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EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR JOB DESCRIPTION:

Job title: Executive Director

Start date: January 2026

Type: Employee

Reporting to: BIDC Board of Directors

Compension: This is a 3 year contract with the possibility of extension. The role is a full-time role at a salary of $85,000 with a basic benefits package.

About BIDC:

Black + Indigenous Design Collective’s mission is  building capacity and celebrating the advancement of Black and Indigenous voices in spatial design disciplines — urban planning, landscape architecture, architecture, and public art through placemaking.

We acknowledge that the spatial design fields continue to play an active role in the occupation, colonization and oppression of Indigenous people, sovereignty, agency, and authority. We also acknowledge that these professions also impact all communities of colour in ways that contribute to the displacement, continued oppression, and suppression of agency & dignity of these communities.

We strive to actively dismantle these frameworks of dominance within the spatial design fields by embodying decolonized methodologies, and increasing the voices of these oppressive communities within the spatial design professions. This mission is in alignment with larger visions of Indigenous sovereignty, Black liberation, and decolonization. This includes increasing Black and Indigenous youth leadership within design fields and professional industries whilst increasing visibility and educational awareness of BIPOC art and design through our annual programs.

Job Description: 

The Executive Director assumes ultimate responsibility for providing full operational oversight of the organization while maintaining a safe and healthy environment for local Indigenous and Black communities. BIDC is looking for a strong, intelligent, and culturally competent leader who has the experience and ability to manage administrative, financial, legal, communications, and programming responsibilities, and is interested in making a difference in the representation of Black and Indigenous designers and artists in the spatial realm industry.

This position is remote with the exception of occasional in-person Board meetings, and in-person networking meetings and events with prospective funders and community partners.

1. Role Responsibilities:

1.1 Financial

• Create, manage and implement a strategy for securing funding for the organization including fundraising, establishing prospective funders, and managing grant applications

• Consult with BIDC Board of Directors and Sub-committee on prospective funders and long-term financial management

• Managing all accounting-related items including working with bookkeepers to reconcile budgets and submit financial reports as required

• Manages and oversees the operations financial resources in keeping with the approved budget, strategic plan and Board of Directors recommendations
  

1.2 Partnerships

• Actively develop and maintain relationships with BIDC sponsors and public donors

• Expand community partnerships and maintain relationships with existing community partners

• Attend networking meetings and events expanding BIDC’s visibility within spatial design adjacent communities and professionals

1.3 Administrative + Operational

• Develop and optimize a sustainable process for overseeing daily operations of the organization 

• Develop key priorities and methodologies for expanding organization capacity (i.e. securing a space)

• Engage in Strategic Planning with BIDC Board of Directors

• Manage Inbox including incoming requests and potentials for collaboration

• Develop organizational policies and procedures that centre decolonial perspectives and city, national and international priorities such as the City of Vancouver UNDRIP Action Plan and City of Vancouver Anti-Black Racism Action Plan.

• Manage program coordination including program development, planning, and delivery with Program Leads

•  Supervising staff, contractors, program participants, and managing human resources

• Coordinate Program Leads for any programming related meetings and events

• Manage intake of students to BIDC programming

• Maintain a physical and culturally safe environment for Black and Indigenous groups of various intersections

• Manage Board of Directors operations including scheduling meetings and events, on-going sub-committee calendar oversight, working meetings, taking minutes, revising by-laws, etc.

• Organize annual AGM including delivering reports on financial, legal and administrative state of the organization

• Hire and manage potential contractors for various operational and programmming related roles as needed

1.4 Communications

• Implement communications strategy content (with communication coordinator) on a weekly basis including social media management on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, LinkedIn

• Maintain daily public engagement with Black and Indigenous community members, arts organizations, sponsors, the general public through reposts, and direct message replies;

• Design social media posts and pre-schedule all social media content on Buffer and/or other digital software

• Develop content for monthly E-Newsletter with varying audiences

• Ensuring our sponsors are public facing in communications such as in content, gratitude posts, and documenting events

• Supporting BIDC alumni through shoutouts, keeping up with and supporting their careers and crediting their work/collaborations in BIDC content and communications;

• Collaborate with BIDC photographers and videographers to integrate and streamline multiple sources of external content into various BIDC content.

• Complete Monthly Analytics Reports and submit to Board of Directors
  

1.5 Legal

• Ensure the organization complies with all relevant regulatory and legal requirements

• Stay up to date with BC Societies Act and ensure organization submits all required reporting as needed

What you bring to this work:

This person is actively anti-racist and in direct allyship with both local Indigenous Sovereignty and Black Liberation. This person understands the concept of global Indigeneity,  feels a deep sense of justice and desire for systemic change feeling empowered to do so at a management level.  They are raising awareness and applying decolonial and anti-racist methodologies to build community.

This person understands the impacts of racism, colourism, patriarchy, heteronormativity, the gender binary, colonialism, and white supremacy, including how it shows up in working institutions; they have a desire to approach this work from a decolonial and liberatory perspective.

This person has an interest and/or understanding of spatial design and/or visual arts, but most importantly is an expert in social media management, community outreach and communications.

This person understands and is willing to work and contribute to an environment that upholds intersectionality, positionality and trauma-informed practices. 

Qualifications: 

• A university degree in Business, Arts, Social Sciences, or Spatial Design 

• Minimum 5 years of experience in non-profit management overseeing budgets, operations, legal and contractual obligations, and  program development and delivery

• Experience in fundraising and maintaining relationships with multiple donors

• Demonstrated ability to lead, engage, hire and organize a team

• Cultural competency in working with Black and local Indigenous communities and understanding intersectional identities

•  Project management and/or Program Management experience (bonus if in spatial design or public art)

• Experience in risk management activities and demonstrated knowledge of continuous work/life quality and conflict resolution improvement processes

• Passion to further develop a decolonial community and person-centered wellbeing philosophy work environment.

• Must provide a complete and current (within six months) Vulnerable Sector Check

• Being in good standing with the communities we’re working with (we may ask for community reference checks)
  
  

Accessibility: If you require assistance in submitting your application, or have any questions, contact info@bidc.ca with the subject line: Application Assistance.

Apply:  Send a CV, cover letter and portfolio to info@bidc.ca by October 30, 2025 with the subject line: Executive Director Application.