity funding arrangements.

• Lead and support the development of socio-economic benefit agreements

Reporting & Quality Assurance

• Provide oversight and as needed, systems to provide clients with consultation records, engagement summaries, and regulatory documentation for internal and client review.

Travel

• Travel to Indigenous communities and project meetings as required (typically monthly – but up to 4 times a month in busy engagement windows), primarily within Quebec and Ontario.

Working with Us

With us, there is no doubt you’ll grow your subject-matter expertise and industry knowledge. We care about investing in our employees for the long-run, and if you ask our team, they’ll tell you that’s just one of the many benefits of working here. We want to be a place where you can experience career growth and satisfaction for many years.

Here’s what else you’ll enjoy as part of our team

• Competitive total compensation package including comprehensive benefits, vacation, and a suite of wellness initiatives

• The salary range for this position is $110,000 - $150,000. Final agreed upon compensation will be commensurate with individual education, professional designation, experience, internal parity, and location.

• Full-time, permanent role with opportunities for professional growth and advancement

Essential Qualifications

• 10-15+ years of experience in Indigenous relations, consultation, or engagement, with experience in Impact Assessment an asset.

• Professional bilingualism in French and English (written and oral) is an asset.

• Must reside in Quebec or within reasonable commuting distance of the Quebec border.

• Demonstrated experience with:

• Indigenous and Crown consultation processes

• Major projects engagement and/or consultation experience

• Proven ability to lead multi-stakeholder teams and coordinate technical specialists, regulators, and community representatives.

• Strong facilitation, relationship-building, and field engagement experience.

Assets That Will Set You Apart

• Large infrastructure and/or linear projects, with focus on regulatory processes

• Strong relationship building experience with First Nations.

• Experience working in crown corporation project environments.

• Familiarity with engagement management platforms (e.g., Borealis).

• Post-secondary education in Indigenous studies, social sciences, environmental planning, or a related discipline.

This job posting is for an existing vacancy.

Artificial intelligence is not being used to screen, assess, or select applicants.

SLR strives to build diverse teams that reflect the communities we work in, and encourages applications from traditionally underrepresented groups including women, visible minorities, Indigenous peoples, people identifying as 2SLGBTQI+, veterans, and people with disabilities.

Consultant principal en socio-économie, relations avec les peuples Autochtones

Lieu : Québec (le ou la candidat(e) doit résider au Québec ou à une distance raisonnable de la frontière québécoise permettant des déplacements réguliers)

Type d’emploi : Permanent, temps plein

Avaanz fait maintenant partie de SLR Consulting (Canada) Ltd., réunissant l’expertise spécialisée d’Avaanz en socioéconomie et en relations avec les peuples autochtones aux capacités techniques mondiales de SLR en écologie, en gestion de l’eau, en géotechnique et en ingénierie énergétique. Ensemble, nous offrons des services intégrés en environnement et en développement social partout au Canada, tant pour des mandats à court terme que pour des projets d’infrastructure complexes et pluriannuels.

Dans ce contexte, le ou la Senior Coordinator – Relations avec les Autochtones joue un rôle stratégique clé au sein d’un important programme d’infrastructure, incluant des portefeuilles d’engagement multi-communautés (environnements de sociétés d’État ou de promoteurs privés comportant une gouvernance structurée, des exigences de reddition de comptes et un encadrement réglementaire rigoureux).

Nous recherchons un(e) professionnel(le) senior parfaitement bilingue (français/anglais, à l’oral et à l’écrit) qui combine d’excellentes aptitudes en établissement de relations avec une expérience démontrée en direction de programmes de consultation et d’engagement autochtones au Canada. Ce rôle convient à une personne qui évolue avec aisance dans des environnements de projets structurés, qui possède une solide capacitée d’analyse et de rédaction, qui dirige des équipes avec assurance et qui offre un engagement à la fois rigoureux sur le plan technique et ancré dans une pratique respec