Managing Director, Future Cities Institute - Waterloo, Canada - University of Waterloo

University of Waterloo

Verified Company

Waterloo, Canada

3 weeks ago

Posted by:

Sophia Lee

beBee Recruiter

Description

Overview:

The Managing Director (MD) is responsible for aspects of the overall business leadership, partnership development, and day-to-day operations of the Future Cities Institute (FCI).

This position is central to advancing the University of Waterloo as a leading global centre for futures thinking and training and is founded on Waterloo at 100 and the Global Futures Framework.

The FCI is a leading global network of interdisciplinary partners from academia, industry, government, grassroots organizations, and communities, who work together to imagine, build and enable healthy, prosperous and resilient futures for our cities.

The mission is to foster interdisciplinary applied research, work-integrated learning and flexible curricula that place the pivotal role of cities at the centre of our collaboration and solution building.

To achieve this mission, the FCI will focus its efforts on three core components:
Partnerships, Research and Knowledge Mobilization, and Building Capacity by training the next generation of leaders.

A key role of the MD will be the fostering and management of a collaborative partner network that draws from both the private and public sectors

Key management functions include:
(1) creating new contacts and building relationships with prospective industry, government, and research partners; (2) creating and implementing a plan for knowledge mobilization activities; (3) working with FCI members, directors, and advisory board to advance the overall goals of the FCI.

FCI is a global network of interdisciplinary researchers, industry leaders, practitioners, students, and community members.

Rooted in applied and interdisciplinary research, dynamic academic programs and collaborative partnerships, the Institute, founded in the Faculty of Environment and supported across the University of Waterloo, is dedicated to exploring pathways for healthy and prosperous future cities.

Our focus is on leveraging partnerships to build capacity, solve applied transdisciplinary research problems and effectively mobilize knowledge.

We strive to create optimization tools and processes within governments, organizations, and communities to anticipate and address future challenges, ultimately aiming to create thriving cities for all.

This position is contingent on funding.

Responsibilities:

Leadership and Strategic Direction/Planning

Provides overall strategic leadership, management and administration for all FCI programs and services across the University of Waterloo
Initiate, develop, and execute strategic plans for the FCI, working with the Co-Directors of the Institute
Align FCI goals and objectives with University of Waterloo's strategic plan
Implement strategic plan for partnership development, research and knowledge mobilization activities, and capacity building
Encourage and help facilitate interdisciplinary research, collaborative partnerships, crossfaculty links, and research dissemination
Research trends, innovations, and best practices in similar organizations, and identify appropriate strategies and recommendations to the Co-Directors
Prepare and deliver presentations at internal and external meetings or conferences
Lead or colead specific projects as required by the Co-Directors
Create, write, edit and manage dissemination of online and print communications in collaboration with the Co-Directors
Coordinates and participates in campus visits, events, workshops, and conferences

Fosters relationships with prospective industry, non-profit organizations, and government partners, and stewards existing relationships

Conduct research into potential new partnerships: academic, industry, government, nonprofit
Manages external relationships; develops and services client relationships and tracks outcomes
Targets, pursues and cultivates external relationships, collaborations and partnerships
Addresses inquiries about FCI from the private sector, government, other institutions and the media, and as such must have a full understanding of the scope of FCI activities and strategic plans
Cultivates incoming expressions of interest to engage with the Institute and keeps the FCI membership informed and aware of inquiries and potential research and capacity building opportunities; will help to assess their viability for possible followup by FCI leadership
Stewards and builds on existing memorandums of understanding with partner industry and non

- profit organizations and actively pursues new national and international partnerships. A broad spectrum of industrial, non-profit, and government partners currently invests in a wide range of artificial intelligence research activities. The MD will cultivate these and establish new relationships in support of research projects involving FCI members and partners

Advances Future Cities education and training programs