Job Description

- Director of Community Wellness

Job Title:

Director of Community Wellness

Department:

Core Services

Reports To:

Vice President of Core Services

Supervises:

Manager of Housing and Justice, Manager of Health, Clinical Counsellor

Location:

70 Brookfield Road

First Light

First Light is a leading Indigenous organization based in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador. We are committed to serving the urban Indigenous and broader community through programs and initiatives rooted in Indigenous knowledge, culture, and traditions. Our work spans the areas of health, housing, justice, language revitalization, education, and cultural connection. Through a commitment to community-led approaches, First Light offers wraparound supports that honour the inherent strength, wisdom, and leadership within Indigenous communities.Our vision is one of cultural continuity, collective wellness, and social justice. We believe in walking alongside community members as they access culturally safe supports, reclaim language and ceremony, and connect to the teachings that sustain them. At First Light, we understand wellness.

Summary

The Director of Community Wellness provides strategic leadership across a braided portfolio of health, housing, and justice. This includes oversight of wellness counselling, Indigenous Patient Navigators, medical transportation, and the development of a new Indigenous Health Clinic. The Director also supports housing and justice programs such as transitional and affordable housing, housing outreach, and culturally grounded justice initiatives rooted in prevention, intervention, and reintegration.

This is a senior leadership role reporting to the VP of Core Services. The Director of Community Wellness carries a deeply relational and vital leadership role within First Light. As part of the Core Services team, this Director helps guide the organization's braided approach to community wellness -- walking alongside others to ensure that health, housing, and justice supports are grounded in Indigenous knowledge, culture, and connection.

The Director leads a team composed of the Manager of Health, Manager of Housing & Justice, and Clinical Counsellor, ensuring services remain aligned with First Light's Strategy Wheel and responsive to the needs, strengths, and leadership of the urban Indigenous community. This role is well-suited for someone who leads with emotional intelligence, cultural humility, and has experience working within Indigenous models of wellness and care.

A full narrative description of this role can be found at the end of this job description.

Core Skill SetRelational & Reflective Leadership:

Leads with humility, clarity, and self-direction Builds trust through grounded presence, empathy, and deep and active listening Cultivates reflective, caring, and accountable team environments that reflect Indigenous leadership teachings

Cultural & Conflict Navigation:

Navigates conflict through circle processes, restorative justice, and teachings from the land Applies Indigenous knowledge and trauma-informed practice to hold space and restore relationships

Community-Centered Systems Thinking:

Recognizes wellness as a sacred relational, collective, and interconnected system Ensures housing, health, justice, and clinical services are braided together with community representation and cultural values Anchors complex decision-making in ceremony, story, and lived wisdom of the community

Strategic Stewardship & Collaboration:

Balances big-picture vision with implementation, always grounded in community care Works in respectful relationship with Elders, Knowledge Keepers, First Light team members and community partners

Responsibilities

Leadership & Strategy

Provide

visionary leadership across health, housing, and justice portfolios

, rooted in Indigenous knowledge, values, and relational governance Guide the

planning and launch of an Indigenous Health Clinic

that integrates traditional healing, culturally rooted wellness counselling, and Western medical practices Provide

strategic oversight of community health services

in partnership with the Manager of Health -- including medical transportation, patient navigation, and wellness counselling Provide

strategic oversight of housing & justice services

in partnership with the Manager of Housing & Justice - including affordable and transitional housing programs, housing outreach, and community justice initiatives

Champion Indigenous approaches to wellness and healing

-- including circle processes, collective decision-making, and community-led engagement

Program Oversight

Support the Manager of Health

in delivering holistic, culturally safe services, including

: Medical transportation for clients accessing care Indigenous patient navigation supporting cultural safety & access to systems Jordan's Principle coordination to ensure access to culturally appropriate supports Supportthe Clinical Counsellor

in delivering counselling services

rooted in Indigenous knowledge, intergenerational healing, and trauma-informed approaches Guide the Manager of Housing & Justice

in providing

: Transitional and affordable housing programs Housing outreach and navigation grounded in respect and dignity Justice and reintegration program supports Ensure all programs across the wellness portfolio are

trauma-informed, harm-reduction-oriented, and culturally grounded approaches

, guided by the principles of community self-determination

Team Leadership & Culture

Supervise

, mentor, and walk alongside staff through circle-based supervision, meaningful connection, cultural teachings, and ongoing development opportunities

Provide strategic and operational guidance to the

Manager of Health

,

Manager of Housing & Justice

, and

Clinical Counsellor, that are informed by First Light's Strategy Wheel

Foster a team culture rooted in

emotional intelligence, circle-based conflict resolution, lateral kindness, and relational accountability

Community Engagement

Engage

Elders, Knowledge Keepers, community members, and people with lived/living experience

in shaping all services within the wellness portfolio Build and maintain

authentic, reciprocal relationships with partners

across the health, housing, and justice sectors Promote

cultural safety, community voice, and self-determination

in all programs and decision-making processes

Operations & Reporting

Collaborate with the

VP of Core Services

on

operational planning

,

budgeting

,

and reporting

across the wellness portfolio Contribute to

funding proposals, evaluation frameworks, and long-term sustainability

planning that uplift Indigenous-led wellness models Ensure

accountability to funders while remaining grounded in community priorities

, Indigenous values, and trauma-informed practice

Qualifications

Bachelor's or Master's degree in

Indigenous Studies, Social Work, Public Health, Community Development, or a related field

-- an equivalent combination of lived and professional experience will be considered*
Minimum of

5 years of leadership experience

in Indigenous health, housing, or community wellness programming, including staff supervision Experience

planning, launching, and managing community-based health services

, wellness programs, or clinics Knowledge of and/or experience with

medical transportation, patient navigation, and wraparound supports for Indigenous clients

accessing care in and outside of their home communities

Certification with a licensing body of the Newfoundland and Labrador Health Authority

- ability to supervise clinical counselling staff

Narrative Position Description

The

Director of Community Wellness

carries a deeply relational and vital leadership role within First Light. As part of the

Core Services team

, this Director helps guide the organization's braided approach to community wellness -- walking alongside others to ensure that health, housing, and justice supports are grounded in Indigenous knowledge, culture, and connection, and guided by relational accountability and trauma-informed practice. This role is rooted in responsibility to the community -- not just in overseeing services, but in holding space, building trust, and shaping systems that honour the strength and wisdom of urban Indigenous peoples. Guided by the teachings of First Light's Strategy Wheel, the Director brings these responsibilities to life by supporting teams, shaping programs, and nurturing relationships that reflect shared values.

The Director provides

strategic and relational leadership across a portfolio that includes health, housing, and justice

. While day-to-day delivery is led by the Manager of Health, Manager of Housing & Justice, and Clinical Counsellor, the Director ensures alignment -- keeping all programs connected to First Light's broader vision and values. Their leadership helps braid these supports into holistic, community-led, and culturally safe systems of care.

In leading teams, the Director walks alongside - not ahead of - their team. They nurture humility and care --

cultivating a

culture of reflection, mutual support, lateral kindness, and accountability

. They bring strong emotional intelligence, a deep respect for lived experience, and the ability to hold hard conversations with care, using circle processes, restorative dialogue, and Indigenous approaches to navigating conflict and restoring relationships.

This is a role for someone who understands that leadership is about care, who sees wellness as a ceremony. Someone who walks with others, leads with heart, and helps braid systems that honour community voice, cultural knowledge, and Indigenous ways of being. As First Light continues to grow and transform, the Director of Community Wellness carries that vision forward -- building stronger systems and healthier futures for Indigenous individuals, families, and communities.

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: $85,000.00 per year

Benefits:

Casual dress Company events Dental care Employee assistance program Extended health care Flexible schedule Life insurance On-site childcare On-site parking Paid time off RRSP match Vision care Wellness program Work from home
Schedule:

Monday to Friday
Work Location: In person

Application deadline: 2025-06-03