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