The Director, Programs & Service Experience is a senior leadership role responsible for connecting organizational strategy, program and service design and development, implementation planning, and client experience to ensure Mitacs delivers high-impact programs and services that meet stakeholder needs.

The role provides leadership for Program Management and Service Design & Development and is accountable for ensuring programs and services are effectively translated from concept to execution. By bringing together planning, implementation readiness, service design, client insights, and operational coordination, the Director ensures Mitacs programs and services are scalable, effective, client-centred, and aligned with organizational priorities.

Working closely with Business Development, Program Development, Service Delivery, Research, Marketing, Finance, Operational Excellence and Technology & Product Management teams, the Director drives cross-functional collaboration to support successful program launches, stakeholder adoption, operational excellence, and long-term program impact.

The Director serves as a key organizational leader in shaping and delivering Mitacs programs and services across the client lifecycle.

Key Responsibilities

Program Strategy, Planning and Enablement

• Provide strategic leadership for the planning, implementation, and continuous evolution of Mitacs programs, services, funding opportunities, and strategic initiatives.
• Translate organizational priorities into executable implementation strategies, operational plans, governance frameworks, policies, and standards.
• Lead operational readiness, implementation planning, launch coordination, stakeholder engagement, training, and adoption activities.
• Advise senior leaders on implementation feasibility, risks, dependencies, organizational impacts, and resource requirements.
• Lead cross-functional planning and execution across Program Development, Business Development, Service Delivery, Finance, Marketing, Research, and Technology teams.
• Monitor program performance, risks, and outcomes to drive continuous improvement, operational excellence, and program impact.
• Support enterprise transformation initiatives through effective implementation planning, change readiness, and adoption.

Client Experience & Service Design Leadership

• Champion a client-centered approach across the organization, ensuring stakeholder needs, insights, and feedback inform decision-making, program design, and service delivery.
• Establish client experience goals, standards, and measures to strengthen satisfaction, engagement, and long-term stakeholder relationships.
• Lead the design and continuous improvement of end-to-end client and participant experiences across Mitacs programs and services.
• Oversee service design activities, including journey mapping, service blueprinting, testing, and implementation support.
• Partner closely with Product Management and organizational leaders to align service experiences, business processes, policies, and digital capabilities with organizational priorities.
• Leverage client feedback, operational data, research, and emerging trends to identify and prioritize improvement opportunities.
• Ensure service improvements enhance scalability, efficiency, consistency, and organizational outcomes while promoting accountability for client experience results across the organization.

Team Leadership & Development

• Lead and develop high-performing teams responsible for Program Management and Service Design & Development.
• Foster a collaborative, inclusive, and accountable culture focused on service excellence, innovation, and continuous improvement.
• Provide coaching, mentorship, and development opportunities to support employee growth and succession planning.
• Ensure team structures, capabilities, and resources align with organizational priorities and future needs.
• Lead teams effectively through change, promoting engagement, clarity, and operational excellence.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Public Administration, Communications, Customer Experience, Social Sciences, or a related field.
• Master's degree considered an asset.
• 10+ years of progressive and demonstrated leadership experience in client experience, customer success, stakeholder engagement, service strategy, program operations, or related disciplines.
• Demonstrated success leading enterprise client experience or customer success initiatives.
• Experience developing and implementing client experience strategies, measurement frameworks, and continuous improvement programs.
• Strong understanding of client journey management, experience design principles, and organizational change management.
• Proven ability to influence senior leaders and lead cross-functional initiatives in complex organizations.
• Experience leveraging data, analytics, and client insights to drive strategic decision-making.
• Exceptional communication, relationship-building, facilitation, and stakeholder management skills.
• Bilingualism considered an asset. Knowledge of written and spoken English is required in this role as you will interact with colleagues, clients, and stakeholders located across Canada.
• Mitacs is committed to reconciliation with Indigenous communities across Canada. Lived experience or perspectives connected to Indigenous worldviews are considered strong assets.

Hiring Range: $126,675 - $160,455

Hiring and Salary Range Transparency

Typically, employees are hired, transferred, or promoted within the salary range, specifically between the minimum and midpoint in the hiring range.

The salary range refers to the range of base salaries for a given position, encompassing the minimum and maximum amounts. The midpoint of the range is positioned approximately halfway between the minimum and maximum, indicating a fully qualified employee with comprehensive job knowledge and experience for the role.

Only in rare and exceptional circumstances, where a candidate has the experience, skills, and expertise that far exceed those required for the position, would we consider paying above the hiring range for this role.

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.