Associate Director of Child and Family Development

Job Summary:

The Associate Director of Child and Family Development (ADCFD) is responsible for providing high-level leadership, operational oversight, and program support to all Early Years programs within Métis Family Services (MFS). Working under the direction of the Director of Early Years Programs & Facilities (DEPF), the ADCFD ensures consistent, high quality service delivery across all Early Years initiatives, while upholding MFS' mission, strategic direction, and Indigenous-centred practices.

This role may provide consultation support to the childcare facilities and/or licensed childcare operations at the direction of and in support of the DEPF. Primarily, the ADCFD focuses on Early Years programming, staff leadership, performance management, program development, compliance with relevant Early Years legislation, and relationship building with families, partners, and community agencies.

The ADCFD works collaboratively with the DEPF, senior leadership, program managers, and external stakeholders to strengthen culturally grounded Early Years supports, expand service offerings, maintain program quality, and enhance outcomes for Métis children and families.

Reports to: Director of Early Years Programs & Facilities

Key Duties and Responsibilities:

Program Leadership & Oversight

• Provides day to day leadership to all Early Years program teams to ensure effective, culturally grounded, and strengths based services.
• Oversees the planning, implementation, and evaluation of Early Years programming including, but not limited to: Family Resource programs, parenting supports, early learning activities, Youth support, Indigenous cultural programming, home visiting, and family strengthening programs.
• Ensures programs align with MFS strategic priorities, legislative requirements (Early Years Act, Indigenous child- and family-serving frameworks), funder expectations, and internal policies.
• Supports program development, expansion, and continuous quality improvement initiatives.

Staff Supervision

• Supervises Program Managers, Team Leads, and Early Years staff as assigned; conducts evaluations, coaching, and performance management.
• Supports recruitment, onboarding, retention, and ongoing development of staff.
• Fosters a positive, collaborative, and culturally safe team culture.
• Coordinates training initiatives relevant to Early Years best practices, Indigenous cultural knowledge, trauma informed care, and community engagement.

Program Quality, Accountability & Reporting

• Monitors program activities to ensure high quality, consistent, and culturally responsive services.
• Reviews and ensures maintenance of accurate client, program, and administrative records.
• Supports program audits, evaluations, and data collection in alignment with funder guidelines.
• Prepares reports, program summaries, and recommendations for the DEPF.

Strategic & Operational Support

• Collaborates with the DEPF in the development of annual program plans, budgets, and strategic initiatives.
• Provides analysis, recommendations, and operational support for new or evolving Early Years programs.
• Participates in contract monitoring, funder reporting, and compliance obligations.
• Assists with resolving program challenges, service delivery barriers, and client related escalations.

Relationship Management & Community Partnerships

• Builds and maintains strong relationships with Métis families, Indigenous partners, community agencies, school districts, and government organizations.
• Represents Early Years programs at meetings, committees, and community events as delegated by the DEPF.
• Promotes MFS Early Years services and advocates for culturally safe programming and family supports.

Organizational & Cultural Responsibilities

• Champions Métis centred and Indigenous centred service approaches in all programming.
• Supports organizational change initiatives, new strategic priorities, and continuous improvement efforts.
• Contributes to agency-wide projects, committees, and initiatives as requested.
• Provides coverage for the DEPF when delegated.

Other Duties

• Performs other related duties as assigned by the Director of Early Years Programs & Facilities or the Executive Director

Job Requirements

• Master's degree in early childhood education, Child and Youth Care, Social Work, Education, Indigenous Studies, or a related field.
• May consider candidates with a Bachelor degree and is enrolled in a Master's Degree program or will be within one year of employment, and/or has a comparable mix of education and experience.
• Minimum 3–5 years' progressively responsible leadership experience in Early Years programs, family services, Indigenous programs, or related community services.
• Knowledge of Early Years program frameworks, Indigenous child- and family serving systems, family support models, trauma informed practices, and strengths based programming.
• Experience in program supervision, staff coaching, performance management, and conflict resolution.
• Demonstrated understanding of legislation relevant to Early Years programs (excluding childcare licensing).
• Strong understanding of Indigenous cultural safety, particularly Métis culture, values, and practices

Preferred

• Experience working in a Métis or other Indigenous governed organization.
• Demonstrated experience in multi program coordination or senior leadership roles.
• Training in Indigenous cultural facilitation, early childhood development, family systems, and/or community-based programming

Job Skills and Abilities:

• Excellent communication, interpersonal, and facilitation skills.
• Demonstrated leadership, coaching, and team building abilities.
• Strong planning, organizational, and analytical skills.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities, deadlines, and projects in a fast paced environment.
• Ability to work collaboratively and respectfully within diverse teams and community settings.
• Knowledge of Indigenous Early Years programming, family engagement, cultural safety, and trauma-informed practice.
• Ability to maintain professionalism and sound judgment in crisis or high stress situations

Additional Information:

• Satisfactory Criminal Record Check including vulnerable sector screening.
• Valid BC Class 5 driver's license.
• Use of own vehicle; travel within the community required.

• Ability to work flexible hours, including evenings or weekends as needed.

• Satisfactory proof of legal authorization to work in Canada.

Core Competencies:

Indigenous Relations Behavioural Competencies

• Cultural Agility is the ability to work respectfully, knowledgeably, and effectively with Indigenous people. It is noticing and readily adapting to cultural uniqueness in order to create a sense of safety for all. It is openness to unfamiliar experiences, transforming feelings of nervousness or anxiety into curiosity and appreciation. It is examining one's own culture and worldview, and the culture of Métis Family Services, and to notice their commonalities, and distinctions with Indigenous cultures, and worldviews. It is recognition of the ways that personal and professional values may conflict or align with those of Indigenous people. It is the capacity to relate to or allow for differing cultural perspectives and being willing to experience a personal shift in perspective. Effectively to other people from diverse backgrounds with diverse views.
• Indigenous Centred Service Approach is a desire to serve Indigenous people, focusing one's efforts on understanding their interests to increase the quality of the service and produce better outcomes. It implies a willingness to support Indigenous people in determining their own future. It involves demonstrating a welcoming demeanor, an attitude of helpful curiosity, and a willingness to enter into the interaction or relationship without judgement or stereotyping. It means being open-minded and flexible in one's attitudes toward people who are different from oneself and showing respect for the differences.

Behavioural Competencies

• Developing Others involves a genuine intent to foster the long-term learning or development of others through coaching, managing performance and mentoring. Its focus is on developmental intent and effect rather than on a formal role of training. For this competency to be considered, the individual's actions should be driven by a genuine desire to develop others, rather than by a need to transfer adequate skills to complete tasks.
• Empowerment involves knowledge and skills in using processes such as delegation and information sharing to enhance subordinate ownership and empowerment over their task and performance.
• Creating and Management Change involves knowledge and skills to manage in the organization through setting direction and urgency, building a coalition of support, communicating widely, handling resistance to change and facilitating implementation of successful change actions.
• Decisive Insight combines the ability to draw on one's own experience, knowledge and training and effectively problem-solve increasingly difficult and complex situations. It involves breaking down problems, tracing implications and recognizing patterns and connections that are not obviously related. It translates into identifying underlying issues and making the best decisions at the most appropriate time. At higher levels, the parameters upon which to base the decision become increasingly complex and ambiguous and call upon novel ways to think through issues.

• Leadership implies a desire to lead others, including diverse teams. Leadership is, but not always, demonstrated from a position of formal authority. The "team" here should be understood broadly as any group with which the person interacts regularly.

• Relationship Building is working to build or maintain ethical relationships or networks or contacts with people who are, or may be, potentially helpful in achieving work-related goals and establishing advantages. These people may include customers, clients, counterparts, colleagues, etc.

• Service Orientation implies a desire to identify and serve customers/clients, who may include the public, co-workers, other branches/divisions, other ministries/agencies, other government organizations and non-government organizations. It means focusing one's efforts on discovering and meeting the needs of the customer/client.
• Teamwork and Co-operation is the ability to work so-operatively within diverse teams, work groups and across the organization to achieve group and organizational goals. It includes the desire and ability to understand and respond effectively to other people from diverse backgrounds with diverse views.
• Organizational Commitment is the ability and willingness to align one's own behaviour with the needs, priorities, and goals of the organization, and to promote organizational goals to meet organizational needs. It also includes acting in accordance with organizational decisions and behaving with integrity.

Rate of pay: Annual Salary $105, an hourly rate $57.69)

Start date: As soon as possible.

Please apply for this position from our website at the following link

This position is an Executive (Excluded) role.

Métis Family Services thanks all applicants for their interest in this career opportunity; however, only those considered for the position will be contacted.

Required

• 3 year(s): Minimum 3–5 years' progressively responsible leadership experience in Early Years programs, family services, Indigenous programs, or related community services

Required

• Master's degree or better in Early Childhood Education

Required

• Abilities and exp in developing relationships
• Professional commitment and flexibility
• Knowledge of Child development milestones
• Working Effectively with staff and third part
• Team Work
• Knowledge of Metis and Indigenous issues