Position Summary
Reports to: Executive Director
Incumbent: New Position
Location: Remote
The Director, Engagement is a new senior leadership position at Mentor Canada. Reporting to and working closely with the Executive Director, the Director leads strategies that deepen engagement, strengthen visibility, diversify funding, and advance mentoring across Canada.
The portfolio includes business and funding prospecting; marketing and communications; youth ambassador engagement; corporate partnerships; regional and national convening; the Ontario Mentoring Coalition; the Canadian Mentoring Summit; Power of Mentoring events; and other cross-sector events across Canada.
The Director translates organizational priorities into coordinated plans, builds trusted relationships across sectors and regions, and mobilizes staff, partners, funders, and ambassadors to support Mentor Canada’s mission and long-term sustainability.
Key Responsibilities
Strategic Leadership and Integration
- Serve as a member of the senior leadership team, advising the Executive Director and translating the strategic plan into measurable engagement, communications, and revenue-development priorities.
- Develop annual plans, budgets, milestones, and performance measures; coordinate implementation across teams; and provide timely reporting on progress, risks, and opportunities.
- Lead staff, contractors, volunteers, and partners within the portfolio, fostering accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
Engagement, Partnerships and Convening
- Design and lead a national engagement strategy that builds reciprocal relationships with mentoring organizations, youth, corporations, governments, funders, and community partners across sectors, regions, and demographics.
- Lead the Ontario Mentoring Coalition, regional engagement initiatives, youth ambassador programming, corporate engagement, and other strategic partnerships.
- Plan and deliver the Canadian Mentoring Summit, Power of Mentoring events, and other high-impact convening opportunities across Canada.
- Represent Mentor Canada externally, gather field insights, and bring stakeholder perspectives into organizational planning and decision-making.
Business Development and Funding
- Lead business and funding prospecting, including grants, sponsorships, corporate partnerships, campaigns, and other revenue opportunities aligned with organizational priorities.
- Build and steward relationships with prospects, donors, funders, and partners; develop compelling proposals and cases for support; and engage the Executive Director and senior leadership at key stages.
- Oversee funding agreements, donor and funder reporting, pipeline management, and progress toward annual targets.
Marketing and Communications
- Set and oversee an integrated marketing and communications strategy that advances Mentor Canada’s brand, mission, programs, impact, and funding objectives.
- Guide content, publications, digital channels, media relations, executive communications, event promotion, and fundraising communications, ensuring a consistent voice and strong quality standards.
Key Measures of Success
- Engagement, communications, and business-development plans are coordinated, implemented on time, and demonstrate measurable progress against organizational goals.
- The funding pipeline grows and diversifies, with stronger donor, funder, corporate, and government relationships and high-quality stewardship and reporting.
- National and regional relationships deepen through the Ontario Mentoring Coalition, youth ambassadors, the Canadian Mentoring Summit, Power of Mentoring events, and other convening initiatives.
- Mentor Canada’s visibility, reputation, and impact communications strengthen across priority audiences.
- The Executive Director and senior leadership receive clear, timely information and can confidently mobilize around engagement and funding opportunities.
Qualifications
Experience, Education and Technical Skills
The successful candidate will bring a relevant post-secondary credential or an equivalent combination of education and experience, together with:
- Progressive senior-level experience in engagement, business development, fundraising, communications, public affairs, government relations, or a related field, ideally in a national, nonprofit, or cross-sector environment.
- A demonstrated record of developing strategies, securing grants or sponsorships, cultivating corporate and philanthropic relationships, and communicating organizational impact.
- Experience leading complex partnerships, national or regional initiatives, events, and convenings involving diverse stakeholders, including youth.
- Strong people and project leadership, including managing staff, contractors, budgets, work plans, and reporting to executive leadership or a board.
- Exceptional written, verbal, facilitation, and relationship-building skills, with the judgment to engage senior leaders, government officials, funders, corporate partners, communities, and young people.
- Digital fluency with Microsoft 365, Salesforce and relevant communications, design, constituent relationship management, and fundraising tools.
- Bilingual in English and French is an asset.
Leadership Competencies
The Director will demonstrate the ability to:
- Set strategic direction while ensuring disciplined execution, accountability, and measurable results.
- Build respectful, reciprocal, and high-trust relationships across cultures, sectors, and regions.
- Lead collaboratively with sound judgment, emotional intelligence, cultural humility, and a solutions-oriented mindset.
- Navigate complexity, manage competing priorities, and adapt effectively in a growing organization.
- Coach and support others while modelling integrity, confidentiality, initiative, and attention to detail.
Preferred Experience
The following would be considered assets:
- Graduate-level education in a relevant discipline.
- Experience engaging provincial or federal governments.
- Knowledge of mentoring, youth-serving organizations, philanthropy, and knowledge exchange.