Senior Associate, Yukon
Top Benefits
About the role
Senior Associate, Yukon – Full Time, Permanent
Located in Whitehorse, Yukon
Salary: $80,000-95,000 base + Northern Living Allowance $26,503-$30,171
Are you an organized person who enjoys building relationships and establishing connections? Do you value and want to contribute to Indigenous and community work that supports land stewardship, sustainable livelihoods, leadership, and culture? Are you an independent thinker with a drive to make positive change?
The Program Lead, Yukon will help facilitate social, economic, and environmental solutions led by northern people. This position will provide funding, support, and advice to a Yukon-wide portfolio of environmental stewardship, social justice, and cultural revitalization initiatives led by Yukon First Nations, communities, and organizations.
MakeWay builds partnerships and solutions that help nature and communities thrive together. Our people, projects, and partners are located across the country. The Program Lead, Yukon is part of a team of Indigenous and northern staff that lead MakeWay’s Northern Program, which operates in the three territories and four Inuit regions. The Northern Program is focused on supporting Indigenous-led land and water stewardship, language and culture revitalization, sustainable community livelihoods, and emerging northern leaders.
This position is located in the MakeWay office in Whitehorse, Yukon.
If our values align with yours and you want to learn, grow, and develop within a supportive team that is trying to make a difference, then we want to hear from you!
What You’ll Do:
Grantmaking
- Lead grantmaking efforts in the Yukon, ensuring alignment with Northern values and priorities.
- Identify and recommend grant opportunities to the Northern Program team, facilitating consensus-based decision-making processes.
- Support grantmaking streams that emphasize Indigenous stewardship of lands and waters, culture and language revitalization, place-based economic development, and the cultivation of next generation emerging leaders.
- Help the development of community-led initiatives to increase their readiness to receive grants and sustain their impact.
- Engage with Yukon First Nations and communities to ensure grantmaking strategies and program activities are aligned with their needs and desires.
Program Management
- Catalyze and support Indigenous stewardship, cultural revitalization, and leadership strengthening program development in partnership with Yukon First Nations and other partners.
- Undertake community engagement and research to inform program development strategies and activities.
- Convene and coordinate partners to collectively advance programmatic objectives.
Fostering Strong Relationships
- Lead the development of relationships and collaborations with partner communities, leaders, and organizations across the Yukon, especially First Nations.
- Initiate and steward relationships with foundations and other donors.
- Organize and coordinate convenings, meetings, and gatherings that complement grantmaking and programming objectives.
- Represent MakeWay at meetings, conferences, and other convenings.
- Clearly communicate about MakeWay's activities and approaches to diverse audiences
Contributing to Team Efforts
- Participate in the development of Northern Program strategy, planning, and budgets.
- Work with the Northern Program team to advance programmatic and organization-wide goals and strategies.
- Work to develop and implement improvements to MakeWay systems and processes.
- Be the on the ground MakeWay staff in the Whitehorse office: communicate with the co-tenants and landlord, support ongoing unit services, etc.
Who You Are:
- A Yukoner: You live in the Yukon and understand it.
- People person: You’re a natural relationship builder who can establish connections with a broad range of individuals across the North and South.
- Visionary: You can paint a compelling picture of vision and strategy that motivates action.
- Community-minded: You love being in community and trust that local people have the best solutions to their own challenges.
- Organized: You can juggle priorities and deliver on multiple assignments while maintaining effectiveness and efficiency.
- Problem solver: You enjoy thinking of new solutions to unique challenges in diverse contexts.
- Positive Communicator: You can translate complex information into clear and simple language. You articulate future possibilities in a positive way.
- Analytical: You have an attention to detail paired with analytical and problem-solving abilities. You are practiced at digesting information, assessing importance and risks, and making clear and timely decisions.
- Tech-savvy: You have strong computer skills including a familiarity with Microsoft programs and software.
Experience You Bring:
- A deep appreciation for the Yukon and its people, history, and landscapes.
- Understanding of Yukon First Nation history and aspirations.
- Strong analytical and communication skills.
- General financial oversight skills.
- Comfort working with a diversity of small organizations and communities.
- Strong computer skills with proficiency in Microsoft Office applications.
- A drive to develop solutions that fit the North.
- A deep appreciation for traditional foods!
It Would Be a Bonus if You Have:
- Familiarity with Indigenous-led conservation and stewardship approaches and initiatives.
- Experience in the charitable and non-profit sector.
If you are interested in this role but are unsure if you qualify, send us your application anyway and tell us about why you can be a good fit for this position. We’d love to hear from you!
What We Offer:
- The opportunity to enable community-led impact in the North.
- Full-time annual salary of $80,000-$95,000 base + $21,000 Northern top-up + Northern Living Allowance of $5,503-$9,171 for Whitehorse (dependent-based; consistent with rates established by the National Joint Council).
- Comprehensive employer-paid extended health, vision, and dental benefits package, including an annual $300 Health Spending Account starting on your first day of employment.
- Pregnancy and Parental/Adoption Leave top-up (subject to eligibility).
- Annual RRSP contribution.
- Four weeks’ vacation plus statutory holidays. MakeWay has implemented a Substitution Statutory Holiday policy which allows employees the flexibility to substitute another day for a statutory holiday.
- Winter break office closure and 9-day summer fortnight program.
- 10 sick and personal days.
- Flexible, diverse, and engaging work environment.
- Committed colleagues and a culture of collaboration, caring, and learning.
- High level of responsibility and autonomy.
How to Apply:
Please submit your cover letter and resume to careers@makeway.org by September 21, 2025. In your cover letter please share what makes you an ideal fit for this position and why you want to join the MakeWay Team.
We’ll be in touch with candidates selected to move forward in the hiring process after the application deadline. If you require support at any point in the hiring process, please don’t hesitate to reach out.
Preference will be given to Indigenous candidates.
Hiring Process:
-
Application Submission
-
Application Review
-
Panel Interview 1
-
Panel Interview 2
-
Offer and References
Please note: Interviews will be compensated at $75/interview and interview questions will be provided 24 hours in advance.
MakeWay is strongly committed to equity and creating a diverse workplace community. We recognize that our recruiting and hiring processes are key to this commitment. We strive to reflect the diversity of our society on our teams and to provide a respectful workplace and equal working opportunities for all employees and applicants. We encourage all qualified applicants to apply. If you require accommodations at any point during the application or hiring process, please contact us at careers@makeway.org.
We truly appreciate the time and effort candidates put into applying. Only those moving forward will be contacted. Thank you!
Senior Associate, Yukon
Top Benefits
About the role
Senior Associate, Yukon – Full Time, Permanent
Located in Whitehorse, Yukon
Salary: $80,000-95,000 base + Northern Living Allowance $26,503-$30,171
Are you an organized person who enjoys building relationships and establishing connections? Do you value and want to contribute to Indigenous and community work that supports land stewardship, sustainable livelihoods, leadership, and culture? Are you an independent thinker with a drive to make positive change?
The Program Lead, Yukon will help facilitate social, economic, and environmental solutions led by northern people. This position will provide funding, support, and advice to a Yukon-wide portfolio of environmental stewardship, social justice, and cultural revitalization initiatives led by Yukon First Nations, communities, and organizations.
MakeWay builds partnerships and solutions that help nature and communities thrive together. Our people, projects, and partners are located across the country. The Program Lead, Yukon is part of a team of Indigenous and northern staff that lead MakeWay’s Northern Program, which operates in the three territories and four Inuit regions. The Northern Program is focused on supporting Indigenous-led land and water stewardship, language and culture revitalization, sustainable community livelihoods, and emerging northern leaders.
This position is located in the MakeWay office in Whitehorse, Yukon.
If our values align with yours and you want to learn, grow, and develop within a supportive team that is trying to make a difference, then we want to hear from you!
What You’ll Do:
Grantmaking
- Lead grantmaking efforts in the Yukon, ensuring alignment with Northern values and priorities.
- Identify and recommend grant opportunities to the Northern Program team, facilitating consensus-based decision-making processes.
- Support grantmaking streams that emphasize Indigenous stewardship of lands and waters, culture and language revitalization, place-based economic development, and the cultivation of next generation emerging leaders.
- Help the development of community-led initiatives to increase their readiness to receive grants and sustain their impact.
- Engage with Yukon First Nations and communities to ensure grantmaking strategies and program activities are aligned with their needs and desires.
Program Management
- Catalyze and support Indigenous stewardship, cultural revitalization, and leadership strengthening program development in partnership with Yukon First Nations and other partners.
- Undertake community engagement and research to inform program development strategies and activities.
- Convene and coordinate partners to collectively advance programmatic objectives.
Fostering Strong Relationships
- Lead the development of relationships and collaborations with partner communities, leaders, and organizations across the Yukon, especially First Nations.
- Initiate and steward relationships with foundations and other donors.
- Organize and coordinate convenings, meetings, and gatherings that complement grantmaking and programming objectives.
- Represent MakeWay at meetings, conferences, and other convenings.
- Clearly communicate about MakeWay's activities and approaches to diverse audiences
Contributing to Team Efforts
- Participate in the development of Northern Program strategy, planning, and budgets.
- Work with the Northern Program team to advance programmatic and organization-wide goals and strategies.
- Work to develop and implement improvements to MakeWay systems and processes.
- Be the on the ground MakeWay staff in the Whitehorse office: communicate with the co-tenants and landlord, support ongoing unit services, etc.
Who You Are:
- A Yukoner: You live in the Yukon and understand it.
- People person: You’re a natural relationship builder who can establish connections with a broad range of individuals across the North and South.
- Visionary: You can paint a compelling picture of vision and strategy that motivates action.
- Community-minded: You love being in community and trust that local people have the best solutions to their own challenges.
- Organized: You can juggle priorities and deliver on multiple assignments while maintaining effectiveness and efficiency.
- Problem solver: You enjoy thinking of new solutions to unique challenges in diverse contexts.
- Positive Communicator: You can translate complex information into clear and simple language. You articulate future possibilities in a positive way.
- Analytical: You have an attention to detail paired with analytical and problem-solving abilities. You are practiced at digesting information, assessing importance and risks, and making clear and timely decisions.
- Tech-savvy: You have strong computer skills including a familiarity with Microsoft programs and software.
Experience You Bring:
- A deep appreciation for the Yukon and its people, history, and landscapes.
- Understanding of Yukon First Nation history and aspirations.
- Strong analytical and communication skills.
- General financial oversight skills.
- Comfort working with a diversity of small organizations and communities.
- Strong computer skills with proficiency in Microsoft Office applications.
- A drive to develop solutions that fit the North.
- A deep appreciation for traditional foods!
It Would Be a Bonus if You Have:
- Familiarity with Indigenous-led conservation and stewardship approaches and initiatives.
- Experience in the charitable and non-profit sector.
If you are interested in this role but are unsure if you qualify, send us your application anyway and tell us about why you can be a good fit for this position. We’d love to hear from you!
What We Offer:
- The opportunity to enable community-led impact in the North.
- Full-time annual salary of $80,000-$95,000 base + $21,000 Northern top-up + Northern Living Allowance of $5,503-$9,171 for Whitehorse (dependent-based; consistent with rates established by the National Joint Council).
- Comprehensive employer-paid extended health, vision, and dental benefits package, including an annual $300 Health Spending Account starting on your first day of employment.
- Pregnancy and Parental/Adoption Leave top-up (subject to eligibility).
- Annual RRSP contribution.
- Four weeks’ vacation plus statutory holidays. MakeWay has implemented a Substitution Statutory Holiday policy which allows employees the flexibility to substitute another day for a statutory holiday.
- Winter break office closure and 9-day summer fortnight program.
- 10 sick and personal days.
- Flexible, diverse, and engaging work environment.
- Committed colleagues and a culture of collaboration, caring, and learning.
- High level of responsibility and autonomy.
How to Apply:
Please submit your cover letter and resume to careers@makeway.org by September 21, 2025. In your cover letter please share what makes you an ideal fit for this position and why you want to join the MakeWay Team.
We’ll be in touch with candidates selected to move forward in the hiring process after the application deadline. If you require support at any point in the hiring process, please don’t hesitate to reach out.
Preference will be given to Indigenous candidates.
Hiring Process:
-
Application Submission
-
Application Review
-
Panel Interview 1
-
Panel Interview 2
-
Offer and References
Please note: Interviews will be compensated at $75/interview and interview questions will be provided 24 hours in advance.
MakeWay is strongly committed to equity and creating a diverse workplace community. We recognize that our recruiting and hiring processes are key to this commitment. We strive to reflect the diversity of our society on our teams and to provide a respectful workplace and equal working opportunities for all employees and applicants. We encourage all qualified applicants to apply. If you require accommodations at any point during the application or hiring process, please contact us at careers@makeway.org.
We truly appreciate the time and effort candidates put into applying. Only those moving forward will be contacted. Thank you!