Director of Partnerships & Growth

Startup Canada is a nationally recognized, award-winning organization committed to empowering Canada’s entrepreneurs. Since 2012, we have served as a trusted gateway to the entrepreneurial ecosystem, connecting entrepreneurs with the right resources, programs, and support at the right stage of their journey.

We connect Canada’s entrepreneurs to the tools, community, and support they need to start and grow their businesses. By guiding entrepreneurs toward appropriate resources, eliminating barriers, and amplifying their voices within our extensive network of partners, we enhance the entrepreneurial experience and contribute to a stronger national economy.

Our Mission: To position Canada as a global leader in entrepreneurship.

Our Vision: To connect and empower entrepreneurs and foster an ecosystem that drives innovation, inclusion, and economic growth across Canada.

Our Values

• We’re here for entrepreneurs - We succeed when they succeed.
• We are one team - We collaborate and challenge with respect.
• We embrace an entrepreneurial spirit - We innovate boldly, iterate quickly, and stay agile; adapting to the ever-changing needs of founders with speed and purpose.
• We make it happen - We deliver impactful, high-quality programs and are deeply accountable for our work.
• We operate at scale - We build solutions that grow from local to national, allowing Canadian entrepreneurs to compete at a global scale.

Job Summary

The Director of Partnerships & Growth is a strategic and results-driven leader who will fuel Startup Canada’s next phase of growth. In this newly developed role, the Director of Partnerships & Growth is accountable for achieving ambitious fundraising targets, building a strong and values-aligned pipeline of partners, and securing multi-year funding partnerships that accelerate revenue, deepen the organization’s ecosystem connections, and elevate Startup Canada’s influence across the Canadian entrepreneurship landscape.

The Director of Partnerships & Growth will provide strategic fundraising direction, represent Startup Canada across the regional and national entrepreneurial ecosystems, and ensure the long-term sustainability and expansion of our impact by securing new funding for the organization. The incumbent will develop and implement funder engagement strategies and thought leadership initiatives to amplify Startup Canada’s impact and to attract net new partners. Each partnership is designed to deliver measurable mutual value, fuel Startup Canada’s growth, and strengthen the support available to entrepreneurs at every stage of their journey.

Fundraising and revenue performance for this role is measured against annual targets within Startup Canada’s 12-month fundraising cycle, currently running September 16 to September 15 of the following year.

Core Responsibilities

Fundraising & Revenue Development

• Primary mandate: Meet or exceed annual fundraising targets.

• Develop, lead, and execute a multi-year fundraising strategy to secure both cash and significant in-kind partnerships.

• Identify and cultivate high-value prospects, preparing tailored proposals, sponsorship frameworks, and multi-year funding agreements aligned with Startup Canada’s mission and strategic priorities.

• Pursue net new funding to support budgeted programming, expand existing initiatives.

• Create packages for and onboard net new partners to support Startup Canada as an organization. This funding will not be tied to specific programs.

• Work with the Board of Directors to present revenue forecasting, tracking, and reporting monthly.

Strategic Partnerships, Ecosystem Development, & Organizational Leadership

• Build alliances that both generate revenue and strengthen Startup Canada’s influence and thought leadership in national entrepreneurship policy and programming.

• Contribute to executive level decision-making and strategy development related to partnerships and revenue.

• Liaise with the Board of Directors to develop partnership leads.

• Lead and foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, and innovation within the partnerships department and across the organization.

• Represent Startup Canada in meetings and at national events to strengthen the organization’s profile and influence.

Program & Partnership Integration

• Provide strategic input into program design to maximize partnership integration and alignment with entrepreneur needs.

• Oversee the negotiation and high level execution of partnership agreements, ensuring deliverables are met and mutual value is achieved.

• Collaborate with internal leaders (Programs, Marketing & Communications, Design, and Senior Leadership) to ensure partnerships are seamlessly embedded into delivery and national campaigns.

• Foster a culture of excellence by developing relationships and effectively influencing all team members to achieve Startup Canada goals.
  

Relationship Management & Stewardship

• Serve as the executive lead for all key partnerships within this role, maintaining exceptional stewardship through proactive engagement, high-touch relationship management, and strategic partner involvement in programs.

• Maintain a robust and actively managed pipeline of prospects and current partners, with clear metrics measured on engagement, satisfaction, and growth potential.

• Lead partner feedback and evaluation processes to achieve target satisfaction and Net Promoter Scores (NPS).

Qualifications & Skills

• 7–10 years of senior-level business development, partnerships, or fundraising experience, ideally within a national nonprofit, social enterprise, or entrepreneurship-focused organization directly contributing more than $500,000 in annual revenue.

• Proven record of exceeding fundraising targets and securing multi-year, high-value partnerships.

• Exceptional relationship management skills and executive presence to engage confidently with C-suite, Board members, and senior government leaders.

• Strategic thinker with the ability to design and execute complex, multi-stakeholder initiatives.

• Strong financial acumen to assess ROI, budget impacts, and net revenue potential of partnerships.

• Highly organized, with demonstrated ability to manage multiple complex relationships and projects simultaneously.

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to produce high-impact proposals, presentations, and reports.

• Proficiency in Notion, G Suite, Canva, and ability to build and manage a partnership dashboard/CRM.

• Bilingualism in French and English is an asset.

• Self-starter with adaptability, creativity, and a solutions-oriented mindset.

• Ability to travel across Canada for program events and conferences.

Salary & Perks

• Annual salary range: $100,000 to $110,000 commensurate with experience, plus generous bonus package based on revenue generation and achieving KPI targets

• 35 paid days off per calendar year, including 10 vacation days, 5 flexible Mental Health Days per year, end of year 2 week office closure, Summer office closure, extra days off in lieu after major events, and 4 additional office closure days throughout the year on Easter Monday, Civic Holiday, Truth & Reconciliation Day, and Remembrance Day.

• 4-hour workday Fridays all year

• 5 paid sick days

• Fully remote role

• Professional development fund and professional development work hours

• Comprehensive dental and medical benefits

• Opportunity to travel across Canada

Anticipated Start Date

March 3, 2026

Recruitment and Selection Process

1. First Interview with Human Resources: learn more about your interest in the role, and your relevant experience.

2. Second Interview with Interim CEO and Director from the Board: provide more details Startup Canada, and on the role expectations in the first 6 months

3. Third Interview with Chair and/or Vice Chair of the Board of Directors: discuss Startup Canada’s long term strategy, and how the Director of Partnerships & Growth will liaise with the Board of Directors and report on funding.

4. Meeting with Interim CEO and Startup Canada team members: opportunity to connect with additional Startup Canada team members, learn more about our ways of working, and ask any additional questions you may have.

5. Reference Checks

6. Job Offer

Depending on the candidate’s location, we anticipate that most interviews will be conducted virtually on Google Meets. Startup Canada uses an AI Notetaker for all virtual meetings. No other AI software is used during the recruitment process.

Startup Canada is committed to fostering diversity, equity, and inclusion. We actively encourage applications from qualified individuals residing in and legally permitted to work in Canada of all diverse backgrounds. We are dedicated to creating an inclusive environment where everyone has an equal opportunity to thrive. Please notify us in advance if you require accommodations during any step of the recruitment process.

We are grateful for all candidate interest and applications. Only candidates selected to move forward in the recruitment process will be contacted. The posting will remain active until the job is filled.