Director, Program Development & Impact

Mitacs

1d

About The Position

Mitacs is seeking a Director, Program Development & Impact to lead program development, strategy, performance measurement, evaluation and economic impact. Reporting to the Vice President, Policy, Program Development and Government Relations, the Director will ensure Mitacs’ programs are strategically aligned, evidence-based, high-performing, and positioned to deliver measurable impact for Canada’s research, innovation, and talent ecosystem. 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. The role will also provide strategic leadership to teams and foster cross-functional collaboration to maximize program effectiveness and organizational impact.

Requirements

• 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.
• Strong 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.
• 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 Haves

• Bilingualism (English/French) is an asset.
• Lived experience or perspectives connected to Indigenous worldviews are considered strong assets.

Responsibilities

• Lead the development and design of programs aligned with organizational strategy and stakeholder priorities.
• Translate strategic objectives, government priorities, and ecosystem needs into effective program models.
• Lead the identification of emerging opportunities for new programs, partnerships, and funding models.
• Ensure programs are designed with clear objectives and measurable outcomes.
• Establish program development standards, processes, and governance frameworks across the organization.
• Translate evaluation findings into actionable recommendations for program design and strategic decisions.
• Provide strategic leadership for the organization’s evaluation function, ensuring rigorous assessment of program effectiveness, outcomes, and 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.
• Ensure evaluation methodologies are credible, evidence-based, and aligned with best practices.
• 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.
• Monitor the performance and strategic alignment of the organization’s program portfolio by assessing program effectiveness, relevance and value creation.
• Translate evidence, stakeholder insights, economic and policy priorities, and evaluation findings into effective program models and interventions.
• Clearly define the problem Mitacs is trying to solve and determine whether a new program is required, an existing program should be adapted, or improvements to delivery would be more effective.
• 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.
• 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.

Benefits

• Our recruitment process may use artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled tools to support activities. Any use of AI is subject to human review and all hiring decisions are made by a human member of our hiring team.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Director