Specialist, Programs Management 

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 working in a fast-paced culture where your opinions are valued and respected?

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

Specialist, Programs Management 

 
The Specialist, Programs and Skills Management is responsible for ensuring the success of interns, fellows, and skills participants across all Mitacs programming and skills offerings. Reporting to the Manager of Program Management, this role plays a role in delivering high-quality programming while fostering participant success. Specialists provide comprehensive support to interns and participants by addressing issues, delivering exceptional service, and ensuring seamless experiences. They collaborate across business units to plan and execute program cycles, including calls, campaigns, schedules, and in-program changes, while managing systems and tools to meet program objectives effectively.

Specialists maintain expertise in Mitacs program policies, rules, and eligibility criteria, supporting other business units in navigating queries, rendering decisions on exception requests, and identifying areas for improvements. Specialists ensure timely and effective resolutions to participant and client concerns while continuously driving improvements in program delivery.

Key Responsibilities

Fulfil the mandate of the Programs & Service Innovation Department in the following areas:

• Oversee the implementation and delivery of program and skills changes informed by data and cross-functional initiatives to enhance participant experiences, streamline operations, and achieve program outcomes.
• Collaborate across teams to develop and execute program plans, including schedules, application processes, and in-program changes, while maintaining accurate and accessible program documentation.
• Facilitate client and customer relations by providing timely, high-quality responses to inquiries and proactively resolving issues, ensuring adherence to established protocols and communication standards.
• Support issues management by tracking and analyzing trends, mitigating risks, and collaborating with other teams to resolve low-to-medium-risk issues while ensuring standardized communication and training for operational teams.
• Deliver impactful skills offerings, workshop logistics management, and the implementation of the Mitacs Skills Strategy to support professional growth for participants.
• Support leadership in reporting progress toward annual operational plan goals.

Specific Duties: 

• Provide seamless program delivery through clear, accessible content (guides, handbooks, forms) and effective communication with internal and external stakeholders.
• Support program changes and enhancements to improve participant/client experiences and achieve outcomes (e.g., delivery caps, virtual accommodations).
• Implement program plans, schedules, and campaigns in collaboration with marketing and other business units.
• Update resources for program rules and processes, ensuring consistency across communication and materials.
• Run program operations, including application intake, mentor recruitment, cohort logistics, and stakeholder communications from application to completion.
• Collaborate with IT and other teams to update systems, monitor data, and implement continuous improvements using dashboards and analytics.
• Support skills partnerships and deliver online and in-person workshops to build professional innovation skills for interns and fellows
• Serve as a knowledge resource for program rules and processes, ensuring consistency across communications and materials.
• May be required to come into the office occasionally, as needed

Required Qualifications

• Minimum two (2) years experience in a service-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 strongly preferred)

Desired Knowledge:

• Proven ability to work collaboratively across a range of stakeholders in a fast-paced and dynamic environment
• Excellent interpersonal skills, cultural sensitivity, and a demonstrated ability to work with and inspire a wide range of people
• A motivated self-starter who takes initiative and is comfortable working autonomously, remotely, as well as in a team setting
• Demonstrated project management skills/principles to support projects
  
• Ability to easily adapt and respond to changing priorities and adjust milestones and targets to maintain forward momentum
• Knowledge of the Canadian government’s public policy goals in innovation and talent attraction/development
• Knowledge of written and spoken English is required in this role as you will interact with colleagues, clients and stakeholders located across Canada
• Work experience within the innovation sector and familiarity with academic and government organizations is an asset

Nice to Have:

• Bilingual in French and English

Hiring Range: $52,160 - $61,940

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.