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. 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.

The Director will lead program design and continuous improvement, oversee evaluation and impact measurement, provide insights to inform strategic and investment decisions, and manage the overall program portfolio.

Program

Development & Strategy Lead the development and design of programs aligned with organizational strategy and stakeholder priorities. Establish program development standards, processes, and governance frameworks across the organization. Evaluation, Performance Measurement & Economic Impact ~ Develop and oversee evaluation frameworks that measure program performance, outcomes, and return on investment.

Develop program frameworks, theories of change, logic models, implementation plans, and performance expectations. Lead economic impact assessments, including analysis of economic growth, productivity, commercialization, talent outcomes, and ecosystem benefits. Oversee the development of impact reports, performance dashboards,



and evidence-based narratives for executives, Board members, government partners, and stakeholders.

Build organizational capacity to use data and evidence to drive continuous improvement. Ability to see and manage the full lifecycle from strategic need and policy challenge through program design, implementation, outcomes, evaluation, and continuous improvement. Monitor the performance and strategic alignment of the organization’s program portfolio by assessing program effectiveness, relevance and value creation.

Ability to translate evidence, stakeholder insights, economic and policy priorities, and evaluation findings into effective program models and interventions. Ability to identify emerging opportunities, assess where Mitacs can uniquely add value, and shape a program portfolio that responds to evolving economic, innovation, talent, and policy priorities. Leadership & Team Management Lead and develop a multidisciplinary team responsible for program development, evaluation, and economic impact analysis.

Establish priorities, operating plans, and performance objectives for the function. Foster collaboration between program, evaluation, policy, and operational teams. Build a culture of evidence-based decision-making, innovation, and continuous improvement.

Leadership experience managing high-performing teams and fostering collaboration across departments. Degree in Economics, Business, Public Policy, Statistics, Evaluation, or a related field; a graduate degree or equivalent experience is an asset. Minimum 10 years of progressive experience in program development,



strategy, evaluation, performance measurement, economic impact, preferably within research, innovation, or economic development.

Proven experience designing, developing, and improving programs and translating evidence, data, and analysis into strategic recommendations and decisions. Strong understanding of program evaluation, performance measurement, economic impact assessment, and the Canadian research and innovation ecosystem. Demonstrated experience managing complex program portfolios and balancing strategic priorities, resources, performance, and impact.

Solid analytical, strategic thinking, problem-solving, and project management skills. Excellent communication and presentation skills, with the ability to translate complex analysis into clear, actionable insights for senior leaders and stakeholders. Bilingualism (English/French) is 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. Mitacs is committed to reconciliation with Indigenous communities across Canada. Lived experience or perspectives connected to Indigenous worldviews are considered strong assets.

Equity, diversity, and inclusion and reconciliation are strong commitments at Mitacs: Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion - Mitacs. 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 andmaximumamounts.

The midpoint of the range is positionedapproximately halfwaybetween the minimum and maximum,indicatinga fully qualified employee with comprehensive job knowledge and experience for the role. Our recruitment process may use artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled tools to support activities.

📌 Director, Program Development & Impact (Vancouver)
🏢 Mitacs
📍 Vancouver