Indigenous Engagement Coordinator

The Navigating the New Arctic Community Office (NNA-CO) welcomes applications for a full-time Indigenous Engagement Coordinator to provide community coordination and engagement, office management, and support to research, data management, and educational outreach activities at the Community Extension Office at APU. This position will focus on supporting Arctic communities by facilitating local/regional NNA research partnerships and interfacing NNA research with Indigenous cultures, knowledge systems, and research needs. This position will work closely with the Office of Research and Community Engagement (ORCE) Director at APU and the NNA-CO team to advance the office’s support of use-inspired convergence research in the Arctic—collaborative research that deeply draws on information and expertise from across disciplines and knowledge systems to solve complex challenges. This position will uphold the Office’s vision and commitment to support the NNA community (researchers, Arctic community partners, Indigenous knowledge holders, decision-makers, etc.) through coordination, enhanced communication, and interdisciplinary, cross-cultural, and institutional learning. Specifically, this position will:

Curriculum Development:

• Lead the development of culturally appropriate curriculum to advance collaborative and community-based Arctic research. This curriculum for collaborative and community-based Arctic research will be designed for graduate and upper undergraduate students, professionals working within boundary-organizations, community-based practitioners, and Indigenous/Tribal professionals with a focus on meaningful community engagement and co-production of knowledge

Research & community support:

• Supporting the development of resources for the NNA community (e.g., research guidelines/protocols, scientific reports, capacity-building resources, outreach products, research planning tools, etc.) through management and intellectual contributions
• Responding to NNA community requests and inquiries, which may relate to research or data management support, collaborative research planning, education, and outreach activities, etc.
• Assist with developing content for the NNA-CO’s research support web-portal

Outreach & communications:

• Supporting and demonstrating culturally-appropriate communication and engagement with Arctic residents, Indigenous Peoples, researchers, and other audiences
• Supporting the NNA-CO team in representing the NNA-CO externally by attending/participating in conferences, workshops, and meetings, and preparing and delivering short presentations and updates
• Writing for and assisting with the monthly newsletter

Convening & event planning:

• Assist with planning for the annual NNA investigators meetings and other meetings, workshops, or training (virtual and in-person) for the NNA community.
• Collaboratively designing and implementing NNA-CO events to address the expressed needs of the NNA community (including researchers, Arctic community partners, Indigenous Peoples organizations, decision-makers, etc.) using approaches that invite and support multiple ways of knowing and learning.

Project management:

• Assist with scheduling and developing agendas for team meetings
• Prioritizing Community Extension Office activities and tasks to meet assigned milestones and goals
• Assist with budgetary tracking and planning

REPRESENTATIVE DUTIES

• Developing material to support Arctic research and co-production of knowledge
• Building and maintaining strong relationships with tribal entities, community leaders, municipalities, and other stakeholders connected to Arctic research
• Consulting Tribal/Indigenous governments, Tribal councils, resource councils or Municipal Councils, Native/Indigenous and Regional Corporations, and others involved in the Arctic research regarding stewardship and information priorities associated with local priorities via a variety of methods such as community-specific consultation strategies, meetings, phone calls, correspondence to promote participation, understanding and knowledge co-production
• Identifying, planning, promoting, and coordinating partnership opportunities with Indigenous communities and stakeholders partnering to support Arctic research and other Indigenous-led Arctic research efforts
• Providing input and leadership during negotiations and in the preparation of new research proposals and funding opportunities
• Undertaking comprehensive documentation and tracking of communications with Arctic communities and other tribal entities; ensuring that the required reports and documentation are produced and available
• Integrate Indigenous and Western knowledge systems and co-production models throughout research activities

KNOWLEDGE and SKILLS 

• Working knowledge of Alaska Native/American Indian/Indigenous way of life, culture, socio-economic, educational and political workings.
• Interpersonal skills and knowledge of collaborative process to identify shared priorities between diverse partners as well as best practices to facilitate and collaborate with Indigenous communities.
• Leadership skills to work with a wide range of stakeholders with differing interests and cultures
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Experience scheduling, coordination, and documentation to conduct effective meetings, negotiations, and research/stewardship activities
• Administrative skills to organize training, track budgets, and expenditures
• Ability to prioritize, organize and coordinate research and outreach activities in a timely, and effective manner

MINIMUM EDUCATION QUALIFICATION

• Master’s degree or equivalent experience (including relevant job experience, leadership experience, as well as direct experience with Indigenous knowledge and Western science),

MINIMUM EXPERIENCE QUALIFICATION

• 3+ years working in outreach or community engagement field
• Ability to travel to remote locations (i.e. Arctic villages) with limited supervision.

MINIMUM PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

The following demands are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. The position is required to stand for long periods throughout the day; walk; sit, reach with hands and arms; climb stairs; balance, or kneel. The employee must be able to lift and/or move up to 50 pounds on a regular basis.

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