Senior Advisor, Industry and Ecosystem Engagement (2026-0205)

The Information and Communication Technology Council (ICTC) is seeking a Senior Advisor, Industry and Ecosystem Engagement to join the Capacity Building & Innovation team.

This is a one-year, full-time term position responsible for leading employer outreach, industry engagement, and partnership development activities in support of a workforce development program. The Senior Advisor provides strategic guidance on industry workforce needs, supports the recruitment and engagement of participating employers, and works to ensure program activities remain aligned with current and emerging sector priorities. The role serves as a key liaison between ICTC, manufacturing employers, industry associations, ecosystem partners, and other stakeholders to support program success and long-term industry impact.

The Senior Advisor manages relationships with employers and sector stakeholders, identifies opportunities to strengthen industry participation, and gathers market intelligence to inform program delivery and continuous improvement. Working closely with the Program Manager and internal teams, the Senior Advisor ensures employer perspectives are reflected throughout program implementation and helps create meaningful connections between workforce development activities and industry needs.

The role also involves supporting strategic partnerships, facilitating stakeholder collaboration, and contributing to employer engagement strategies that advance program objectives and strengthen ICTC's relationships across the manufacturing ecosystem.

The ideal candidate is a proactive relationship-builder with experience engaging employers, industry associations, and ecosystem partners. They possess strong stakeholder management and communication skills, a solid understanding of workforce development and industry trends, and the ability to translate employer needs into actionable program insights. Direct experience in the manufacturing sector, employer engagement, business development, workforce development, or ecosystem-building initiatives would be considered a strong asset.

Core Responsibilities:

Strategic Relationship Development:

• Activating industry networks to identify and engage manufacturing SMEs and sector stakeholders interested in participating in the program.
• Leading relationship development and engagement activities with manufacturing employes, industry associations, ecosystem partners, and workforce development stakeholders.
• Supporting the recruitment and onboarding of participating employers, while fostering long-term engagement throughout the program lifecycle.
• Building and maintaining trusted relationships with employers to understand workforce needs, skills gaps, and emerging industry priorities.
• Acting as the primary liaison for participating employers and sector stakeholders, ensuring effective communication and a positive participant experience.
• Ensuring employer perspectives and industry priorities are reflected in program delivery, continuous improvement, and workforce development activities.
• Supporting the achievement of employer participation and engagement targets through proactive outreach, relationship management, and stakeholder engagement activities.
• Providing regular updates and reports on employer engagement activities, stakeholder anticipation, industry insights, and progress toward program targets.

Advisory and Implementation:

• Providing strategic guidance on industry workforce needs, skills gaps, digital transformation priorities, and emerging sector trends to help inform program delivery and employer engagement activities.
• Collaborating with internal teams to ensure program activities align with employer needs, sector priorities, and ICTC's workforce development objectives.
• Gathering and communicating employer feedback, industry insights, and stakeholder perspectives to support continuous improvement and program relevance.
• Supporting the development and implementation of employer engagement strategies that strengthen participation and long-term industry partnerships.
• Facilitating ongoing dialogue between employers, industry stakeholders, and program teams to ensure workforce development activities remain responsive to industry needs.
• Ensuring employers have meaningful opportunities to inform program design, delivery, evaluation, and future workforce development initiative

Market Intelligence & Strategy:

• Developing and implementing employer and stakeholder engagement strategies to identify workforce priorities, skills needs, and emerging challenges relevant to program objectives.
• Gathering, analyzing, and synthesizing industry intelligence, employer feedback, and stakeholder insights to inform program delivery, continuous improvement, and future workforce development initiatives.
• Staying current on manufacturing sector trends, workforce challenges, technology adoption, and regional economic developments to help ensure program relevance and responsiveness to industry needs.
• Identifying opportunities to strengthen stakeholder participation, strategic partnerships, and engagement across relevant industries, sectors, and workforce development ecosystems.
• Providing industry insights and recommendations to support employer recruitment, program planning, and stakeholder engagement activities.

Content and Messaging:

• Contributing to the development of strategic content and messaging that clearly articulates ICTC's value proposition to industry partners and stakeholders.
• Collaborate with internal teams (marketing, product development, customer success) to enhance service offerings for businesses.

What You Bring to This Position:

• Bachelor's or master's degree in Business, Public Policy, Communications, Marketing, or a related field.
• A sales-mindset and 3+ years of experience in business development, partnership development, industry engagement, or stakeholder management
• Proven track record of meeting or exceeding business development and program targets;
• A strong, established industry network and a deep understanding of Ontario’s business landscape, market, and culture;
• A proven track record in building and maintaining strategic relationships with senior stakeholders and key industry influencers in Ontario;
• Strong interpersonal and negotiation skills with the ability to build trust with a diverse clientele;
• Excellent analytical skills with the ability to synthesize complex information into actionable insights;
• Outstanding written and verbal communication skills, with the capacity to engage effectively at all organizational levels;
• Strategic thinking with the practical ability to drive initiatives from concept to execution.
• Experience in project management and stakeholder coordination;
• Proficiency in CRM systems and Microsoft Office Suite;
• Fully bilingual in French and English is required.

What Sets You Apart:

• Demonstrated success in identifying, developing, and managing complex, multi-stakeholder partnerships.
• Proven experience in digital transformation, workforce development, or technology capacity building.
• A record of contributing to strategic initiatives that extend beyond routine responsibilities.
• Adaptability and the ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.

Are you?

• An inspirational leader- Are you someone who motivates others, drives meaningful change, and navigates challenges with grace and resilience?

• Driven and Determined - Are you highly motivated, self-starting, and willing to go above and beyond expectations with the drive to improve and exceed goals?
• Optimism with a “can-do”, results-driven orientation – Are you able to think creatively and successfully navigate barriers and obstacles? Do you stay focused on achieving priority goals and results?
• Dynamic, resilient, and flexible - Are you able to keep up with and embrace the rapid pace of change, advances in technology, intense competition and unparalleled levels of uncertainty? Are you open to change, evolving requirements, continuous feedback, and have the capacity to work with remote teams across Canada?
• A strategic, creative thinker – Are you skilled in analyzing complex situations and relationships? Are you able to channel your curiosity to navigate intricate challenges and drive innovation? Do you identify inter-relationships, patterns, and trends while noticing configurations across seemingly unrelated events? Do you synthesize information to pinpoint opportunities and issues? Do you tend to visualize new possibilities, challenge assumptions, and generate options to solve problems, seize opportunities?
• Collaborative - Are you able to work with and through others to achieve results? Do you have the emotional intelligence to understand the needs and perspectives of others, share information, report back, and be a strong team player?

• A decisive decision-maker – Are you able to analyze situations carefully, seek diverse perspectives, and make decisions that align with strategic goals and objectives?

• Ethical - Can you work with and steward confidential information and data? (This role requires high integrity, good judgment, confidentiality, and ethical compliance)
• A champion of diversity and inclusion - Are you committed to diversity and inclusion and understanding the issues and challenges faced by diverse groups?
• An excellent communicator – Do you have outstanding interpersonal and communication skills?
• Persuasive – Are you able to present concepts, ideas and proposals and close the deal?
• Strategic thinker and doer – Are you an expert in developing and executing strategic plans?
• Reliable – Do you demonstrate reliability, organizational skills, and accountability to meet and exceed project and funder deliverable requirements?
• Passionately committed to lifelong learning - stay abreast on industry trends, seek out new perspectives, and invest in your own personal and professional growth.

Why Join Us?

• Be part of a dynamic, mission-driven, entrepreneurial organization committed to advancing Canada's competitive advantage in the digital economy.
• Lead high-impact programs that drive economic growth and shape the future of Canadian businesses.
• Work in an agile, collaborative, innovative, and forward-thinking environment where we are always helping each other achieve collective goals.

Location

• Remote (Ontario)

Term

• 12 months term contract.

Additional notes:

• This role reflects growth in our team and expanded operational scope.
• ICTC is committed to being an equal opportunity employer. If you require accommodation measures during any phase of the hiring process, please notify us as soon as possible. All information received in relation to accommodation requests will be kept confidential.

About ICTC

ICTC is a neutral, not-for-profit national centre of expertise with the mission of strengthening Canada's digital advantage in the global economy. For over 30 years we have delivered forward-looking research, practical policy advice, and capacity-building solutions for individuals and businesses. Our goal is to ensure that technology is utilized to drive economic growth and innovation, and that Canada's workforce remains competitive on a global scale.

• OUR MISSION IS TO: Strengthen Canada's digital advantage in a global economy
• OUR VISION IS TO: Foster globally competitive Canadian industries and a prosperous society empowered by innovative digital solutions.

ICTC respectfully acknowledges that ICTC headquarters is on the ancestral and unceded territory of the Algonquin Anishinaabeg People.

Originally posted on Himalayas