Director of Innovation

Do you believe that technology and innovation can solve society’s greatest issues? Do you want to be part of an organization working with some of the biggest companies and innovators in Canada to make meaningful change? If this is you, then read on.

About Elevate

Elevate unites world-class innovators to catalyze transformation in the Canadian tech ecosystem. Through year-round programs and events, Elevate places a spotlight on Canadian innovation,  facilitates global connections with startups and investors, and inspires Canadians to embrace innovation and collaboration.

Elevate Innovation helps companies establish their brand in the tech community and find tech solutions for their business challenges while supporting emerging startups to build their businesses. Elevate’s Innovation Department helps organizations meet their innovation goals through authentic connections to the startup community, ecosystem sensing, and access to cutting-edge technologies. By operating with a founder-first methodology, Elevate has been able to unlock significant value to startups and corporations alike, with the unique ability to showcase these stories of industry disruption to a global audience through Elevate’s platforms.

We’re Looking For

An experienced leader within Canada’s tech and innovation ecosystem who can set the strategy for the department and foster the sustainable growth of Elevate’s Innovation programs. The ideal candidate will be well-versed in corporate innovation best practices and how they relate to the startup ecosystem, with experience in business development and sales enablement to support new revenue growth and retention. 

Job Title: Director of Innovation | Elevate 

Location: Toronto, ON - Hybrid Office Set Up (In office for team collaboration on Thursdays)

Salary Range: $95,000-$110,000

Employment Type:  Full Time, Permanent 

Reports to: CEO

Main Responsibilities

• Develop and execute a business strategy focused on long-term revenue growth and sustainability of Elevate’s innovation programs.
• Collaborate with the team to build programs that respond to market demands and evolving funding opportunities. 
• Source and close new partners to achieve revenue targets for the department
• Participate as an active member of Elevate’s leadership team to help guide and inform the mission, vision and values of the organization
• Provide ongoing and clear direction, performance management and career development support to the Innovation team
• Build and manage the department budget ensuring projects run on-time and under budget
• Cultivate strategic partnerships and relationships across the ecosystem to enhance Elevate’s network, visibility and influence
• Develop and/or optimize foundational resources that better enable teams to speak to our programs. Key cross-functional partners would include:
• • Partnerships: Creation and optimization of turn-key tools, assets and processes that empower the sales team to grow revenue through new business and cross-selling opportunities. 
  • Marketing: Equip the team with centralized & up-to-date materials to  effectively promote our Innovation programs and their impact within the ecosystem
• Oversee innovation programs that relate back to Elevate’s events (including CIX & Elevate Festival) including but not limited to pitch competitions, 1-1 investor meetings, Founder roundtables, hackathons, etc.

Experience

• Minimum of 5-6 years of experience in corporate innovation, business development, accelerator/incubator program leadership, or senior roles within the startup ecosystem, venture capital, or educational institutions focused on entrepreneurship and innovation
• Proven accountability over development and management of  large-scale programs and multi-year deliverables, across a variety of industries
• A track record of building relationships with a network of corporate partners and responding to business needs in the form of bespoke innovation strategies and proposals 
• Experience in creating high-impact and value-driven learning experiences and partnerships, particularly in entrepreneurial or innovation-focused contexts
• Ability to assess program performance, analyze data, and implement insights-based improvements
• BONUS: An existing network of corporate innovation stakeholders

*If you meet some, but not all of these requirements, we still encourage you to apply!

What We Offer

• Paid Time Off: 
• • 10-15 days of vacation 
  • 5 days for sick and mental health days
  • Bonus summer long weekend days 
  • A paid day off on the week of your birthday
  • Team-wide winter closure in-between Christmas and New Years 
• Health benefits (after 3 months probation) that have a zero-dollar deductible and include vision, prescriptions, dental, and paramedical
• Professional Development Budget of $250 annually to utilize for courses, books, events, conferences, and any other tools that will help support team members in their career growth 
• A parent-friendly and flexible workplace with flexible hours at the Toronto Design Exchange
• Opportunity to meet and collaborate with some of the biggest names in tech, while collaborating with a team through socials, numerous events, and workshops

Interview Process

While this is not all-encompassing for every role at Elevate, we try to follow a process similar to this and all candidates will be notified at every stage who they’ll be meeting with. 

An example process: 

• Step 1: A phone call with one of our team members. In this call, we will cover the basics of the role and our organization, and discuss a high-level overview of your past experiences, goals, and interest in this role.
• Step 2: A video call or an in-person interview with the hiring manager and a team member or supervisor. In this call, we will be digging deeper into your experience relevant to the role and also provide an opportunity for you to ask more questions and learn about our team. Some roles may require additional components involving portfolio walkthroughs, technical reviews, and opportunities for candidates to share more around their creative process. We will always let candidates know ahead of time if this is something you can expect for the role you're applying for.
• Step 3:  An in-person meet-up in our downtown Toronto Office with the role’s Hiring Manager and/or Supervisor, our CEO and a team member. This is an opportunity to introduce you to the space, talk more about how you’d like to add to our current organizational culture, embody our values, and provide another opportunity for connection.
• Step 4: Offer.

** We also aim to complete our recruitment process in around 4 weeks, but it is role and job-level dependent. 

Accommodations and Accessibility

Elevate strives to provide accommodations during the recruitment process should candidates request support. Should you require any accommodation, please indicate this on your application and we will try our best to work with you to meet your accessibility needs. For any questions, suggestions or required documents regarding accessibility in a different format, please contact us at accommodations@elevate.ca.

Elevate is committed to a diverse, equitable and inclusive workplace in which everyone is welcomed, valued, and supported. Please advise of any accommodation measures that would enable you to be interviewed in a fair and equitable manner. If you are a member of an equity deserving community we encourage you to self-identify in your application. Information received in relation to identity or accommodation will be kept confidential. 

At Elevate, we are committed to building an environment where everyone feels included, valued, and heard. Diversity, inclusion, and belonging are an important part of our everyday working culture. We strongly encourage applications from Indigenous peoples, racialized people, people with disabilities, people from gender and sexually diverse communities and/or people with intersectional identities.

Elevate was founded on land that is the traditional territory of the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Anishnabeg, the Haudenosaunee, and the Wendat peoples and is now home to many diverse First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Peoples from across Turtle Island. We acknowledge that we are all treaty people and accept our responsibility to honour all our relations.

To recognize the land is an expression of gratitude and appreciation to those whose territory we reside on and a way of honouring the Indigenous people who have been living and working on the land from time immemorial. Land acknowledgements do not exist in a past tense or historical context: colonialism is current and ongoing, and we need to centre reconciliation in our actions and our work. We encourage our team, partners, and clients to learn about the lands in which they live and to work towards reconciliation.