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Southern First Nations Health Authority
Chief Operating Officer
The Southern Chiefs’ Organization Inc (“SCO”) represents 34 Anishinaabe and Dakota Nations and more than 83,000 citizens in what is now southern Manitoba. As such, SCO is one of the largest First Nation aggregates in Canada. SCO was established 24 years ago by the Chiefs as an independent organization to protect, preserve, promote, and enhance First Nation peoples’ inherent rights, languages, customs, and traditions through the application and implementation of the spirit and intent of the Treaty-making process. Currently there is a documented 11+ year growing gap in life expectancy between First Nation citizens and all others living in Manitoba. SCO is working to change that through transforming the health care system.
The Health Transformation Process is a community-led engagement process which began in 2019 following the passing of the SCO Chiefs-in-Summit resolution, Exercising our Treaty, and Inherent Right to Health. In June 2020, SCO signed an historic memorandum of understanding with Canada to work together, and in 2021, another SCO Chiefs-in-Summit resolution was passed, to support a Health Transformation Action Plan to fulfil First Nation priorities for an Agreement-in-Principle. In June of 2022, Manitoba committed to developing an Agreement-in-Principle with Canada and SCO. This First Nations-led tri-partite table will result in the formation a Southern First Nation Health Authority that will launch later this year.
The Chief Operating Officer (COO) is responsible for the strategic management and daily operational performance of the Southern First Nation Health Authority (SFNHA), to ensure culturally safe, reliable, responsive, and optimal health care services for First Nations communities in southern Manitoba. Reporting to, and working in collaboration with the CEO, the COO is accountable for supporting the implementation of the strategic direction and thought leadership necessary to ensure sound decision-making and substantive expertise guide the establishment of SFNHA. Having process ownership and oversight of partnerships and patient services the COO will manage the day-to-day operations and strategy to guide the organizational transformation and successful establishment of SFNHA.
The successful candidate demonstrates a strong belief in and commitment to SFNHA’s mission. SFNHA seeks an outstanding leader with a demonstrated capacity to lead the delivery of the core functions of the Health Authority’s administration. The COO will have demonstrated a record of leadership and administration within a service-oriented environment where responsibilities extend beyond traditional internal operations. Seen as a trusted advisor, leader and colleague, the successful candidate will be able to work in a complex environment with wide ranging community and governmental stakeholders and will be driven to build the structures needed to provide highly tailored health services. First Nations candidates will be given preference.
To fill this position, SFNHA has partnered with leadership advisory firm Odgers Berndtson. Applications are encouraged immediately and should be submitted online at https://www.odgersberndtson.com/en/careers/18469. For more information, please contact Camille Petitti or Sarah Piotrkowski of Odgers Berndtson. We thank all those who express an interest, however only those chosen for further development will be contacted.
SFNHA is an equal opportunity employer. In accordance with the Accessible Canada Act, 2019 and all applicable provincial accessibility standards, upon request, accommodation will be provided by both Odgers Berndtson and Southern First Nations Health Authority throughout the recruitment, selection and/or assessment process to applicants with disabilities.
Odgers Berndtson is deeply committed to diversity, equity and inclusion in all the work that we do. As part of our efforts to better understand our ability to reach as broad a pool of candidates as possible for our searches, our DEI team would like to encourage you to take a moment and access our Self-Declaration Form.
