Interim Senior Vice President, Applied Research & Innovation Reports to: Chief Executive Officer Duration: 6-12 months Hybrid Our client is a leading Canadian mental health organization with a strong commitment to improving outcomes for young people through evidence-informed care, advocacy, prevention, and community-based services.
The organization has accumulated significant clinical, operational, programmatic, and population health data and recognizes the chance to leverage these assets to generate meaningful insights, strengthen service delivery, improve youth outcomes, attract new funding sources, and demonstrate measurable impact to stakeholders.
To support this vision, the organization is seeking an accomplished professional to design and establish a sustainable Applied Research Division that will serve as a strategic enabler of the organization's mission and long-term growth.
This assignment will focus on creating the foundational strategy, governance, operating model, partnerships, funding framework, and implementation roadmap required to build a leading applied research capability focused on youth mental health outcomes.
The Opportunity This is an opportunity to build something from the ground up.
Reporting directly to the CEO and working closely with the Executive Leadership Team and Board of Directors, the Interim Executive will provide strategic leadership in establishing a new Applied Research Division capable of:
Generating evidence to support improved youth mental health outcomes.
Attracting research grants and external funding.
Building partnerships with academic institutions, government agencies, healthcare providers, and industry.
Supporting program innovation and evaluation.
Positioning the organization as a recognized leader in youth mental health research and innovation.
Key Mandate Objectives The Interim Executive will be accountable for:
Applied Research Strategy Assessing the organization's readiness and opportunities for applied research.
Developing a comprehensive Applied Research Strategy aligned with organizational priorities.
Identifying research themes with the highest potential impact on youth mental health outcomes.
Establishing realistic short- and long-term objectives.
Data and Insights Assessing existing data assets and governance practices.
Identifying opportunities to leverage clinical, operational, demographic, social, and population-level data.
Developing a framework for transforming data into actionable organizational insights.
Creating mechanisms to identify trends, risk indicators, service gaps, and emerging youth mental health needs.
Funding and Sustainability Developing a diversified funding strategy.
Identifying new sources of revenue, including: Health system partnerships
Academic collaborations
Foundations and philanthropic funding
Industry-sponsored initiatives
Knowledge translation and consulting opportunities

Governance and Structure Designing an appropriate governance framework.
Establishing policies related to ethics, privacy, data stewardship,



and research oversight.
Defining reporting relationships and organizational accountabilities.
Recommending committee structures and Board oversight mechanisms.
Creating the organizational design for the Applied Research Division.
Defining capabilities, roles, competencies, and resource requirements.
Developing a phased implementation roadmap.
Partnership Development Identifying strategic partnerships with: Universities
Research institutes
Hospitals
Mental health organizations
Creating a sustainable collaboration framework.

Implementation and Capability Building Deliverables Establish the foundational Applied Research Division and transition it from concept to operational reality.
Build and implement the organizational structure required to support the function.
Define key roles, responsibilities, and accountabilities.
Recruit and onboard critical team members where appropriate.
Develop the policies, processes, and procedures required to support research operations, funding management, data governance, ethics, privacy, and partnership oversight.
Establish performance metrics, reporting mechanisms, and operational dashboards.
Create workflows for project selection, grant management, stakeholder engagement, partnership development, and knowledge translation.
Develop operating standards that ensure consistency, sustainability, and scalability of the research function.
Establish governance committees and define decision-making frameworks and reporting relationships.
Implement foundational tools, templates, and documentation required to support ongoing operations.
Initiate and actively manage the first wave of research, analytics, and funding initiatives to demonstrate value and establish organizational momentum.
Knowledge Transfer and Succession Planning Define the competencies, experience, and leadership profile required for the permanent Executive Director or Vice President responsible for Applied Research and Innovation.
Partner with the CEO and leadership team in the recruitment and selection of the permanent leader.
Develop a comprehensive transition and handover plan.
Provide onboarding support and knowledge transfer to the successful permanent incumbent.
Coach and mentor the incoming leader to ensure continuity of strategy, stakeholder relationships, and operational execution.
Ensure the new leader inherits a functioning division with clear priorities, established governance, active partnerships, defined funding opportunities, and a capable team positioned for long-term success.




Service User and Community Engagement Developing approaches that enable the authentic participation and co-design of research initiatives with youth, young adults, families, caregivers, and community stakeholders.
Establishing culturally safe and inclusive engagement practices that strengthen participation from Indigenous, Black, and other equity-deserving communities.
Building partnerships with community organizations, advocacy groups, Indigenous organizations, and Black-serving organizations to support research relevance, accessibility, and impact.
Ensuring the Applied Research Strategy reflects principles of equity, inclusion, reconciliation, and community-informed decision making.
Developing governance mechanisms that incorporate service user, youth, Indigenous, and Black community perspectives into research planning, oversight, knowledge translation, and evaluation activities.
Embedding patient, client, and community engagement practices that align with leading practices in applied research and population health research environments.
Ideal Candidate Profile We are seeking an accomplished executive who has successfully built, transformed, or led applied research, innovation, analytics, or knowledge translation functions within healthcare, research, public sector, academic health sciences, or related environments.
The successful candidate will bring:
15+ years of progressive leadership experience.
Low ego and able to both strategic and tactical as required.
Direct experience establishing or scaling applied research functions.
Demonstrated experience leading community-engaged or participatory research initiatives.
Strong understanding of equity-informed research methodologies and experience working collaboratively with youth, Indigenous, Black, and other underserved populations.
Experience establishing meaningful stakeholder engagement models that incorporate lived and living experience into research design, implementation, and knowledge translation.
Deep understanding of healthcare analytics, population health, and data-driven decision making.
Experience securing and managing grants and research funding.
Strong governance and Board-facing experience.
Expertise in partnerships with academic, healthcare, and government stakeholders.
Knowledge of privacy, ethics, and data governance within healthcare environments.
Proven ability to create clarity, structure, and momentum in emerging functions.
Lee Hecht Harrison Knightsbridge Corp. is committed to providing equitable treatment and accommodation to ensure a barrier-free recruitment process. In accordance with the Ontario Human Rights Code, Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act and our AODA policy, a request for accommodation will be accepted as part of the hiring process. If you require accommodation to apply or if selected to participate in an assessment process, please provide your accommodation needs in advance to the Recruitment Lead for this opportunity.
We thank all interested candidates in advance; however, only individuals selected for interviews will be contacted.

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📌 Interim Senior Vice President, Applied Research & Innovation (Ontario)
🏢 LHH Knightsbridge
📍 Ontario