Job Details

The Ktunaxa Nation Council Society (KNCS) is seeking an accomplished senior executive to translate
established and emerging Leadership direction into coordinated, accountable, and timely
organizational action. This role provides the right individual with a significant opportunity to contribute
to the Ktunaxa Governments’ progression to self-determination, implementing culturally legitimate
approaches to service transformation, while maintaining operational stability. This individual will work
as a member of a team alongside a Chief Financial Officer and a Senior Governance Lead. These 3
executives hold each other accountable for the implementation of their respective mandates associated
with broad-based strategic objectives in governance, operations and finances. The CAO will work with
the senior management of the Ktunaxa Governments to keep current the KNCS operational mandate,
organizational functions and accountability model. The successful candidate will report to the Ktunaxa
Governments collectively and independently, with broader reporting refined as KNC’s governance and
service models are updated.

This highly relational role calls for cultural legitimacy, sound judgment, humility, courage, resilience,
approachability, and confidence grounded in competence. The leader must be respectful without being
passive, decisive without being dismissive, and able to maintain high expectations through coaching,
mediation, appreciative inquiry, and clear accountability.

Job Description

What You Will Lead

• Relationships and communication: Maintain close, respectful, and productive relationships
with the Ktunaxa Leadership, Ktunaxa senior management, directors and staff, other
governments and industry. Provide regular, timely, and transparent communications and
reporting that align with strategic priorities and support discussion, feedback, and informed
decision making.
• Direction and alignment: Translate strategic direction into clear operational mandates,
priorities, performance expectations, and coordinated action across KNCS operations.
• Transformation and continuity: Implement approved strategies following sound change
management theory, maintaining quality service standards, practical timelines, transition
planning, implementation analysis, risk management, and accountability for outcomes.
• Operational accountability: Establish and maintain clear expectations and operational
safeguards; maintain accountability and transparency while strengthening policy and evidence based
decision making processes.
• People leadership: Set and maintain a high standard for operational excellence and
employment expectations by coaching and supporting senior management, clarifying roles,
addressing performance and relationship concerns early, and building safeguards.
• Strategic judgment and execution: Assess complex situations and comprehensive information, identifying relational impacts, risks and policy gaps, distinguishing legitimate concerns from unverified information, prioritizing the most important issues, delegating appropriately, and moving practical solutions forward with urgency and care.
• Cultural and contextual leadership: Ensure technical expertise and organizational practices are applied through a Ktunaxa worldview and support community-driven, Nation-based priorities.

What You Bring
We recognize cultural, academic, professional, community, and lived experience as valuable forms of learning. We encourage candidates whose combined experience closely reflects the following to apply:
• Significant senior executive and senior management experience in government, public administration, or similarly accountable environment with experience working in a First Nations or Indigenous organization at a regional, provincial or national level.
• Masters’ level post-secondary education in public administration, business administration, governance, organizational leadership, or a related field. An equivalent combination of cultural knowledge, lived experience, education, and senior leadership experience will be considered.
• Demonstrated ability to translate governance or board direction into accountable operations with measurable outcomes and timely implementation.
• Proven successful experience in change management and leading organizational change.
• Familiarity with a variety of corporate governance models and accountability systems.
• Experience coaching senior leaders, resolving conflict, mediating difficult relationships, and addressing performance concerns with clarity and respect.
• Demonstrated cultural humility and respect for Indigenous culture, protocols, values, community knowledge, relationships, and ways of working; direct experience with Ktunaxa or another Indigenous Nation is a significant asset.
• Exceptional relationship-building, written and oral communication, reporting, facilitation, and issue-management skills.
• Ability to travel within Ktunaxa ?amak?is and within Canada and, when required, meet cross-border travel or work requirements for engagement with United States Ktunaxa/Kootenai Tribes.

Why Join KNC

This is an opportunity to serve during a defining period for the Ktunaxa and to be a member of the team rebuilding a stable, accountable, culturally grounded organization that advances community direction and Nation-level priorities. Candidates should be comfortable working in an environment where responsibilities and structures may evolve as governance and organizational design work progresses.

Ktunaxa candidates are encouraged to apply. All applications will be reviewed; preference may be given to qualified Indigenous applicants in keeping with KNC’s hiring philosophy and commitment to strengthening Ktunaxa capacity.

Interested candidates please submit a cover letter and resume through our careers website: https://ktunaxa.org/careers/

Applications will be reviewed according to the recruitment timeline established by KNC. The process will remain open long enough to support a thorough search and careful assessment of organizational fit. We thank all applicants for their interest. However, only those selected for interviews will be contacted.