The Opportunity

Lead the growth of Catalyst's programs by connecting the right people, organizations, and opportunities through strategic recruitment and business development.

The Recruitment and Business Development Lead leads the planning and execution of recruitment and business development strategies for Catalyst's portfolio of various Catalyst programs. The role develops and implements online and offline outreach initiatives to build qualified lead pipelines, promote Catalyst programs, and identify prospective companies, founders, organizations, and individuals for program participation and business development outcomes.

The role monitors campaign performance, evaluates recruitment and business development opportunities, and provides recommendations to strengthen outcomes. It also builds and maintains strong relationships with stakeholders, partners, and community networks to support program growth, recruitment, business development, and engagement.

Key responsibilities include:

• Develops and implements recruitment strategies and tactics and recommends recruitment channels, sourcing tools, and techniques to achieve assigned program enrolment targets.
• Identifies and sources prospective companies, organizations, and individuals through a data-driven approach, leveraging public databases, digital sourcing tools, industry events and other relevant channels.
• Develops and executes business development, lead generation, and outbound sales strategies and campaigns to build qualified pipelines, generate new opportunities, and support program growth, including the development of outreach messaging and sales and marketing collateral.
• Builds and nurtures relationships with prospective and current learners, companies, and members of the Catalyst community to support lead conversion, enrolment, engagement, and future program participation.
• Assesses and qualifies prospective companies and participants against program eligibility criteria, candidate qualifications, and enrolment requirements to support the admission of suitable participants.
• Conducts market intelligence and prospect research to identify target audiences and sectors, assess market needs and opportunities, inform recruitment and business development strategies, and identify opportunities for program growth.
• Oversees CRM and lead management processes, tracks pipeline and campaign performance, and analyzes recruitment and conversion data to identify trends and recommend improvements to lead quality and enrolment outcomes.
• Develops and maintains strategic relationships with organizations, innovation ecosystems, sector partners, and community networks to strengthen program pipelines and build partner referral networks.
• Organizes, leads, and facilitates information sessions, webinars, and other recruitment activities to promote Catalyst programs and engage prospective participants and organizations.
• Represents and advocates for the Catalyst and Toronto Metropolitan University at community and industry events locally and nationally, including conferences and technology summits, and participates in stakeholder engagement opportunities.
• Reviews recruitment and business development processes, including application, qualification, lead management, and conversion workflows, and recommends improvements to increase operational efficiency and effectiveness.

Qualifications
To help us learn more about you, please provide a cover letter and resume describing how you meet the following required qualifications:

• Completion of a post-secondary degree program in a related field.
• A minimum of four (4) years of experience in business-to-business (B2B) sales and/or marketing, including experience selling professional education, training programs, or technology solutions to clients in the private and public sectors, including small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
• Experience using CRM and sales prospecting platforms such as HubSpot and Apollo is considered an asset.
• Experience developing lead-generation pipelines, executing outreach campaigns, and building and managing strategic partnerships.
• Experience with both outbound and inbound sales and business development.
• Strong understanding of the startup ecosystem, including its culture, terminology, and emerging trends.
• Demonstrated experience conceptualizing, planning, and implementing business development, partnership recruitment, and community-building initiatives.
• Demonstrated ability to establish and maintain relationships with multi-sectoral stakeholders and partners.
• Strong problem-solving, decision-making, negotiation, and consensus-building skills.
• Strong analytical skills, including the ability to conduct environmental scans, assess needs, identify trends, and use insights to inform recruitment and business development strategies.
• Ability to manage large stakeholder groups and work effectively both independently and as part of a team, with an entrepreneurial mindset.
• Strong organizational, time-management, and adaptability skills, with the ability to manage competing priorities and meet deadlines.
• Exceptional communication and interpersonal skills to effectively engage stakeholders and promote Catalyst programs and services.
• Strong client-service skills and the ability to build relationships with diverse stakeholders.
• Strong public-speaking and presentation skills, with the ability to communicate the vision and value of Catalyst programs and services and build stakeholder support.
• Demonstrated experience in community or organizational development and capacity-building initiatives.
• Knowledge of current economic development issues, emerging markets, and opportunities related to emerging technologies.
• Ability to produce high-quality, accurate work while meeting requirements and deadlines.
• Flexibility and willingness to travel moderately to events, conferences, and other business development activities.
• Equivalent experience or a combination of equivalent experience and education may be accepted in place of education.

Additional Information (MAC)
Position Number(s) 20005767 Reports To Manager of Recruitment and Admissions Department Rogers Cybersecure Catalyst, OVPRI Employee Group MAC Vacancy Type Term: 3 years (with a strong potential of continued employment through extension or renewal)
This is an existing vacancy. Work Location Hybrid Start Date ASAP End Date 3 years from the start date Hours of Work 36.25 Grade C42 Salary Scale $70,448 to $112,535 Hiring Salary Range Up to $95,000 TA Specialist - Posting Date September 15, 2026 Application Close Date September 29, 2026