Specialist, Program Development

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

Do you thrive in an entrepreneurial environment and enjoy working in a team atmosphere? Are you an “outside the box” thinker who strives to implement continuous improvements? Do you take a strategic approach to your work? Do you enjoy a fast-paced culture where your opinions are valued and respected? Do you enjoy building partnerships to solve mutually beneficial challenges?

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 more about our values, please visit our website.

As required by Canadian law, all employees must be legally entitled to work in Canada throughout their employment with Mitacs.

The Program Development Team is responsible for designing, refining, and iterating all Mitacs programs & skills partnership offerings to ensure these elements respond directly to policy rationales/market needs, meet objectives, and deliver value. Reporting to the Manager, Program Development, the Specialist will support the review, design and development of program offerings including establishing program objectives and rules/regulations, collaborate with other business units to pilot and evaluate new program & skills partnership offerings, and introduce program changes as needed to ensure continued achievement of stated programming aims.

Full-Time Temporary – March 2027

Key Responsibilities: 

Fulfill the mandate of the Program Development department in the following areas:

• Work collaboratively to provide impactful programs & skills partnership offerings that possess clear documentation & guidelines.
• Support process improvements to help streamline procedures and programs.
• Facilitate meaningful reporting functions for Program Development to measure achievement of key objectives, provide outcomes to other business units, and facilitate continuous improvement.
• Represent Program Development on cross-departmental workgroups, as required.
• Support the Manager, Program Development in reporting progress toward annual operational plan goals.
• Support overall program and skills partnership delivery, as needed.

Specific Duties (including but not limited to):

• Employ change management principles and practices to facilitate programs & skills partnership design changes, based on data and/or cross-functional initiatives, that lead to better participant and client experience and achievement of programmatic outcomes.
• Contribute to the design of programs & skills partnership offerings based on sound policy-based rationale(s), that possess meaningful and achievable aims and deliver value to ecosystem partners/collaborators. 
• Support regular reviews of programs and skills partnership offerings to ensure continued relevancy to the marketplace, alignment with overall strategy, and suitable participant ease-of-use.
• Execute program changes that reduce barriers to equity-deserving groups and align with Mitacs corporate equity, diversity, and inclusion goals.

Required Qualifications: 

• Minimum two (2) years' experience in a program-oriented role.
  
• Experience in providing customer service, and familiarity with service quality approaches and metrics.
  
• Strong interpersonal skills, including excellent communication skills.
• Proven ability to work collaboratively across a range of stakeholders in a complex field of work to achieve common goals. 
  
• A university degree (graduate degree preferred).
  
• Bilingualism French/English. Knowledge of written and spoken English is required in this role as you will interact with colleagues, clients, and stakeholders located across Canada.

Desired Qualifications/Knowledge:
 

• Work experience within the innovation sector and familiarity with academic and government organizations.
• Knowledge of the Canadian government’s public policy goals in innovation and talent attraction/development.
• Knowledge of equity, diversity, inclusion, and decolonization.
• Knowledge of program design and program management principles and practices.

Skills:
 

• Superior verbal and written communication skills, including interpersonal skills, the ability to handle pressure.
  Highly collaborative
  professional who thrives in a fast-paced and dynamic environment.
• Solid analytical, judgment and relationship-building skills.
• Commitment to embracing and fostering a strong team environment.

Hiring Range: $52,720 - $62,605

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.