Director Community Engagement & Partnerships

At Torngat Metals, we are developing the Strange Lake project to meet the urgent global demand for responsibly sourced rare earths that are essential to the energy transition. We are currently seeking talented individuals who are eager to contribute to our highly strategic project and play a role in shaping a resilient and responsible rare earth industry in Canada.

Torngat Metals is seeking a qualified Director, Community Engagement & Partnerships

to join its team located in Montreal. Reporting to the VP, Community Engagement & Partnerships, this role is responsible for managing the relationships with Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities in Quebec. The role will evolve with the project’s advancement into operations.

What You’ll Do:

The role is crucial in cultivating and managing positive relationships with various communities, partners, and stakeholders. This includes the leadership in each community, community groups, business groups, and community members.

The incumbent will provide support to the CEO and future VP, Community Engagement & Partnerships for negotiations of equity participation and agreements (ex. PDA and IBA).

- Develop and implement community engagement strategies, actions, and tools that align with the department and organization’s goals and values.

- Foster and maintain positive relationships with Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities, understanding their unique needs and cultures.

- Understand the needs, realities and concerns of members of Indigenous and none-Indigenous communities regarding employment, training and environmental and social issues.

- Stay informed about relevant policies, regulations, and socio-economic developments affecting Indigenous and none-Indigenous communities.

- Participate in the development of policies and procedures to engage communities systematically within the operation (procurement, hiring, training, donations, …).

- Support the department in the negotiation of the different agreements and IBA and be responsible for the positive and constructive implementation of these agreements.

- Organize and maintain Torngat Metals presence at community events.

- Assist VP in the development and management of departmental budget for engagement initiatives.

Outreach and engagement:

- Organize company meetings in the communities

- Organize and facilitate community events, workshops, and meeting to encourage active participation and feedback.

- Evaluate and measure the impact of community engagement initiatives, adjusting as needed.

- Monitor and track relevant community engagement metrics on social media accounts, website, etc.

- Analyze complex and challenging issues and communicate information and actions needed in a timely manner.

- Prepare reports summarizing community engagement activities and progress of agreements/IBA implementation.

- Coordinate data collection, preparation, and transmission of IBA reports.

- Organize, participate, and take notes at working group and committee meetings.

Presentations and community messaging:

- Outreach to agencies, organizations, partners, and stakeholders to conduct presentations, both in-person and utilizing online platforms.

- Conduct various surveys to gather information and analyze feedback from the communities to inform the company’s decisions and strategies.

- Direct communication and messaging materials including pamphlets, brochures, presentations, and newsletters.

- Attend community meetings, represent the organization in public forums and make public presentations.

- Manage and coordinate meetings, invitations, and scheduling with community groups and government agencies.

Collaboration:

- Collaborate with internal teams to integrate community perspectives into decision-making processes.

- Work closely with operations and HR to support the recruitment, training, promotion, and retention of indigenous workers.

- Work with contractors to ensure awareness of and compliance with IBAs.

- Manage and coordinate internal and external team members, providing guidance and support.

- Mentor and evaluate team members for professional development.

What We’re Looking For:

- University degree in community development, public affairs, anthropology, communication, indigenous studies or a related field (M.Sc. an asset).

- Experience of at least ten (10) years in community engagement.

- Strong working knowledge, relationships, and understanding of Indigenous groups in Quebec.

Desirable Skills:

- Several years of successful leadership and relevant work experience at a managerial level.

- Excellent interpersonal skills, relationship building skills, an ability to handle and organize large workloads, and a proven ability to communicate effectively both orally and in writing.

- Experience in negotiating and implementing Indigenous agreements and IBAs.

- An aptitude to deal with complex issues, strong analytical skills, tact and diplomacy, capacity for decisive action, and the ability to influence.

- Highly advanced innovation, creativity, flexibility, and problem-solving capabilities.

- Ability to anticipate and identify problems and use sound judgment and fact-based analysis to develop effective and efficient solutions.

- High proficiency with standard computer platforms, including all Microsoft 365 software.

- Superior verbal and written communication skills – in both English and French.

Why You’ll Love It:

- Competitive compensation with a bonus program

- Group RRSP with up to 5% employer contribution

- Flexible hours and hybrid work schedule

- Generous benefits (health, dental and vision)

- Telemedicine

- Professional development and career advancement opportunities

- Free coffee!

Who We Are:

Torngat Metals is a private company based in Canada advancing the Strange Lake rare earth project—one of the world’s most notable sources of heavy rare earth elements used in low-carbon and high-tech solutions. With development activities in Québec, and Newfoundland & Labrador, we are committed to implementing environmental best practices into our operations and building strong partnerships with local communities. Our objective is to contribute to strengthening global supply chain resilience and to positioning Canada as a credible source of critical materials such as dysprosium and terbium.

Torngat Metals is an equal opportunity employer and encourages applications from all qualified individuals.

We are committed to providing a safe and healthy work environment. All employees are expected to follow safety procedures to help protect themselves and others.

If you’re excited to contribute to our highly strategic project and play a role in shaping a resilient and responsible rare earth industry in Canada, we want you on our team – apply today!