About the Council of Canadian Innovators (CCI)
The Council of Canadian Innovators (CCI) is a national business association representing over 150 of Canada’s fastest-growing technology-intensive companies. Companies within CCI’s portfolio are market leaders in their verticals and commercialize their technologies in over 190 countries, generating between $10M - $750M in annual recurring revenue. CCI’s member companies are all headquartered in Canada and collectively employ over 52,000 Canadians from coast to coast.
CCI was created in 2015 by the leaders of Canada’s most innovative companies to reorient Canada’s economic strategies towards supporting domestic scale-up companies to aid in their pursuit of becoming engines of Canada’s future economic prosperity. CCI works closely with our members and leaders within federal and provincial governments to develop economic strategies that increase access to talent, capital, and customers for homegrown firms, all while updating Canada’s economic playbook for the 21st-century economy. Since 2015, CCI’s advocacy has led to the government improving the way businesses access international talent, patent their inventions, and navigate the global data-driven economy.
CCI is a peer network of Canadian business leaders and innovators who look to CCI’s leadership and membership for strategic advice and foresight, expert navigation of federal and provincial governments, and for connections to other innovators and institutions that can assist them in scaling their businesses worldwide.
Today, CCI is headquartered in Toronto and has staff located in Vancouver, Edmonton, and Montreal. CCI is established as a not-for-profit organization governed by a Board of Directors, with Jim Balsillie, retired chairman and co-CEO of BlackBerry, serving as Chair, and John Ruffolo, founder of OMERS Ventures and Managing Partner of Maverix Private Equity, serving as Vice-Chair. Both are also co-founders of CCI.
Job Title: Director of Partnerships
Location: Remote
Reports To: Vice President of Corporate Affairs
About This Role
This is a 13-month temporary, full-time parental leave coverage role, with the possibility to convert into a permanent role.
The Director of Partnerships is responsible for leading the organization’s partnership strategy, building and maintaining strong relationships with corporate sponsors, community partners, and other strategic allies. This role is focused on identifying, developing, and executing partnerships that drive revenue, expand reach, and enhance organizational impact.
As a senior leader, you will manage a team responsible for partnership development, sponsorship programs, and partner engagement, ensuring alignment with organizational goals and long-term growth. A core focus of this role is building and securing sponsorship opportunities for CCI’s major events (including the CEO Summit), policy products, and educational programming.
Key Responsibilities
1. Partnership Strategy & Development (35%)
- Identify potential partners and sponsorship opportunities that advance the organization's mission and revenue goals.
- Negotiate and structure agreements with corporate and community partners.
- Evaluate partnership performance and adjust strategy to maximize value and impact.
2. Relationship Management & Engagement (30%)
- Serve as the primary point of contact for all strategic partners.
- Build and maintain strong, long-term relationships with corporate sponsors, community partners, and key stakeholders.
- Ensure partners are receiving measurable value and a high-quality engagement experience.
- Address partner concerns, feedback, and opportunities for growth in collaboration with internal teams.
3. Partnership Operations and Team Leadership (20%)
- Oversee partnership operations, including pipeline management, CRM data, and reporting on partnership performance.
- Collaborate with internal teams (marketing, events, programming) to ensure seamless execution of partnership initiatives.
4. Revenue & Impact Measurement (15%)
- Monitor and report on KPIs related to partnership growth, sponsorship revenue, and partner satisfaction.
- Identify and implement opportunities to expand partnerships into new areas or programs.
- Drive initiatives that increase overall organizational visibility, reach, and revenue partnerships.
Success Metrics for the Role
- Revenue Growth: Measurable increase in sponsorship and partnership revenue.
- Partnership Expansion: Successful acquisition of new high-value partnerships.
- Partner Satisfaction: Strong partner retention and positive feedback.
- Operational Excellence: Efficient management of partnership pipeline, CRM and internal processes.
Qualifications & Skills
- 5+ years of experience in partnerships, sponsorships, business development, or related roles; prior leadership experience strongly preferred.
- Proven ability to build and manage high-value partnerships.
- Strong negotiation, communication, and relationship-building skills.
- Experience managing CRM systems and tracking partnership performance metrics.
- Strategic thinker with the ability to balance long-term relationship building with immediate revenue goals.
Compensation & Benefits
- Salary range: $100,000-$120,000 CAD
- Contract Term: This is a 13-month, temporary, full-time position to cover a parental leave, beginning November 2025 and concluding in December 2026. There is a possibility for the role to convert into a permanent position based on organizational needs.
- Flexible schedule and remote-first workplace (with some in-person retreats and events required throughout the year).
- Comprehensive health and dental benefits.
- Generous vacation: 3 weeks plus two discretionary office closures: 1 week in July and 2 weeks in December, cumulating in a total of 6 weeks off per year.
Our bands are based on paying above market rates in our industry and paying comparatively to market rates for parallel roles in the tech sector to acknowledge the diverse skill set we need for our work.
We believe in equal pay for equal value of work. For this reason, although we hire all over Canada, we don't adjust our pay based on where you live. We've used a rate that is competitive across the various locations where we hire.