For over 25 years, Mitacs has helped to grow the economy and develop the workforce of tomorrow by connecting academia with industry and global partners to solve real-world challenges. The model is simple but powerful: Mitacs supports business–academic research collaboration through internships for undergraduate to graduate students and postdoctoral fellows, which are co-funded with the business partner. 

The impact is significant—private sector partners of Mitacs have seen an average 11 percent boost in productivity, 9 percent growth in revenue, and a 16 percent increase in sales. Since 2018, we’ve supported over 46,000 students, more than 35,000 innovation projects, and over 11,000 partners through almost 100,000 internships. Across these projects, Mitacs invested $1.42 billion in research and development (R&D) to help drive Canada’s competitiveness on the global stage.

About the Role 

Reporting to the Chief Executive Officer, the Chief Research Officer (CRO) and Scientific Director (SD) serves on the Executive committee of Mitacs. The role provides for overarching scientific leadership, national strategic vision, and rigorous governance. As CRO, the incumbent champions research excellence, overseeing application review mechanisms to ensure transparency, integrity, quality, and modern research security across all Mitacs-funded projects. The CROSD supports leadership in executing the Mitacs strategic plan. This role also chairs the Mitacs Research and Innovation Council and supports senior stakeholder relations across Canada's innovation ecosystem and serves as the key leader for interactions with the local innovation community.

The ideal candidate is a distinguished research and innovation leader with a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree and a proven record of achievement in academia, research, and innovation management. Bringing extensive senior leadership experience gained within academic and/or industry environments, they possess a deep understanding of complex innovation ecosystems, including research institutions, funding agencies, government partners, and corporate R&D organizations. They have demonstrated success providing strategic oversight through governance boards, academic councils, or multi-stakeholder committees, and are adept at translating ambitious institutional strategies into impactful, fundable research and innovation programs. The ideal candidate will bring experience across both academic and industry settings and hold a current academic appointment in Canada.

This is an exceptional opportunity to help shape the future of research and innovation in Canada through an organization that has become a cornerstone of the national innovation landscape. 

This is a part-time position with the successful candidate able to maintain their current academic position. The location is flexible across Canada. The search will be conducted nationally and strong candidates from all regions will be considered. Regular travel across Canada is expected and bilingualism in English and French is an asset. 

How to Apply  

The search is being supported by Boyden, global leaders in executive search. To apply for the position, please click apply. For more information, please contact Boyden at mitacs@boyden.com.  

We thank all applicants for their interest in this position. Please note that we will only be in contact with those individuals moving forward with our client.  

Mitacs is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes applications from individuals of all backgrounds and lived experiences.