Director of Strategic Partnerships & Outreach

Director of Strategic Partnerships & Outreach

Direct message the job poster from Waapihk Research

About Waapihk Research

We are an Indigenous-led research and consulting firm supporting transformation in health, education, and community well-being. Since 2015, we’ve partnered with First Nations, Inuit and Métis communities, governments, and health authorities to deliver evidence that drives policy and real-world outcomes. Our team combines expertise in economics, epidemiology, political science, medicine, and Indigenous knowledge.

Position Overview

Waapihk Research is seeking a strategic, relationship-driven leader to serve as Director of Strategic Partnerships & Outreach, joining our senior management team to strengthen and grow the partnerships that drive Indigenous health, education, and research transformation.

Reporting to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), the Director of Strategic Partnerships & Outreach will build trusted, long-term partnerships with Indigenous organizations, governments, and sector leaders; lead business development; and ensure a best-in-class client experience.

Responsibilities

Partnership Strategy & Outreach

Develop and lead an integrated partnership strategy that advances Waapihk’s mission and five-year goals.

Initiate partnerships with governments, health authorities, organizations, and industry leaders to enhance service delivery, shape policy, and improve health and well-being outcomes for Indigenous peoples.

Business Growth & Innovation

Lead and oversee the business development team in identifying, pursuing, and securing new business opportunities.

Oversee and refine proposal development and execution to ensure timely, values-aligned submissions.

Bring back market and community insights to sharpen our services and new product lines.

With support from the Executive, develop and launch new products and services.

Client Engagement & Representation

Define and monitor client satisfaction measures, ensuring a consistently exceptional client experience.

Represent Waapihk Research publicly, including at industry conferences, public forums, and high-level stakeholder meetings, to maintain positive client relationships and develop new prospective client opportunities.

Present research findings and act as client liaison in the assessment, design, execution, delivery, and evaluation phases of projects.

Team & Organizational Leadership

Oversee, grow, and mentor a team of 0-5+ staff engaged in business development-focused initiatives.

Collaborate with internal teams, including Research and Operations, ensuring external communications, relationships, and business development align with organizational objectives.

Develop and manage departmental budgets, ensuring effective resource utilization and measurable outcomes.

Essential Qualifications

5+ years of experience in client-facing leadership roles (consulting, public/health systems, research, or adjacent).

Undergraduate education in any field, with a preference for those with business, economics, quantitative analysis, or a health-related field.

Proven business development, account growth, and relationship management record.

Excellent communication, interpersonal, and strategic thinking skills, with the ability to influence and engage stakeholders at all levels.

Experience leading people and managing budgets.

Ability to travel interprovincially as needed.

Commitment to Indigenous community engagement and understanding of Indigenous issues is essential.

Assets

A graduate degree in business, health economics, public health or other related fields is considered an asset.

Experience working in or with small-to-mid-sized consulting environments is an asset.

Comfort with CRM/PM (i.e., ClickUp; Monday.com) and productivity tools (e.g., MS Office, Power BI).

On-target earnings of $90k+ as a combination of base salary and performance bonus.

Health Spending Account (HSA).

Wellness Spending Account (WSA).

Professional Development Fund.

RRSP Matching.

Education Savings Program.

Vacation

Two (2) weeks of paid vacation annually, plus paid time off between December 24th and January 1st each year.

Work Style

We offer a comfortable, friendly, and professional work environment.

Hybrid working environment (3 days in office).

Our downtown Winnipeg office is conveniently located near bus routes for easy commuting.

Working Conditions

Winnipeg or Montréal candidates preferred; exceptional remote candidates within Canada may be considered.

Must have legal eligibility to work in Canada.

Our Commitment

We are proudly Indigenous-led and welcome applications from First Nations, Inuit, and Métis candidates. Candidates are invited to self-declare if comfortable doing so. We value lived experience, community knowledge, and non-linear career paths.

How to Apply

Two strong references are requested who can speak to the candidate's competence in a similar context.

Timeline

Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis; first conversations begin within two weeks of the original posting.

Our process includes: 1) a 30-minute intro, 2) a follow-up interview, 3) a brief task (proposal/relationship plan), and 4) references check.

Please consider viewing our website before applying:

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