Are you looking for a career where you can make a real difference? At the Innovation Cluster—Peterborough and the Kawarthas (ICPK), we are celebrating our twenty-year anniversary.  

Innovation Cluster Peterborough and the Kawarthas (ICPK) is a nonprofit organization supporting Clean Tech, Healthcare Tech, AgriTech, and IT entrepreneurs in commercializing, scaling, and innovating their businesses. 

Our vision is to propel growth and entrepreneurship across the region by establishing Peterborough and Kawartha Lakes as a Centre of Innovation. The organization is at a pivotal point in its strategic transformation, reinventing its approach to creating a bold future that aligns with its mission and the region’s emerging needs and opportunities.

We support growing and mature businesses by providing dynamic programming, mentorship, workshops, advocacy, and networking opportunities that help them achieve their business goals and grow our local community, job market, and economy.

POSITION SUMMARY

ICPK is seeking a highly organized and detail-oriented individual with excellent multitasking abilities. The ideal candidate thrives in a dynamic environment, can manage multiple priorities simultaneously, and proactively anticipates event disruptions and the team’s needs and events. 

They should have strong communication and interpersonal skills, be customer-service focused, and work well independently and collaboratively. Experience in event planning, office administration, and familiarity with CRM systems like HubSpot is essential. The candidate should be resourceful adaptable, and maintain a professional demeanour in a fast-paced, entrepreneurial setting. A passion for supporting innovation and a positive, problem-solving mindset makes them an excellent fit for the team.

• Provide administrative support for daily operations, including communications and office management.
• Plan, organize, and execute internal and external events, ensuring all logistics are handled effectively.
• Manage client intake processes and maintain accurate client records in CRM systems like HubSpot.
• Support the delivery of programs such as the LevelUP Accelerator and STARTup Visa Program.
• Assist with marketing efforts, including drafting communications and collaborating on event promotions.
• Organize meetings, prepare agendas and materials, and ensure a professional meeting environment.
• Maintain office supplies and equipment, ensuring a clean and organized workspace.

Key Responsibilities:

• Administrative Support:
  • Manage incoming and outgoing communications, including phone calls, emails, and mail handling.
  • Maintain office supplies and equipment, ensuring office cleanliness and functionality.
  • Assist with scheduling meetings, including preparing agendas, minutes, and documentation.
• Event Planning and Management:
  • Lead the planning and execution of all Innovation Cluster events, including workshops, networking events, and board meetings.
  • Coordinate event logistics, including venue booking, catering, speaker arrangements, and supporting marketing efforts.
  • Develop and maintain event planning documents, timelines, and budget reports.
  • Support events through onsite coordination and post-event evaluations.
• Client and Program Coordination:
  • Manage new client applications, ensuring smooth intake and onboarding processes.
  • Update and maintain client records in HubSpot, ensuring accuracy in contact and participation data.
  • Collect and process program participant data for reporting and program evaluation.
• Funding and Finance Support:
  • Handle the submission of funding claims and management of related documents.
  • Processing finance documents, ensuring compliance with funding guidelines.
• Communication and Marketing Support:
  • Draft and send email communications for common inquiries and event announcements.
  • Collaborate with marketing teams to develop promotional materials for programs and events.
  • Compile and distribute weekly email updates for internal and external stakeholders.
• Office and Meeting Management:
  • Organize and maintain the office environment, ensuring that it is well-stocked, organized, clean, and professional.
  • Prepare and distribute board meeting materials and ensure the boardroom is ready for meetings.
  • Ensure all equipment and supplies (e.g., coffee station, printer, shredding machine) are maintained and replenished.

Working Style:

• Act using principles of integrity, respect, humility, and inclusion internally and externally to advance organization’s goals and outcomes.
• Understands and accepts task assignments will be varied ranging from emptying the dishwasher to introducing speakers at workshops. 
• Works cooperatively with a focus on collaboration and pitching in to achieve group goals.

• Amiable, unassuming, and approaches tasks with care for accuracy, timeliness, accountability and team dynamics.
• Reflective and thoughtful, with serious attention to clear, factual communication.
• Focused on technical aspects of the job and excels in detail-oriented work.
• Comfortable with steady, repetitive tasks and allows others to drive action when needed.
• Patient with the team’s pace and decision-making processes.
• Intensely engaged in details, process, structure, and consistent follow-through.
• Curiosity to continiually learn, build personal skills and competencies, research best practices and experiment to improve results. 
• Careful in decision-making and risk-taking, cultivating expertise and know-how before acting.

Requirements include:

• Post-secondary education in Business Administration or a related field.
• Experience in an administrative role, preferably within a non-profit or entrepreneurial environment.
• Strong organizational skills with an ability to manage multiple tasks, ambiguity, and projects simultaneously.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills; as comfortable with speaking on the phone as with email
• Proficient in Microsoft Office, Google Workspace, Slack, Asana, and HubSpot.
• Passion for event planning execution best practices, and reviewing event results and continuous improvement.
• Self-starter, able to work independently with limited supervision, and as a team player.
• Experience in effectively communicating complex or sensitive information (oral, written, and interpersonal) and crisis management.
• Valid Ontario Class “G” Driver’s license and insured personal vehicle.
• Full-time hours and participation in early morning, evening, and weekend events will be required.
• In-office 4 days a week

 Apply by November 28th

Are you looking for a career where you can make a real difference? At the Innovation Cluster—Peterborough and the Kawarthas (ICPK), we are celebrating our twenty-year anniversary.  

Innovation Cluster Peterborough and the Kawarthas (ICPK) is a nonprofit organization supporting Clean Tech, Healthcare Tech, AgriTech, and IT entrepreneurs in commercializing, scaling, and innovating their businesses. 

Our vision is to propel growth and entrepreneurship across the region by establishing Peterborough and Kawartha Lakes as a Centre of Innovation. The organization is at a pivotal point in its strategic transformation, reinventing its approach to creating a bold future that aligns with its mission and the region’s emerging needs and opportunities.

We support growing and mature businesses by providing dynamic programming, mentorship, workshops, advocacy, and networking opportunities that help them achieve their business goals and grow our local community, job market, and economy.

POSITION SUMMARY

ICPK is seeking an experienced, intellectually curious, and dynamic professional to lead strategic and program marketing planning and implementation while leading business development initiatives to support the organization’s mission.

ICPK requires that candidates have recent experience in a business accelerator or nonprofit innovation centre. The position requires an exceptional strategist and result-driven leader. She/he will be skilled at working with ICPK staff, clients, and partners to impact priorities by:

• Lead resource development lines of business, including Corporate Relations, Client Programs, Grants, and sponsors, while consistently maintaining superior relationships and increasing revenue.
• Develop and implement marketing and communication plans and strategies, including public relations, media relations, digital communications, key messaging, storytelling, and brand experience.
• Manage the delivery of a suite of for-fee tactical marketing services to clients and ensure quality deliverables and high client satisfaction.
• Develop and manage the execution of outbound programming, program strategies, and events for the Innovation Cluster in alignment with partner MOUs, community needs, and IPCK KPIs.
• Develop compelling materials that support ICPK’s advocacy, educational, and development efforts.

Be responsible for expanding awareness in target industries, geographic markets, and constituent groups by engaging the public, attracting new audiences, leading marketing, building market, and mindshare within the region and province to increase overall revenue contribution.

Key Responsibilities:

• Develop and manage local marketing initiatives, including traditional and digital media.
• Develop and maintain strategic partnerships with target companies, corporate and funding partners, and community and business leaders to generate necessary public support and funding.
• Initiate new ways to generate revenue by building and expanding differentiated programs that fill unmet target market needs.
• Set revenue goals and objectives and implement long- and short-range plans to meet those objectives and ensure long-term sustainability.
• Develop and implement annual operating plans, recognize and act on opportunities, shift gears and comfortably handle risk, recover from setbacks, and overcome obstacles.
• Convey the energy, meaning, and importance of ICPK’s mission and work.
• Excel at promoting ideas and vision, able to read the audience, and persuade others to act with a sense of urgency
• Engage with partners and target industry clients and members year-round, recognizing the impact of communicating progress and results, inspiring involvement, and ensuring a quality experience.
• Experienced in developing community relations and partnerships to drive successful programming.
• Distill complex information into a simple, clear message using relevant examples, stories, and community information that resonates with the public, clients, and partners.
• Write clearly and concisely, using multiple platforms to reach diverse audiences, influential public speaker, and presenter.
• Develop and implement a comprehensive year-round communication plan to keep clients, members, partners, and the ecosystem informed and engaged.
• Execute the development and implementation of social marketing, public and media relations, website content, communication/resource development materials, and brand management.
• Produce materials for marketing (news releases, newsletters, print ads, etc.), communication/resource development materials, and brand management.
• Establish media contacts; handle requests for advertisements, including design of ads and tracking of expenses.
• Oversee all communication platforms (mailing lists, email lists, websites, social media pages, reader boards, ads, etc.)
• Conduct, analyze, and interpret internal and external research to support the planning and development of organizational resource development and marketing strategies and plans.
• Set department goals, develop a structure for the department, and lead Marketing.
• Additional Responsibilities: The Executive Director or CEO initiates or directs the performance of additional duties or tasks to support the mission.

Working Style:

• Act using Partnership principles of integrity, respect, humility, and inclusion internally and externally to advance community goals and outcomes.
• Effective presenter, active listener, open to new ideas, keeps supporters informed and engaged.
• Motivated by interaction and interpersonal social aspects of the role, sociable with a relaxed open behavior, seeks change and problems to solve to prove themselves, and strives to see the big picture and win.
• Communicates persuasively, with zeal and warmth. Congenial, warm, collaborative, and cooperative within team settings. Quickly connecting with people and stimulates and communicates positively.
• Driven by variation of pace, change in priorities, contacts, environments, and tasks, and informality while delivering high quality work.
• Thinks outside the box and is creative with innovative ideas. Self-directed and driven to fast action. Comfortable with pressure, speed, and proactively initiates change.
• Shares and delegates in an amiable way to achieve objectives, staff growth and team needs. Steadfast and reliable with a cooperative approach; is patient and modest.
• Attentive to process and details and accuracy; wants tasks done correctly and on time by themselves and staff.

Requirements include:

• Bachelor’s degree (Master’s preferred) in Marketing, Business, or related field with 7+ years of experience AND a portfolio of marketing successes.
• Comprehensive knowledge of nonprofit, business-to-business, and technology marketing.
• Strong project management and organizational skills, a tenacious ability to meet deadlines, and enthusiasm for supervising key projects and personnel.
• Knowledge of business trends and regional economic trends that impact needs and resources.
• An “audience-first” approach to understand the target audiences for the ICPK and connect with these audiences in meaningful and purposeful ways.
• Proficiency with Google and MS Office applications (Word, Excel, PowerPoint), CRM systems (HubSpot), and design programs (i.e. InDesign, Canva).
• Demonstrable experience in developing and managing industry research projects, qualitative and quantitative research, thought leadership, and white paper development.
• Superior data-driven problem-solving, decision-making, organization, project, and time management skills.
• Excellent written, editing, and verbal communication skills.
• Self-starter, able to work independently with minimal supervision, and is a team player.
• Experience in effectively communicating complex or sensitive information (oral, written, and interpersonal) and crisis management.
• Valid Ontario Class “G” Driver’s license and insured personal vehicle.
• Full-time hours and participation in early morning, evening, and weekend events will be required.
• In-office 3 days a week

Apply by November 4th

This is an ideal opportunity for seasoned individuals who have ‘been there’ and are motivated to give back to the community by sharing their experience and lessons learned while impacting the success of clients, The Innovation Cluster—Peterborough and the Kawarthas (ICPK), and regional SME businesses.

ICPK is a non-profit organization that supports Clean Tech, Healthcare Tech, AgriTech, and IT entrepreneurs in commercializing, scaling, and innovating their businesses. Our vision is to propel growth and entrepreneurship across the region by establishing Peterborough and Kawartha Lakes as a Centre of Innovation.

We support growing mature businesses by providing dynamic programming, mentorship, workshops, advocacy, and networking opportunities to help them achieve business goals and grow our regional economy.

OPPORTUNITY SUMMARY

ICPK seeks experienced and seasoned individuals with extensive hands-on experience leading and scaling businesses from MVP and commercialization to Innovation in the following industries:

● Agritech,

● Aquaculture Tech,

● Cleantech,

● MedTech, and

● Supporting IT

and the functional areas:

● Finance,

● Funding and Valuation,

● Sales and Channels,

● Distribution/Supply Chain,

● IT/CIO, specifically cybersecurity,

● CTO and Innovation Management,

● Product Management,

● R&D

● Customer Service/Support, and

● Licensing.

The Expert in Residence will advise ICPK clients on specific questions, needs, issues, and areas identified by the client and the ICPK Business Advisor. Advising is done virtually and, when warranted, in person. The role requires an individual with deep experience and a client-focused and mentoring mindset. With a boots-on-the-ground approach, the Expert in Residence will work closely with each client’s Business Advisor to ensure that client advice and mentoring are sound and value-based.

Key Responsibilities:

● Provide actionable advice based on expert-in-residence expertise to help clients fulfill their organization’s goals by offering insights, best practices, tools, and guidance.

● Bring fresh perspectives and innovative thinking to SME clients. Leverage expertin-residence’s diverse experiences and exposure to different industries to spark new ideas and approaches, encourage out-of-the-box thinking, and inspire the client team to explore innovative solutions to problems.

● Maintain a robust understanding of the needs and challenges of SMEs at different business and sector stages.

● Maintain regular communication with assigned clients, proactively sharing information, status updates, and potential issues as they arise.

● Meet administrative and communications requirements per ICPK policies and requests from the Business Advisor or ICPK leadership.

● Maintain excellent relationships with clients, members, and ecosystem partners.Respond to clients’ questions, concerns, and requests.

● Support and actively participate in events.

● Promote ICPK’s benefits to generate positive community awareness of the organization, its mission, and its impact and strengthen its brand and reputation with business partners and clients.

Requirements include:

● Prior experience with a consulting firm advising SME C-Suites

● 20+ years’ experience in executive leadership roles leading organizations from late-stage startup to maturity or successful exit (or growing organizations from 10+ to 500 employees

● Direct experience in transformation, change management, and innovation management

● Excellent oral and written communication skills, with the ability to communicate information in a clear and concise manner

● Strong interpersonal skills, including the demonstrated ability to work effectively with clients, staff, and community stakeholders

● Ability to assess motivations and desires in others, create empathy, and identify commonalities and a shared vision

● Superior problem-solving, decision-making, organization, and project and time management skills

● Valid Ontario Class “G” Driver’s license and insured personal vehicle.

Work Style:

● Ability to present concepts, ideas, and proposals in a manner that is perceived positively by and resonates with intended audiences and stakeholders while encouraging action

● Ability to project a mature and professional attitude, demeanor, and appearance as is appropriate to a given situation

● Instinctive motivation and ability to develop, nurture, and balance positive professional relationships and connections with key stakeholders, including situations in which stakeholders may be competitors with each other or otherwise have unaligned interests

● Situational Perception (External): Ability to intuitively listen to—and recognize—the priorities and needs of others without bias and develop creative concepts for matching those priorities and needs with those of our organization in a “win-win”environment

● Ability to see future trends and pathways that can contribute to long-term client and organizational success