Senior Lead, Research and Evaluation

About the Role

The Senior Lead, Research and Evaluation role is a unique opportunity for an experienced and results-orientated individual to play a key role in the expansion of the First Nations Technology Council’s research work around digital equity and transformational change in tech and innovation sector.

Reporting to the Director of Strategic Initiatives, the Senior Lead of Research and Evaluation will work cross-divisionally on a number of initiatives including but not limited to:

Indigenous Digital Equity Strategy. The First Nations Technology Council defines digital equity as a state in which every Indigenous person, community and Nation is fully equipped to access and effectively use technology to contribute, thrive, and succeed in today’s digital society while preserving self-determination. FNTC currently serves as the Secretariat to the co-creation of the Indigenous Digital Equity Strategy which is scheduled to be finalized winter 2023. Within this role, the Senior Lead will be responsible for collecting and compiling supporting research materials including the use of data from the Indigenous Leadership in Technology project, to support the development and implementation of the Indigenous Digital Equity Strategy.

Spectrum Sovereignty: FNTC is exploring spectrum sovereignty as a First Nations right. The work is looking at new approaches to spectrum policy, licensing, management and allocation. Within this role, the Senior Lead will be responsible for monitoring developments in spectrum, both in Canada and internationally with respect to Indigenous rights, participating in partner meetings, and compiling novel research to aid FNTCs advocacy effort.

Moving Beyond Inclusion: Partnerships and Reconciliation Initiative which seeks to create lasting systems change in the technology sector by working with industry partners through education and workshops, an assessment, implementing a roadmap of actions and measurement and evaluation. The objective is to increase Indigenous participation and job satisfaction, foster cultural competency and increase space for Indigenous thought leadership in companies and identify and take actions to meaningfully contribute towards reconciliation. Within this role the Senior Lead will need to apply a strong critical analysis and decolonial lens for individual company assessments and the development of an overarching impact evaluation framework and measurement methodology and tools.  

About the First Nations Technology Council

The First Nations Technology Council is an Indigenous-led organization that serves all 203 First Nations communities across British Columbia, working to ensure that Indigenous peoples have full and equitable access to the tools, training and support to maximize the opportunities presented by technology and innovation. The Technology Council sees the strengthening of local Indigenous economies and the empowering of Indigenous innovators as contributing to Indigenous self-determination and nationhood.

The First Nations Technology Council holds the following core values, which all employees are expected to honour, demonstrate and deepen through individual practice and team development: trust, humility, community, spirit, innovation for 7 generations, listening, resilience, indigenous wisdom, and heart. The ideal candidate for the Sector Transformation Initiative Facilitator will resonate with and uphold these values.

Primary Responsibilities:

• Execute and effectively manage research and evaluation projects within the agreed-upon timelines for project tasks and deliverables.
• Developing and implementing research and evaluation plans including design, tool development, and leading the data collection, management and analysis for all projects.
• Develop data collection tools, including surveys, interview/focus group guides and reporting templates.
• Conduct interviews and focus group sessions (online and in-person).
• Analyze and interpret both qualitative (e.g. thematic) and quantitative (e.g. descriptive, inferential) data. Examples of data types include interview/focus group data, survey response data, program administrative data and funding recipient report data.
• Create internal and external research materials including reports, background papers, literature reviews, environmental scans, and informational products.
• Ensure research and evaluation activities are implemented in accordance with Indigenous research methodologies, OCAP and all other ethical requirements
• Ensure that the collection, use, and disclosure of information complies with relevant privacy legislation.
• Monitor community organization, sector, academia, and government communications for items relevant to the Technology Council’s knowledge mobilization work.
• Work in collaboration with other teams within the Technology Council to identify research needs and design research strategies/projects to address those needs
• Prepare, submit and manage ethics approval applications.
• Seeks out, facilitates, and develops funding/grant proposals for further research.
• When applicable, liaise with commissioned research partners and consultants.
• When applicable, train and supervise research assistants and students.
• All other duties, as assigned.

Skills and Abilities:

• Aptitude in Indigenous research methodologies, epistemology and participatory approaches.
• Ability to conduct qualitative and quantitative data collection and analysis.
• Excellent research and analysis skills, ability to synthesize complex information into clear and impactful deliverables.
• Ability to clearly translate research findings for both internal and a broad range of external audiences. Skills in data storytelling and visualization considered an asset.
• Strong writing skills to develop clear and compelling research reports and knowledge products.
• Detail-orientated and the ability to apply both precision and a high-level view for research and evaluation projects.
• Exceptional critical thinking skills including in-depth understanding of colonization, decolonization, land issues, Indigenous worldviews, settler/Indigenous relationships and understanding of power, privilege and systems of oppression.
• Knowledge and awareness of specific labour market conditions and trends including BC tech ecosystem expertise and understanding considered an asset.
• Knowledge and awareness of cutting-edge research and Indigenous perspectives on current topics impacting technology, innovation, connectivity, and digital equity is considered an asset
• Experience with Otter.ai or NVivo an asset.
• Skills in using Microsoft Office Skills: Word, PowerPoint and Excel
• Interest and ability to learn Slack, Monday, Dropbox, Google.docs and other online tools.

Requirements:

• A level of education, training and experience equivalent to a Master’s degree in relevant discipline Indigenous studies, research, evaluation or related social science or experience in an education, social services, government, or community organization
• Demonstrated research, analysis and writing abilities.
• Knowledge and awareness of Indigenous cultures, histories, rights and title legislation (specifically distinctions-based approaches)
• Experience working with Indigenous communities and organizations with demonstrated ability to communicate in a culturally competent and respectful manner.
• Ability to work remotely.

Supervision:

• This position reports directly to the Director of Strategic Initiatives

Location:

The Senior Lead, Research and Evaluation role is open to remote candidates anywhere in BC, with a preference for candidates able to work from or regularly travel to the First Nations Technology Council Headquarters Unit 102 – 70 Orwell Street on Squamish Nation land in North Vancouver, B.C.  

We are an Indigenous organization whose mandate is to promote opportunities for Indigenous people. We encourage applications from qualified First Nations, Inuit and Métis people. We also welcome other candidates who possess a high level of cultural competence and understanding of indigenous experience, communities, and issues. Only those candidates selected for an interview will be contacted.