Director, Operations

Do you want to be part of our innovative and entrepreneurial team?

Mitacs is a national not-for-profit that helps industry and non-profit partners solve strategic challenges by leveraging Canada’s world-class post-secondary talent and a global network of industry, academic, and government partnerships. Through these collaborations, Mitacs helps business and community partners succeed, improves students’ on-the-job skills development, and strengthens Canada’s world-class innovation ecosystem. At Mitacs, we strive to develop the next generation of innovators with vital research and business skills. In partnership with domestic and international companies, governments, and academia, we support a new economy using Canada’s most valuable resource – its people. 

To get a better understanding of Mitacs and read the complete job description, please visit our
website: https://www.mitacs.ca/careers/

Position Summary

The Director of Operations is a leadership role responsible for overseeing the strategic and day-to-day execution of business operations for the end-to-end grant award application and administration process and client service support functions. This position ensures organizational efficiency, scalability, excellent client support service, and compliance by aligning operational strategies with organizational goals, optimizing workflows, and managing a regionally dispersed team.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Operations Management

• Develop and execute operational strategies aligned with company objectives.
• Lead process improvement initiatives targeting measurable efficiency gains.
• Establish,monitor, and achieve key performance indicators (KPIs) e.g (lead time, client satisfaction) using performance dashboards.
• Drive cross-functional collaboration to eliminate silos.

Process Optimization & Systems

• Conduct operational assessments and identify improvement opportunities.
• Implement standardized procedures and digital transformation initiatives
• Leverage and implement AI tools and automation to achieve organizational objectives (e.g. Mitacs Enterprise Transformation project).

Contract Management

• Monitor compliance with funder contractual obligations
• Implement and monitor systems to ensure data accuracy through controls and best practices
• Validate reporting activity to multiple funding agreements

Team Leadership & Development

• Build and lead high-performing teams (incl. service delivery, client service support).
• Provide coaching, performance evaluations, and succession planning.
• Foster a culture of continuous improvement and operational excellence.

Stakeholder Management

• Collaborate with internal and external partners (Office of Research Services (ORS), Academic Supervisors, Interns, and Partner Organizations).

Risk Management & Compliance

• Identify and mitigate operational risks.
• Ensure adherence to industry standards/best practices as well as internal standards.

Performance Monitoring & Reporting

• Analyze operational data to identify trends and inefficiencies.
• Prepare executive reports and present strategic recommendations.
• Use predictive analytics for proactive decision-making.

Required Qualifications

Education

• Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Operations Management, or related field.

Experience

• 8–12 years of demonstrated achievement of results in operations management , including:
  • Workload capacity planning and management
  • Throughput and productivity improvement
  • Quality improvement
• 5+ years in leadership roles managing cross-functional teams.

Skills

• Strong analytical and data interpretation skills.
• Expertise in budgeting, cost control, and transactional workflow improvement.
• Excellent communication, leadership, and project management abilities.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office tools/suite
• Experience and knowledge implementing AI tools & technologies
• Knowledge of written and spoken English is required in this role as you will interact with colleagues, clients and stakeholders located across Canada

Certifications (Preferred)

• Lean Six Sigma (Green/Black Belt)
• Project Management Professional (PMP)
• Agile certifications

Hiring Range: $117,200 - $139,175

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.

Equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) and decolonization are core values at Mitacs: Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion - Mitacs. We believe a diverse workforce comprised of individuals with different ideas, strengths, interests, 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.