Director, Research

Overview

Job Requisition : 12080

Position Status: Permanent Full Time

Position Type: Hybrid

Office

Location:

Ottawa (ON);
Calgary (AB);
Halifax (NS);
Montreal (QC);
Toronto (ON);
Vancouver (BC)

Travel Requirement: Occasional

Language Designation: Bilingual

Language Skill Levels (Read/Write/Speak): CBC

Security Requirement: Secret

Salary: Our salaries generally range from $ 164092.90 to $ 205116.13 and are based on qualifications and experience.

The work you do and the work we do together matters. We come to work every day with a common purpose: to contribute to a well-functioning housing system. At CMHC, we hold ourselves accountable for our results and support our colleagues in their achievements. We thrive on collaboration, connecting across CMHC and involving the right people to get our work done.

Our leadership style is guided by trust, where our leaders favour an adaptive approach based on the needs of their teams. Join us and be part of a team that’s committed to making a real difference and be part of something meaningful.

Benefits

• Annual Paid vacation.
• Annual individual performance incentive.
• Defined benefit pension plan.
• Comprehensive group insurance plan to support your well-being from day one.
• Support towards your personal and professional growth with training, mentorship and more.
• An inclusive workplace culture and environment.
• While positions at CMHC require some in-office presence, alternative work arrangements may be considered for Indigenous candidates.

Join the Housing Economics and Insights Team, in the Director, Housing Research position. This role will provide leadership for a diverse research portfolio, overseeing the generation of high-quality socio-economic, technical, financial, and data insights that support evidence-based decision making and solution development. The Director will lead three integrated research pillars—Empirical, Technical, and Strategic Research—ensuring analytical excellence, alignment, and policy impact. In close partnership with Communications & Marketing, the role will amplify the reach and influence of research outcomes, while collaborating across CMHC to advance cross sector research initiatives.

As a senior leader, the Director will strengthen the scale, speed, and relevance of research, shaping organizational strategy and informing housing industry stakeholders, academic partners, and government decision makers.

• Provide overall strategic leadership, governance and quality assurance across the following research domains:
• Empirical Research
• Oversee quantitative and qualitative empirical research, including literature reviews, interviews, case studies, field work, and statistical analysis.
• Ensure appropriate research design, data integrity, reproducibility, and methodological rigor in all empirical outputs.
• Translate complex findings into clear, relevant insights for senior leaders, the Board, industry and government stakeholders.
• Technical Research
• Provide leadership on technically complex research related to construction, building technologies, building codes, climate resilience, infrastructure, and housing system performance.
• Ensure research reflects sound technical standards, regulatory frameworks, engineering or financial principles, as applicable.
• Translate complex findings into clear, relevant insights for senior leaders, the Board, industry and government stakeholders.
• Strategic Research
• Deliver actionable, solution ready insights aligned with Canadian housing priorities and government priorities.
• Integrate empirical and technical evidence into strategic narratives, scenarios and solutioning options.
• Anticipate emerging housing challenges and future research needs for executive, Board, and Ministerial audiences.
• Translate complex findings into clear, relevant insights for senior leaders, the Board, industry and government stakeholders.

• Set clear strategic priorities, foster collaboration across research pillars and challenge teams to deliver high quality, accessible analysis.
• Ensure research outcomes balance methodological rigor with timeliness,…