Term: 3 years.

Velocity supports approximately 46 health technology companies that engage in entrepreneurship programming offered by Velocity and its collaboration network across Ontario and Canada (collectively known as Velocity Health Platform). Programs offered under the Velocity Health Platform support the entrepreneurial learning and journey of students, researchers and founders, covering areas such as idea and product validation, regulatory and quality, sales and marketing, venture capital and growth.
 
The Program Officer is responsible for constantly improving the level and variety of experiential entrepreneurship engagement at Velocity through the development and maintenance of internal and external partnerships. The Program Officer will be responsible for developing the required relationships as well as the planning and execution for all Velocity Health programming and events taking place within the platform. This position will require a high-level understanding of the health innovation ecosystems across Canada to identify potential relationships to ensure rich entrepreneurial experiences that benefit a broad range of interests and outcomes. Through effective planning, feedback and analysis, the Program Officer will ensure that Velocity offers programs and resources that inspire, inform and guide health technology entrepreneurs at Velocity create and maintain programming that will help these individuals explore the extent of their interests in commercialization.
 
The Program Officer is responsible for improving the level and depth of engagement of students, researchers and entrepreneurs with Velocity Health programming. This role contributes significantly to the success of the positioning, image and reputation of our entrepreneurial ecosystem as a leader among entrepreneurship programs in Canada and as a critical component of the University of Waterloo’s strategic plan.

Developing and managing health entrepreneurship programming, including but not limited to (90%)

• Coordinates, develops and promotes programs and services aimed at enhancing the entrepreneurial journey at Velocity - with both internal and external partners
• Plans, coordinates and oversees the development of programs with internal and external partners
• Serves as the Velocity liaison for all entrepreneurial initiatives as appropriate, providing counsel and direction on the university’s policies and procedures
• Supports the DirectorVelocity’s strategic vision in developing and maintaining Pan-Canada collaborations
• Ensures the health initiatives are meeting the unique milestones for each partner
• Acquires a solid understanding of Velocity health partners’ goals and priorities as they relate to entrepreneurship. 
• Creates and follows a full cycle process for engagement with external organizations
• Evaluates engagement and satisfaction regularly through the use of various tools, including but not limited to annual surveys
• Maintains on-going, broad-based consultation and collaboration with entrepreneurs, collaborators and partners to provide direction to Velocity leadership

Strategic advice and support, including but not limited to (10%)

• Provides advice to Director, Velocity Health for all engagement issues and opportunities
• Serves as the Director’s representative on various committees, as appropriate
• Drafts correspondence and reports for the Director as required
• Serves in an advisory capacity and participates in developing and supporting the outreach strategy

• University degree or equivalent combination of education and experience
• Project Management designation would be an asset
• A minimum of three years of experience in program management and partnership development
• Experience in building and maintaining strong relationships with the ability to build consensus among multiple partnerships
• Proficient in gathering and analyzing feedback data to make informed decisions for continuous improvement
• Demonstrated ability to manage one’s time, prioritizing multiple demands and competing requests for time and support from clients
• Relevant experience at a Health-related start-up would be an asset
• Current knowledge about the local entrepreneurial culture and University of Waterloo community would be an asset
• Outstanding organizational skills with the ability to multitask and meet strict deadlines
• Strong presentation, negotiation and communication skills
• Ability to creatively provide rich experiences that meet a variety of interests and requests
• Intermediate knowledge of Microsoft Word, advanced knowledge of Excel and PowerPoint
• Financial Modeling would be an asset
• Knowledge of Google Drive, and Outlook
• Knowledge of Airtable, Calendly, and Canva is an asset
• Knowledge if market research tools such as Pitchbook and CB Insights is an asset

The University of Waterloo acknowledges that much of our work takes place on the traditional territory of the Neutral, Anishinaabeg and Haudenosaunee peoples. Our main campus is situated on the Haldimand Tract, the land granted to the Six Nations that includes six miles on each side of the Grand River. Our active work toward reconciliation takes place across our campuses through research, learning, teaching, and community building, and is co-ordinated within our Office of Indigenous Relations.

The University values the diverse and intersectional identities of its students, faculty, and staff. The University regards equity and diversity as an integral part of academic excellence and is committed to accessibility for all employees. The University of Waterloo seeks applicants who embrace our values of equity, anti-racism and inclusion.  As such, we encourage applications from candidates who have been historically disadvantaged and marginalized, including applicants who identify as First Nations, Métis and/or Inuk (Inuit), Black, racialized, a person with a disability, women and/or 2SLGBTQ+.

All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however, Canadians and permanent residents will be given priority.

The University of Waterloo is committed to accessibility for persons with disabilities. If you have any application, interview, or workplace accommodation requests, please contact Human Resources at hrhelp@uwaterloo.ca  or 519-888-4567, ext. 45935.