Who We Are

Ontario Centre of Innovation (OCI), established in 1987, is a leading not-for-profit organization that works with industry, academia, and government. OCI focuses on ensuring that the people of Ontario reap the personal and economic benefits of leading-edge research underway at our publicly funded universities, colleges, and research hospitals - research that can be transformed into technologies and services that enhance quality of life and help build a globally competitive, job-creating economy in Ontario.

Specifically, OCI supports the commercialization of academic intellectual property (IP), industry-academic collaborations, and the development and adoption of emerging technologies. This includes overseeing the execution of advanced technology platforms that will equip Ontario companies to compete in a competitive global digital economy.

We also support and invest in early-stage projects where the probability of commercial success and investment return on innovation are substantial. OCI’s strong expertise in de-risking innovation helps attract private investors and other funders to new ventures, bolstering their success. We contribute as well to the development and retention of talent to ensure that industry has access to personnel with the most advanced skills and knowledge and that highly trained personnel find opportunities to apply their expertise in Ontario.

OCI leads Ontario’s Ontario Vehicle Innovation Network (OVIN) initiative on behalf of the Government of Ontario. OVIN builds upon Ontario’s position as a world-leading automotive manufacturing and supply jurisdiction in addition to the large cluster of information and communication technology companies operating in the province. Ontario’s high-quality post-secondary institutions, first class talent, innovative small and medium sized enterprises, and infrastructure to support entrepreneurship ensure that the province is uniquely positioned to capture the economic opportunity of the automotive technology and smart mobility innovation space and lead the global mobility transformation.

Through resources such as research and development (R&D) funding, talent development, technology acceleration, business and technical supports, and demonstration grounds, OVIN provides a competitive advantage to Ontario-based automotive and mobility companies – allowing Ontario to reinforce its position as a North American leader in transformative automotive technologies, as well as transportation and infrastructure systems.

THE OPPORTUNITY

Reporting to the Director, Strategy and Programs, the Manager, Innovation Strategy and Insights is responsible for developing and leading OVIN’s research, insights and innovation strategy, identifying emerging trends, technologies and opportunities within the automotive and mobility portfolio, and translating insights into thought leadership and actionable recommendations to guide business strategy and decision-making. The Manager will lead and mentor a team to deliver projects and activities within various areas of the portfolio including complex research projects, thought leadership and subject matter expertise, maintaining partnership and ecosystem relationships to keep abreast of industry advancements and best practices, strategic initiatives and recommendations, and key program deliverables relating to OVIN’s programs, outreach, engagement and ecosystem. The Manager will also work to identify opportunities for the portfolio to expand into new market verticals, drive strategy, cultivating strategic relationships and partnerships, and identifying areas of growth and focus for the portfolio.

YOUR CONTRIBUTIONS

• Lead staff on planning and delivering initiatives and portfolio activities, including providing guidance, coaching and managing the overarching objectives of the portfolio.
• Champion the organization’s research and insights projects by identifying key market trends, technologies, and opportunities for growth and enhanced competitiveness.
•  Assess feasibility, ROI, risk and strategic fit of new initiatives.
• Act as a bridge between leadership, programs, outreach and engagement and other teams ensuring consensus and alignment on strategic initiatives.
• Identify opportunities including translating research findings into actionable recommendations for leadership or thought leadership content.
• Oversee development and evolution of data sharing protocols, research projects, and partner with internal and external teams to support ongoing initiatives with qualitative and quantitative insights.
• Support the delivery of thought leadership and public education and awareness activities to support portfolio activities and to inform the key stakeholders across the province and globally.
• Liaise with various stakeholder groups across key initiatives, including post-secondary institutions, industry experts, vendors, and government.
• Support internal teams to deliver relevant updates with research and insights as required by key stakeholders, ensuring that deliverables are at a high-quality level, and to the satisfaction of leadership.
• Manage and deliver key content and externally facing documents including research findings, insights, presentations, proposals, program information, news releases, and website content.
• Identify opportunities to leverage research findings and draw on insights to support the development of strategic initiatives within the automotive and mobility portfolio.
• Contribute to development of the OCI network, including the identification and development of strategic partnerships and initiatives to advance the goals of this and other initiatives.
• Collaborate cross-departmentally including liaising with Business Development, Finance, and Marketing and Communications teams as required.
• Other tasks as required to support the organization and/or portfolio.

EDUCATION AND SKILLS

• Formal, specialized post-graduate education in Public or Business Administration, Economics, Political Science, Public Policy or another relevant area of study.
• 5-7 years experience in consulting, strategy development, industry and stakeholder engagement/management, project management and/or communications and marketing.
• Experience in research methods, innovation management, strategic planning, with strong analytical, communication and project management skills.
• Proven leadership ability and management/coaching of a team with diverse skillsets and experience.
• Experience leading and managing high complexity programs with multiple partners and various types of stakeholders.
• Experience developing and managing partnerships, and defining and gaining stakeholder buy-in.
• Ability to respond to changing priorities of the day and thrives in a challenging and dynamic environment.
• Excellent communication skills (listening, verbal, written, presentation preparation and delivery).
• Apply expertise and thinks creatively to address unique or ambiguous situations and to find solutions to complex problems.
• Strong business relationship management skills with diverse stakeholder groups such as industry, government and internal stakeholders.
• Strong understanding of industry and academia, policy and planning, government priorities, and commercial endeavours.
• Automotive and mobility industry knowledge is an asset.
• Lean, Six Sigma, Agile or other process methodologies are considered an asset.

COMPETENCIES

• Team players with highly developed interpersonal skills and the ability to work effectively and collaborate with people at all levels within the organization.
• Demonstrate a high degree of initiative, efficient, organized and able to produce high quality work under pressure in a fast-paced environment with the ability to manage numerous conflicting and changing priorities simultaneously.
• Ability to work with minimal supervision and take accountability to address obstacles and overcome barriers by identifying possible resolution options and alternatives.
• Intellectually curious about developments and trends in a sector.
• Able to demonstrate integrity and ethics in decision making and in their relationships with colleagues and clients.
• Able to reflect and promote OCI’s values through work with colleagues, clients and

stakeholders.

• Embody OCI’s commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI)

WORKING CONDITIONS

• Standard office hours
• Occasional requirement to attend events outside of normal business hours.

This role is being recruited to fill a current vacancy

OCI is committed to creating a diverse and equitable environment and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. OCI welcomes and encourages applications from people with disabilities. Accommodations are available on request for candidates taking part in all aspects of the selection process.