About the Ontario Centre of Innovation
The Ontario Centre of Innovation (OCI) is a not-for-profit organization committed to accelerating economic growth in Ontario through the commercialization of advanced technologies and research. OCI acts as a bridge among academia, industry, and government, investing in collaborative R&D, fostering innovation ecosystems, and helping promising ventures bring new technologies to market.
In 2024, OCI invested $117 million across the province, including $61 million in industry contributions. These efforts helped drive the creation and retention of over 5,500 jobs and catalyzed more than $700 million in private-sector follow-on investments.
OCI’s role is central to Ontario’s vision of innovation-led prosperity: by reducing the risk of commercialization, facilitating partnerships, and strategically deploying capital into high-impact technologies, OCI contributes to the province’s competitiveness, talent retention, and long-term economic resilience.
Position Summary
Reporting to the Manager, Strategic Partnerships, the Engagement & Partnerships Lead will be a crucial figure in the Corporate Development, Partnerships & International department. This role will be responsible for leading the development and implementation of engagement strategies that contribute to the entire partnership lifecycle, from exploration to negotiation and execution. Specifically, the candidate will oversee partnership engagement and will lead efforts to establish new connections with the goal of growing the organization. The Lead will work closely with the Manager, Strategic Partnerships and all departments across the organization to devise strategies that support OCI’s programs and initiatives, as well as corporate sustainability and growth. The Lead will support existing strategic initiatives to ensure that they are executed successfully.
Key Responsibilities:
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Research and identify new strategic partnership opportunities and foster new connections both domestically and internationally.
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Develop and lead a strategic partnership engagement plan with clearly defined goals and KPIs.
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Support in the development and drafting of Strategic Agreements, Memorandums of Understanding, and other various contracts.
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Function as point of contact for stakeholders engaging with the Partnerships Team.
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Engage, develop, and maintain strong networks with stakeholders in key sectors, including individual and corporate contacts, post-secondary institutions, research partners, and other relevant stakeholders.
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Foster and identify partnership opportunities with industry to benefit OCI and the ventures we support, including life sciences, automotive and mobility, mining, technology, construction, agri-food, advanced manufacturing, and other innovation-focused industry organizations, and government bodies.
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Identify conferences, speaking, media, and publication opportunities, both domestically and internationally, to promote and address the needs of our stakeholders and promote the OVIN/OCI brand.
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Keep abreast of industry and/or domain knowledge and activities, including current events, breakthroughs, trends, regulatory issues and key contacts and possess a solid understanding of the global industry to support thought leadership.
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Engage stakeholders in the creation and execution of industry-leading events and education opportunities (meetups, workshops, panels, hackathons, best practices, etc.).
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Support the development of collaterals, digital assets, speaking engagements, news releases, key messages, and marketing opportunities.
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Collaborate in the planning, design, development, and deployment of program enhancements, partnership opportunities and strategic initiatives.
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Ensure the smooth and adequate flow of information within the department/company to facilitate other business operations.
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Other related duties as assigned, with occasional overtime as required with events outside of normal business hours, and occasional travel within Ontario.
Skills and Competencies
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BSc/BA in business administration, policy, economics, communications or related fields
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Relevant experience in developing and/or managing cross-sector partnerships, as well as delivering on economic development or business development mandate would be an asset
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Excellent written and verbal communication skills and experience in developing a broad range of communications assets and partnership documentation as outlined above
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A keen interest in domestic and international current events, particularly those impacting economic development
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Ability to synthesize complex information and brief senior leaders on developments and recommended actions
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A proven collaborator and relationship builder with ability to understand different perspectives and seek mutually beneficial solutions.
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Core professional skills, including accountability, attention to detail, critical thinking, planning and organization, ability to multi-task, and willingness to collaborate internally and cross-functionally
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Proficiency in office management tools
Working Conditions
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Standard office environment
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Standard office hours
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Onsite work with stakeholder partners
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Will be required to attend events outside of normal business hours
This role is being recruited for a current vacancy.
OCI is committed to creating a diverse and equitable environment and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. OCI welcomes and encourages applications from people with disabilities. Accommodations are available on request for candidates taking part in all aspects of the selection process.
