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Job Requisition ID:

2026-00376

Time Type:

Full time

Employee Group:

Staff

Job Category:

Business Development

Employment Type:

Temporary

Department:

Faculty of Mathematics - Dean of Mathematics Office - Research and Innovation

Hiring Range:

$93,117.25 - $116,396.56

Posting Information:

This posting is for an existing vacancy.

The internal posting deadline for this position is April 2, 2026at 11:59PM.

This position is being offered as a Secondment or contract opportunity. Contract end date: July 2027.

Job Description:

Primary Purpose

The Research Partnerships Manager (RPM) is responsible for identifying, developing, implementing, and sustaining the research partnership mission across the Faculty of Math. Reporting to the Director, Innovation and Research Partnerships (Director), the RPM’s primary objective is to grow the research partnership portfolio of Math’s faculty members, ensure the ongoing success of faculty in flagship national research programs, raise the national and international profile of Waterloo Math through partnership and research engagement, and provide leadership within the Math Innovation office to ensure operational effectiveness of the Faculty’s research partnerships, research support services, and the strategic initiatives of the Director. The RPM will be expected to lead the development of major industry research partnerships that may arise from targeted outreach, or through a diverse network including faculty members, industry associations, other university departments (e.g. Advancement, Co-op, Office of Research), and direct industry requests. This will also include broadening the relationship between industry and Waterloo Math, leading to collaborative research projects with the Tri-Agencies, Ontario Centres of Innovation, ORF, CFI, etc. The incumbent will be deeply immersed in the research culture within Waterloo Math, acting as the liaison for external partners on campus.

Key Accountabilities

Manage and Direct Research Partnerships Portfolio and Team

● Working with the Director, develop and implement an ongoing business development strategy for the identification, prospecting, and stewardship of external partners leading to sponsored research activity, with a focus on identified research priorities as identified in the Faculty’s Strategic Framework.

● Leadership of the Research Partnerships Team, within the larger Math Innovation Team, with responsibilities for recruitment, goal setting, management/supervision, and performance monitoring, ensuring funding opportunities are leveraged and maximized.

● Manage post-award support for major grant holders; identify and foster complementary industry partnerships; identify and pursue opportunities to extend and match industry funding for major grant holders.

● Develop and execute strategies to create and grow external partnerships within specific industry and/or research sectors as identified in conjunction with the Director and Associate Dean.

● Working with the Director to recruit Math Innovation employees, including permanent support staff, co-op students, and temporary contract employees.

● Responsible for the growth and development of the Research Partnerships portfolio, including the on-boarding of new roles

● Mobilize the team to proactively support key research programs and achieve key metrics of success within the Research Partnerships portfolio, including (but not limited to) targets for faculty members and external partners engaged and research funds awarded from various programs.

● Manage priorities, resolve issues, and support overflow for strategic initiatives, as identified by the Director and Research Partnerships Team.

● Supervising and motivating Math Innovation employees; the RPM supports the Director in providing leadership by planning for employee development and training, assigning activities, monitoring workload, and evaluating performance.

● Support or act on behalf of the Director in resolving problems or disputes that arise with

companies, researchers, or other stakeholders relating to sponsored research.

● Makes recommendations regarding the Faculty-level approval of industry-partnered grant submissions.

● Providing guidance and direction in preparation, coordination, implementation and reporting on major funding proposals.

● Providing guidance and coordinating efforts related to financial and technical reporting on major projects, assisting with internal and external audits.

● Coaching and mentorship of faculty researchers in approaching and securing industry partnerships.

● Stewarding existing relationships, including managing and growing partnerships and tracking outcomes.

● Working closely with external partners to ensure that the terms, conditions and requirements of each contract or grant are carried out to the satisfaction of all parties.

● Fostering and developing relationships with current and potential research sponsors and supporters in collaboration with Math Development and Advancement teams.

● Coordinating and participating in campus visits, events, workshops, and conferences that bring together potential partners and math researchers.

● Developing and maintaining an up-to-date library of resources and materials to support research programs and activities.

Delivery of Strategic Research Initiatives

● Personally manage or support high-value relationships with marquee sponsors and partners by providing post-award project management, ensuring alignment with agency requirements, university policies, and project-specific agreements. This support has been formally committed as the Faculty’s contribution to direct costs of large industry-sponsored research projects in research priority areas. .

● Develop consistent messaging for industry in respect of key terms and conditions of industrial

research contracts including University policies and practices governing the conduct of research,

intellectual property, confidentiality, indirect costs, etc. working closely with the Office of Research Grants and Contracts team to support industry-sponsored research projects, end-to-end.

● Pro-actively align business development efforts to target sectors or companies where there is high potential for funded research and where the Faculty has significant research strength and capacity.

● .Initiating and cultivating meaningful and productive interactions with prospective industry, academic, and government partners. This includes delivering the math research value proposition, helping potential partners identify and articulate a business problem, then connecting them with math research talent within the faculty who can provide research support.

● Working with the Director, analysis of sponsored research performance, goal setting, data

analytics and monitoring of effectiveness.

● Develop and execute strategies to achieve targets, maintaining and steadily increasing the contributions from government matching programs towards Math research.

● Identifying opportunities for major research projects, including sources of funding and potential collaborators, both internal and external.

● Establishing and overseeing implementation of procedures for submission of research funding applications such as NSERC Alliance, Mitacs, CFREF, CFI, CERC, ORF, etc., working closely with the Director to develop strategies to improve success rates in major federal and provincial award programs, and maintaining a working knowledge of significant develop

Build Internal and External Relationships

● Build close working relationships with leadership in the Math, university Centers/Institutes, and other units such as Advancement and Co-op.

● Working with the Director, engage with stakeholders to align activities to areas of priority and avoid duplication of effort or miscommunication.

● Participate in campus-wide groups as pertains to research business development such as the Research Business Development Network (RBDN) group.

● Work in close collaboration with faculty members, other faculty or centres/institutes’ administrative personnel, and Office of Research personnel to promote and facilitate Math research partnership activities and priorities.

● Monitor a portfolio approach to corporate partnerships and identifying areas of risk and opportunity

Special projects

· Undertake Special Projects as assigned by the Director, including activities supporting the innovation and entrepreneurship portfolio for Math Innovation.

Required Qualifications

Education

● Masters degree required, PhD preferred or equivalent experience.

● Mathematics, Engineering, Systems, or Computer Science background would be ideal or other STEM background.

Experience

● 5+ years’ experience in program/project management involving multiple stakeholders, with at least 2 years’ experience within an academic institution.

● 5 years of staff management or equivalent coaching and mentorship experience.

● Research administration, including experience in facilitating academic partnerships.

● Direct experience supporting research portfolio programming, including but not limited to fundraising (i.e., preparing pitch decks and strategic engagements).

● Demonstrated experience leveraging existing data analysis and reporting tools ethically and efficiently to solve problems, complete tasks, and accomplish goals. Demonstrate effective adaptability to new and emerging digital technologies.

● Demonstrated experience developing, delivering, and evaluating small- and large-scale initiatives with the purpose of facilitating meaningful collaborations.

● Demonstrated ability to collect, collate, synthesize, analyze, and present data for use in decision-making, and ability to clearly communicate with various stakeholders in a variety of settings and group sizes.

● A keen awareness and demonstrated knowledge of priorities within industry in a variety of sectors (i.e., deep-tech, finance, manufacturing) and across scales of organizations (multi-national; small- to -medium enterprises; start-ups, venture capitalists).

● Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively, build consensus and be sensitive to the needs and interests of various stakeholders.

● Demonstrated ability to lead multiple initiatives simultaneously, setting targets for a team and managing and delegating tasks as appropriate, while adhering to project timelines and achieving identified metrics for success.

● Demonstrated understanding of grant process and major funding opportunities, in particular (but not limited to) NSERC Alliance, Mitacs, ORF, OCI, and CFI, to inform decisions, advise partners, and support faculty members in pursuing and leveraging funding.

● Experience in preparing, evaluating, and reviewing applications to ensure compliance with agency evaluation criteria and university guidelines.

● Experience and knowledge related to patents and other intellectual property management would be an asset.

Knowledge/Skills/Abilities

● Demonstrated proactive leadership skills including people management skills and strategic thinking.

● Demonstrated problem resolution and negotiation skills.

● Knowledge of federal and provincial R&D funding agency programs and policies.

● Understanding of key aspects of intellectual property management would be an asset.

● Knowledge of industry trends as pertains to R&D.

● Ability to “think on your feet” in respect to managing relationships and complex negotiations, especially when faced with challenging situations or personalities.

● Leader who values, respects, and learns from diverse cultures, races, ages, genders, sexual orientations, and religions. Demonstrate openness, inclusiveness, sensitivity, and the ability to interact respectfully with all people and understand individuals' differences, and supports the team to meet its collective goals.

● Outstanding oral and written communication and interpersonal skills, including excellent presentation skills and the ability to be an articulate advocate for the University in research promotion and external relations.

● Excellent negotiation and customer relations skills.

● Sophisticated understanding of the motivations and aspirations of faculty members in respect of research and the interface with the expectations of industry partners.

● Deep knowledge of institutional priorities and policies related to research.

Equity Statement

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 coordinated within the 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+.

Positions are open to qualified candidates who are legally entitled to work in Canada.

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.