Director, Indigenous Economic Benefits & Partnerships

At Alto, we are actively contributing to the transformation of Canada's future with our high-speed train project connecting Quebec City and Toronto. With the support of the Government of Canada, this innovative project aims to improve the quality of life of our citizens, strengthen ties between communities and stimulate economic growth.

Would you like to take on a stimulating, high-impact challenge?  We are looking for a Director, Indigenous Economic Benefits & Partnerships. Please note that the candidate may be based in one of our four offices: Montreal, Quebec City, Toronto or Ottawa.

The role

Reporting to the Vice-President, Indigenous Relations, the Director, Indigenous Economic Benefits & Partnerships, will be a key leader in designing and delivering Alto’s Indigenous economic benefits agenda—Indigenous jobs and workforce participation, Indigenous procurement and supplier participation, and Indigenous financial/legacy participation options—in collaboration with Indigenous communities, institutions, government and project partners. Leading the First Nations financial partnerships team, this role leads the development of strategies, governance, and implementation plans that advance economic reconciliation outcomes and ensure Alto’s commitments are translated into measurable results.

The Director will work in close collaboration with the Procurement and Commercial teams and Alto’s other internal functions (including talent and culture, legal, finance, etc.).

The responsibilities

 Indigenous Employment & Workforce Participation

• Lead the co-development and implementation of Indigenous employment and workforce participation strategies aligned to project phases, including approaches that support education, recruitment, training, and advancement for Indigenous workers and learners.
• Work with Indigenous organizations and educational institutions to assess community readiness for employment opportunities and identify training pathways that align to project workforce needs.
• Establish performance measurement and reporting approaches that track progress toward Indigenous employment outcomes and inform course corrections as needed.

Indigenous Procurement & Business Participation

• Lead the design and delivery of an Indigenous procurement approach that supports Indigenous businesses’ access to the project supply chain and enables Alto to meet its procurement objectives and targets.
• Support the development of procurement requirements that embed Indigenous participation expectations into competitive processes (e.g., Indigenous participation plans in bidder/subcontractor requirements) and strengthen accountability for delivery.
• Partner with Indigenous institutions and federal departments/agencies to address barriers to Indigenous procurement opportunities and strengthen market readiness.
• Implement measurement and reporting mechanisms in relation to the Indigenous procurement approach

Indigenous Financial & Legacy Participation

• Lead and coordinate engagement to explore and shape Indigenous economic and legacy participation opportunities
• Collaborate with partners to design frameworks that ensure Indigenous voices are meaningfully represented throughout the project as economic participation options are explored.
• Align financial participation engagement with socio-economic benefits programming so communities can see cohesive pathways across jobs, procurement, capacity supports, and long-term participation

Partnerships, Co-Design, and Implementation Governance

• Build and maintain trusted relationships with Indigenous communities, rights-holders, organizations, and institutions, and support collaboration agreements and related implementation plans that promote capacity-building and good governance outcomes.
• Coordinate closely with internal and external stakeholders (including private development partner interfaces and federal partners) to integrate economic benefits into project planning, procurement, and delivery.
• Provide senior-level advice and materials (briefings, decks, option papers) that communicate complex economic participation and procurement topics in clear, decision-ready formats

The requirements

• Master’s degree in economics, administration or other field of study relevant to the role.
• Minimum 10-years experience in community relations or relevant fields of expertise.
• The ideal candidate brings extensive experience and a solid track record of success of building collaborative relations with Indigenous communities, preferably for transportation, infrastructure and/or linear projects, as well as relationships with Indigenous representatives.
• Results-oriented with the ability to manage financial budgets and human resources.
• Ability to travel regularly – up to 30% of the time across the Corridor.
• Bilingualism (French/English) and/or Indigenous language capability considered an asset.

Key Competencies 

• Strategic & Systems Thinking: Ability to translate broad objectives into practical strategies and implementation plans, while understanding cross‑functional impacts across Alto.
• Leadership & People Development: Leads, coaches, and empowers teams by delegating effectively, building engagement, and fostering accountability and professional growth.
• Stakeholder Management: Builds and manages trust‑based relationships with Indigenous communities, leaders, and organizations to advance shared outcomes.
• Decision‑Making & Judgment in Ambiguity: Demonstrates sound judgment, decisiveness, and accountability in complex, evolving, and high‑visibility environments.

• Communication: Communicates complex issues clearly and persuasively and able to provide advice on culturally-appropriate communications.
• Negotiation: Excellent negotiation skills with a strong understanding of the unique legal, political, and economic context of Indigenous peoples in Canada.

• Accountability & Results Orientation: Takes ownership for outcomes, monitors progress, adjusts course as needed, and ensures commitments are delivered with integrity and transparency.

As part of our commitment to employment equity, we encourage applications from individuals who self-identify as First Nations, Inuit or Métis.

Why join our innovative team?

• Basic paid group insurance for you and your family: medical, dental, life, disability, etc.
• Access to wellness and health accounts to support your lifestyle.
• Flex-Alto account of $500 to encourage a healthier approach and a more sustainable mode of transportation.
• A retirement plan and savings options (RRSP and TFSA).
• Vacations based on experience, available upon hiring.
• An incentive compensation program.
• Flexible hybrid work mode.
• A work environment that encourages initiative, innovation, and forward-thinking solutions.
• A unique opportunity to shape the future of transportation in Canada.

We work to create high-performance, diversified teams

At Alto, we believe in the power of diverse teams. We aspire to provide an inclusive and equitable work environment where everyone can develop and flourish. Alto offers equal employment opportunities to all and invites qualified individuals, regardless of their identity, origin or situation, to apply.

Please let us know if you need any adjustments during the recruitment process. We will do our utmost to provide you with a fair and pleasant experience, while keeping any adjustments confidential.

Please note that we will communicate only with those candidates whose applications are selected for further consideration. To find out more about the entire project, visit Alto - Home.