Senior Advisor, Strategic Partnerships - Vancouver

Do you want to be part of a mission driven organization shaping Canada’s innovation future? Do you thrive in collaborative environments where creativity, continuous improvement, and strategic thinking are valued? Are you motivated by work that strengthens Canada’s competitiveness and delivers meaningful impact for communities and businesses? 

At Mitacs, we take a talent first approach to building Canada’s innovation capacity. We connect researchers with organizations across every region of the country to help solve pressing challenges and accelerate economic growth. By enabling business academic collaboration and supporting the development of highly skilled talent, we contribute to a resilient, future ready Canadian economy. 

Guided by our values — Impact, Integrity, Collaboration, Excellence, and Talent — we work with partners nationwide to advance research, commercialization, and innovation. 

At Mitacs, you become part of a team committed to empowering Canadian talent, fostering meaningful partnerships, and driving innovation that supports Canada’s long-term competitiveness. If you’re inspired by big ideas and passionate about creating national impact, we encourage you to apply. 

Position Summary

The Senior Advisor, Strategic Partnerships is responsible for leading Mitacs National Sector strategy and implementation in their respective assigned sectors, including defining and implementing sector strategy, developing relationships with key sector industry and research centre accounts and partners, and ensuring that Mitacs contributions to national innovation priorities, talent development, and research are achieved.

Successful Candidates will be assigned one or more of the following National or Regional sectors:

• Software
• Gaming
• Digital media
• Entrepreneurship
• Life sciences / health

Key Responsibilities:

Sector Leadership

• Serve as the Mitacs national sector lead for assigned sector(s)
• Develop and ensure implementation of overall Mitacs sector strategy
• Develop and implement Federal and Provincial funding strategies in cooperation with Government Relations
• Work in cooperation with Regional Sector Lead team members
• Build and maintain strong relationships with key industry and innovation ecosystem stakeholders within designated sector portfolios. Become highly visible within the designated sector ecosystem, ensuring that potential partners become familiar with Mitacs offerings and consider Mitacs as a funding source when initiating joint academic – industry engagement projects and initiatives
• Ensure alignment with national strategies while recognizing and supporting the unique sector needs. Establish sector targets and monitor and support delivery against targets
• Identify and pursue opportunities for partnership development aligned with organizational goals in key provincial and national sectors

Required Qualifications & Experience

• Exceptional relationship building and influence skills, with the ability to navigate complex, multi stakeholder environments.
• Minimum of 5 years of progressive experience engaging with industry partners delivering strategic partnerships, in business development, or industry stakeholder engagement
• Proven track record initiating and negotiating complex agreements with private sector organizations and government-funded innovation/commercialization entities
• Demonstrated experience working with academic-private sector collaboration ecosystem
• Familiarity with assigned sector ecosystem and potential partners
• A widespread network of key players in the assigned sector(s)
• Knowledge of written and spoken French and English an asset. Knowledge of written and spoken English is required in this role as you will interact with colleagues, clients, and stakeholders located across Canada.

Equity, diversity, and inclusion and reconciliation are strong commitments at Mitacs: Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion - Mitacs. We believe a diverse workforce comprised of individuals with different lived experiences, ideas, strengths, and backgrounds (e.g., gender identities and expressions, Indigeneity, race, abilities, sexual orientation, and other identities) are crucial to our success. We welcome everyone to apply and encourage you to connect with us if you require accommodations during the recruitment process. 

Hiring Range: $90,975 - $115,235 

Hiring and Salary Range Transparency 
 

Typically, employees are hired, transferred, or promoted within the salary range, specifically between the minimum and midpoint in the hiring range.
 

The salary range refers to the range of base salaries for a given position, encompassing the minimum and maximum amounts. The midpoint of the range is positioned approximately halfway between the minimum and maximum, indicating a fully qualified employee with comprehensive job knowledge and experience for the role.
 

Only in rare and exceptional circumstances, where a candidate has the experience, skills, and expertise that far exceed those required for the position, would we consider paying above the hiring range for this role.