Senior Advisor, Culture and Wellbeing

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 Title: Senior Advisor Culture and Wellbeing

Job Type: Full-time, Temporary (until March 31, 2027, with potential for renewal)

Do you want to play a key role in helping Mitacs empower Canadian innovation to drive economic growth, productivity, and improve quality of life for all Canadians?

We are looking for a culture and wellbeing expert to implement changes that boost employee trust, wellbeing, engagement, and alignment in a “remote-first” work environment. This critical role will be responsible for cultivating an inclusive organizational culture where diverse employees are motivated, collaborative, and aligned with Mitacs’s values and goals to achieve our organizational purpose.

Are you a change agent with high emotional intelligence and the ability to influence measurable change? If so, Mitacs would like to hear from you!

We are encouraging and welcoming applications from equity-deserving groups to help us deliver on this critical work. We encourage all candidates to self-identify in their applications.

To get a better understanding of Mitacs and read more about our values, please visit our website.

Summary

The Senior Advisor, Culture and Wellbeing is responsible for supporting the development and operationalization of a culture and engagement plan. Reporting to the Vice President, Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Culture, this role will facilitate culture change throughout the organization and serve as a role model for Mitacs’s organizational values. The Senior Advisor, Culture and Wellbeing will interact with staff across all teams and levels to implement initiatives to boost employee trust, wellbeing, engagement, and alignment to achieve Mitacs’s organizational purpose.

Responsibilities

• Engage stakeholders across all levels of the organization to develop a culture transformation plan
• Establish and monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure trust, wellbeing, engagement, alignment, and accountability
• Support implementation of the culture transformation plan and continuously measure the effectiveness of culture initiatives
• Analyze data collected through surveys and focus groups to capture employee feedback in a timely manner
• Work collaboratively with cross-functional teams to ensure organizational accountability to the culture transformation plan
• Prepare briefing documents for the Mitacs Executive Committee to report on progress, gaps, and emerging issues related to culture
• Keep staff informed of culture change activities with high-level presentations and progress updates
• Actively contribute to programs that promote an increased reporting culture for poor workplace behaviours that undermine employee wellbeing, safety, inclusion, and a respectful workplace
• Formalize support for employee wellbeing in policies, reports to the Board, and leadership training
• Contribute to internal culture milestones outlined in the Inclusive Innovation Action Plan
• Collaborate with HR team to ensure the annual performance management process is conducted in alignment with the organization’s values and the rewards and recognition program
• Support the delivery of internal coaching and learning and development programs to build inclusive talent management practices and behaviours to support Mitacs’s values
• Advise HR team and hiring managers on best practices for attracting, onboarding, and retaining diverse talent to support our culture goals
• Work with HR team to develop inclusive benefits
• Ensure that culture and wellbeing initiatives are aligned with the EDI strategy by working closely with the EDI team
• May be required to come into the office occasionally, as needed

Attributes:

• A change leader with high emotional intelligence, skilled at facilitating respectful discussions about sensitive topics that raise contrary views
• Excellent interpersonal skills, cultural sensitivity, and a demonstrated ability to work with and inspire a wide range of people
• Courage to tactfully challenge and influence stakeholders at all levels
• Ability to manage complex problems and deal sensitively with employees and people leaders, with the ability to maintain confidentiality and professionalism
• High ethical standards in all aspects of professional life with a commitment to authenticity and transparency
• A motivated self-starter who takes initiative and is comfortable working autonomously, remotely, as well as in a team setting
• Ability to easily adapt and respond to changing priorities and adjust milestones and targets to maintain forward momentum
• Knowledge of written and spoken English is required in this role as you will interact with colleagues, clients and stakeholders located across Canada

Experience, Knowledge, Skills:

• Minimum 5 years experience with demonstrated success in developing and implementing a culture change plan with KPIs, milestones, accountabilities, and expected outcomes to drive organization-wide culture change
• A postsecondary education, or an equivalent combination of qualifications
• Advanced knowledge of Canadian Acts, regulations, and policies related to employment standards, workplace wellness, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility
• Ability to prepare and present information and training materials for various levels and adapt communication style to resonate with diverse audiences
• Advanced written communication skills to present information and ideas clearly and succinctly with strong attention to detail
• Experience with collecting, analyzing, and reporting on quantitative and qualitative data
• Experience developing and implementing a culture change plan with KPIs, milestones, accountabilities, and defined outcomes
• Advanced time management skills and intermediate project management skills
• Intermediate use of MS Office software particularly Excel
• Knowledge of written and spoken English is required in this role as you will interact with colleagues, clients and stakeholders located across Canada

Nice to Have:

• Work experience in a non-profit, post-secondary institution, or the public sector
• CPHR/CHRL designation
• Change management certification
• Ability to speak French

Hiring Range: $101,150 - $113,050

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.