Manager, Programs
Top Benefits
About the role
Department: Programs
Posting Date: November 19, 2025 - December 3, 2025
Term: Indefinite-term contract
Hiring Range: $80,000 - $90,000 annual salary
Benefits: Extensive benefit package inclusive of health, dental, RRSP matching, and paid personal days. Hybrid working options available for team members.
Background
The Schlegel-UW Research Institute for Aging (RIA) is a charitable non-profit organization that partners with the University of Waterloo, Conestoga College, and Schlegel Villages to enhance care and quality of life for older adults. Through engagement with key partners and collaborators, RIA supports practice relevant research and knowledge mobilization. Research evidence is used to inform programs, education and training, and influence practice and policy.
RIA Programs aims to spread and scale best practices and evidence-informed education, resources and products. Our resources are co-designed collaboratively with people with lived experiences, health and social care providers and community members. The overall goal of the program’s department is to enhance the well-being of older adults in collaboration with RIA team members, researchers, and key partners through education, research and resource development.
Primary Purpose
The Manager will be responsible for strategic and operational leadership to a project team. The role will be accountable for the successful implementation of a variety of projects in partnership with people with lived experience, care partners, health and social care providers and community members to enhance the
well-being of older adults. As an experienced leader, you will guide a team of professionals to coordinate project activities, engage with partners, identify opportunities for partnerships and funding, and develop evidence-based resources. This role will be accountable for reporting to our funders, monitoring of expenses and ensuring alignment and collaboration across teams to ensure programs are maximizing their potential impact.
The successful candidate will support RIA’s vision, mission, and values as well as have an interest and passion for enhancing quality of life and care for older adults and those who care for them.
Key Accountabilities
- Leadership: Provide strategic and operational leadership to a team of people in alignment with project and organizational strategic priorities. Work closely with the funders and the broader RIA team to leverage and align work and impact and identify and secure grant funding. Work collaboratively with and provide supervision and mentorship to team members to ensure project success in alignment with RIA’s culture and values.
- Knowledge Mobilization and Partner Engagement: Provide strategic direction and support to the development of education and resources such as high-quality reports, presentations, education, fact sheets, infographics, and other knowledge mobilization products. Build and maintain partnerships with external and internal partners to support the successful implementation and delivery of various projects and in alignment with RIA goals. Ability to co-design resources and work collaboratively with older adults, health professionals and care partners with lived experience.
- Budget managemen t: Manage multiple project budgets. Provide regular reporting of expenditures to leadership and funding agencies, as required. Responsible for management of spending related to each project and that all spending is in alignment with RIA policies and funder guidelines. Ability to effectively source and work with consultants and vendors to ensure successful outcomes. Responsible for all funder financial reporting.
- Communication and Reporting : Strong written and verbal communication skills with the ability to tailor messaging to diverse audiences. Present and discuss matters with partners through a variety of virtual and in-person events and meetings. Proactively report to funders, team members, and key partners on activities, and contribute to the writing and dissemination of various written products, including grant applications, technical reports, and program reports. Ability to chair or facilitate meetings and document meeting outcomes.
- Other: Take on additional tasks, activities and special projects, as they arise.
Position Requirements
Education:
Master’s degree or related experience in social sciences, education, gerontology or other related discipline.
Skills and Experience:
- A minimum of 5 years of experience providing strategic direction and leadership to projects in alignment with organizational and funder priorities.
- A minimum of 3 years of experience in leading and supervising a project team in alignment with organizational values and project goals.
- A minimum of 5 years of experience managing project budgets.
- Experience working with people with lived experience, for example who have been impacted by dementia.
- Experience working with and building effective working relationships with partners, including funding organizations
- Experience with knowledge mobilization and tailoring resources to various target audiences.
- Experience with grant writing, and program/project evaluation reporting.
- Excellent interpersonal and communication skills to work effectively with in-house and remote teams, external vendors and partners.
- Highly motivated, detail-oriented individual with the ability to multitask, prioritize, and meet tight deadlines and manage change within a high demand environment.
- Experience setting agendas, chairing meetings, and driving collaborative decision-making.
- Experience using databases, CRMs (e.g. Hubspot) is an asset.
- Knowledge about the senior living sector is an asset.
- Proficiency in the use of computers and various software applications including, Google, Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint), webinar platforms.
Additional Requirements:
- Fluency in English. Fluency in French is an asset but not required.
- Must have a valid driver’s licence and be available for occasional travel.
- Eligible to obtain a clear police background and record check.
- Eligible to work in Canada.
Scope of Work
- Interpersonal Skills: Communicates effectively with internal team members and external partners; professionally represents the RIA in all communications and at events.
- Level of Responsibility: Responsible for ensuring the effective and efficient implementation and budget management of multiple projects.
- Decision-Making Authority: Responsible for the day-to-day operations of a variety of projects with support from a director for strategic decisions.
- Physical and Sensory Demands: Minimal demands, typical of a position operating within an office environment; periods of extensive sitting at a desk and in meetings and concentrated use of visual senses; substantial repetitive keyboard/mouse movement; high sensory demands because of required concentration and attentiveness to detail and regular distractions and interruptions.
- Working Environment: Much of the time is spent sitting in a comfortable position with frequent opportunities to move about. Office is located in a comfortable indoor area and options for hybrid work are available for this position. The work is varied and assignments may change frequently. Work will involve regular interaction with RIA team members and external partners and collaborators. There are deadline pressures, while at the same time there is a demand for thoroughness and accuracy. Occasional travel is required.
Vaccination Statement
All researchers, employees and students of the RIA who will work with long-term care homes, colleges, universities and other partners are required to comply with the vaccination policies of those external organizations to complete their work. Of note, vaccination policies are subject to change. The requirement to comply with those evolving policies does not change.
Equity Statement
The RIA is committed to equity, diversity and inclusion within its community and organization. We strongly welcome and encourage applications from Indigenous Peoples, racialized groups, women, 2SLGBTQI+ people, persons with disabilities and people from other equity-deserving groups.
The RIA is pleased to accommodate individual needs in accordance with the Accessibility of Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 (AODA) within our recruitment process. If you require accommodation at any time throughout the recruitment process, please let us know.
Funding Statement
Please note that all positions at the RIA and the continuation of these positions are conditional upon funding.
How to Apply
RIA invites applications (cover letter and resume) to be submitted on our website: https://the-ria.ca/working-at-the-ria/
About Schlegel-UW Research Institute for Aging (RIA)
As a charitable, non-profit foundation, the Schlegel-UW Research Institute for Aging (RIA) enhances the quality of life and care of older adults through partnerships in research, education and practice.
RIA has core partnerships with Schlegel Villages, University of Waterloo and Conestoga College, but collaborates with a number of other organizations and academic institutions.
Through these collaborations, RIA supports practice-relevant research and mobilizes research evidence so it can inform programs, be integrated into education and training, and influence practice and policy. What is learned is then shared to benefit older adults everywhere.
Manager, Programs
Top Benefits
About the role
Department: Programs
Posting Date: November 19, 2025 - December 3, 2025
Term: Indefinite-term contract
Hiring Range: $80,000 - $90,000 annual salary
Benefits: Extensive benefit package inclusive of health, dental, RRSP matching, and paid personal days. Hybrid working options available for team members.
Background
The Schlegel-UW Research Institute for Aging (RIA) is a charitable non-profit organization that partners with the University of Waterloo, Conestoga College, and Schlegel Villages to enhance care and quality of life for older adults. Through engagement with key partners and collaborators, RIA supports practice relevant research and knowledge mobilization. Research evidence is used to inform programs, education and training, and influence practice and policy.
RIA Programs aims to spread and scale best practices and evidence-informed education, resources and products. Our resources are co-designed collaboratively with people with lived experiences, health and social care providers and community members. The overall goal of the program’s department is to enhance the well-being of older adults in collaboration with RIA team members, researchers, and key partners through education, research and resource development.
Primary Purpose
The Manager will be responsible for strategic and operational leadership to a project team. The role will be accountable for the successful implementation of a variety of projects in partnership with people with lived experience, care partners, health and social care providers and community members to enhance the
well-being of older adults. As an experienced leader, you will guide a team of professionals to coordinate project activities, engage with partners, identify opportunities for partnerships and funding, and develop evidence-based resources. This role will be accountable for reporting to our funders, monitoring of expenses and ensuring alignment and collaboration across teams to ensure programs are maximizing their potential impact.
The successful candidate will support RIA’s vision, mission, and values as well as have an interest and passion for enhancing quality of life and care for older adults and those who care for them.
Key Accountabilities
- Leadership: Provide strategic and operational leadership to a team of people in alignment with project and organizational strategic priorities. Work closely with the funders and the broader RIA team to leverage and align work and impact and identify and secure grant funding. Work collaboratively with and provide supervision and mentorship to team members to ensure project success in alignment with RIA’s culture and values.
- Knowledge Mobilization and Partner Engagement: Provide strategic direction and support to the development of education and resources such as high-quality reports, presentations, education, fact sheets, infographics, and other knowledge mobilization products. Build and maintain partnerships with external and internal partners to support the successful implementation and delivery of various projects and in alignment with RIA goals. Ability to co-design resources and work collaboratively with older adults, health professionals and care partners with lived experience.
- Budget managemen t: Manage multiple project budgets. Provide regular reporting of expenditures to leadership and funding agencies, as required. Responsible for management of spending related to each project and that all spending is in alignment with RIA policies and funder guidelines. Ability to effectively source and work with consultants and vendors to ensure successful outcomes. Responsible for all funder financial reporting.
- Communication and Reporting : Strong written and verbal communication skills with the ability to tailor messaging to diverse audiences. Present and discuss matters with partners through a variety of virtual and in-person events and meetings. Proactively report to funders, team members, and key partners on activities, and contribute to the writing and dissemination of various written products, including grant applications, technical reports, and program reports. Ability to chair or facilitate meetings and document meeting outcomes.
- Other: Take on additional tasks, activities and special projects, as they arise.
Position Requirements
Education:
Master’s degree or related experience in social sciences, education, gerontology or other related discipline.
Skills and Experience:
- A minimum of 5 years of experience providing strategic direction and leadership to projects in alignment with organizational and funder priorities.
- A minimum of 3 years of experience in leading and supervising a project team in alignment with organizational values and project goals.
- A minimum of 5 years of experience managing project budgets.
- Experience working with people with lived experience, for example who have been impacted by dementia.
- Experience working with and building effective working relationships with partners, including funding organizations
- Experience with knowledge mobilization and tailoring resources to various target audiences.
- Experience with grant writing, and program/project evaluation reporting.
- Excellent interpersonal and communication skills to work effectively with in-house and remote teams, external vendors and partners.
- Highly motivated, detail-oriented individual with the ability to multitask, prioritize, and meet tight deadlines and manage change within a high demand environment.
- Experience setting agendas, chairing meetings, and driving collaborative decision-making.
- Experience using databases, CRMs (e.g. Hubspot) is an asset.
- Knowledge about the senior living sector is an asset.
- Proficiency in the use of computers and various software applications including, Google, Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint), webinar platforms.
Additional Requirements:
- Fluency in English. Fluency in French is an asset but not required.
- Must have a valid driver’s licence and be available for occasional travel.
- Eligible to obtain a clear police background and record check.
- Eligible to work in Canada.
Scope of Work
- Interpersonal Skills: Communicates effectively with internal team members and external partners; professionally represents the RIA in all communications and at events.
- Level of Responsibility: Responsible for ensuring the effective and efficient implementation and budget management of multiple projects.
- Decision-Making Authority: Responsible for the day-to-day operations of a variety of projects with support from a director for strategic decisions.
- Physical and Sensory Demands: Minimal demands, typical of a position operating within an office environment; periods of extensive sitting at a desk and in meetings and concentrated use of visual senses; substantial repetitive keyboard/mouse movement; high sensory demands because of required concentration and attentiveness to detail and regular distractions and interruptions.
- Working Environment: Much of the time is spent sitting in a comfortable position with frequent opportunities to move about. Office is located in a comfortable indoor area and options for hybrid work are available for this position. The work is varied and assignments may change frequently. Work will involve regular interaction with RIA team members and external partners and collaborators. There are deadline pressures, while at the same time there is a demand for thoroughness and accuracy. Occasional travel is required.
Vaccination Statement
All researchers, employees and students of the RIA who will work with long-term care homes, colleges, universities and other partners are required to comply with the vaccination policies of those external organizations to complete their work. Of note, vaccination policies are subject to change. The requirement to comply with those evolving policies does not change.
Equity Statement
The RIA is committed to equity, diversity and inclusion within its community and organization. We strongly welcome and encourage applications from Indigenous Peoples, racialized groups, women, 2SLGBTQI+ people, persons with disabilities and people from other equity-deserving groups.
The RIA is pleased to accommodate individual needs in accordance with the Accessibility of Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 (AODA) within our recruitment process. If you require accommodation at any time throughout the recruitment process, please let us know.
Funding Statement
Please note that all positions at the RIA and the continuation of these positions are conditional upon funding.
How to Apply
RIA invites applications (cover letter and resume) to be submitted on our website: https://the-ria.ca/working-at-the-ria/
About Schlegel-UW Research Institute for Aging (RIA)
As a charitable, non-profit foundation, the Schlegel-UW Research Institute for Aging (RIA) enhances the quality of life and care of older adults through partnerships in research, education and practice.
RIA has core partnerships with Schlegel Villages, University of Waterloo and Conestoga College, but collaborates with a number of other organizations and academic institutions.
Through these collaborations, RIA supports practice-relevant research and mobilizes research evidence so it can inform programs, be integrated into education and training, and influence practice and policy. What is learned is then shared to benefit older adults everywhere.