Senior Policy Advisor

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Mitacs is a national not-for-profit that helps industry and non-profit partners solve strategic challenges by leveraging Canada’s world-class post-secondary talent and a global network of industry, academic, and government partnerships. Through these collaborations, Mitacs helps business and community partners succeed, improves students’ on-the-job skills development, and strengthens Canada’s world-class innovation ecosystem. At Mitacs, we strive to develop the next generation of innovators with vital research and business skills.

In partnership with domestic and international companies, governments, and academia, we support a new economy using Canada’s most valuable resource – its people.

To get a better understanding of Mitacs and read the complete job description, please visit our website:

Senior Policy Advisor – 6 months Contract

The Policy team at Mitacs plays a central role in translating complexity into clear, actionable insight. We transform data into informed decisions, develop evidence-based rationales for new initiatives, and articulate the organization’s impact in ways that resonate with government and partners. We ensure that Mitacs programs align with public priorities, clarify the underlying purpose of our work, and provide the policy intelligence and strategic advice necessary to support organizational transformation.

We collaborate closely with Programs, Government Relations, and Evaluations to ensure that Mitacs’ strategies, programs, and proposals are grounded in robust evidence, responsive to public‑sector priorities, and communicated effectively to funders and stakeholders.

The Senior Policy Advisor is a strategic thinker, researcher, and storyteller who will help support Mitacs’ evolution and implement its new strategic plan. A key function of this role is conducting original research that identifies emerging trends, risks, and opportunities—providing the organization with strategic advice for policy alignment and organizational transformation.

You will translate complex data into actionable insights, develop compelling narratives for government funders, and support evidence‑informed program design while leading priority policy files. These files may include skills and talent development, work-integrated learning, workforce development, and Mitacs’ role within Canada’s innovation ecosystem, and will evolve over time in response to organizational priorities.

• Conduct original policy research, environmental scans, and jurisdictional analyses to inform Mitacs’ evolution and long‑term direction.
• Identify new opportunities in research, innovation, talent development, and economic policy that should shape Mitacs programs and partnerships.
• Demonstrate how emerging federal/provincial priorities may impact Mitacs, and provide actionable recommendations for organizational alignment

• Provide evidence‑informed policy advice that supports organizational transformation, modernization, and alignment with stakeholder expectations.
• Identify policy gaps, risks, and opportunities to strengthen Mitacs’ positioning within the broader innovation ecosystem.
• Develop strategic insights that help executives make decisions about new directions, partnerships, and funding opportunities.

• Articulate the rationale behind new programs and pilots by grounding them in research, evaluation findings, and public priorities.
• Work with Program teams to interpret evaluation data and recommend whether programs should be scaled, adapted, or sunset.
• Contribute to theories of change, logic models, and other foundational policy materials.

• Produce intelligence briefs, strategic insights, and tailored messaging that help Government Relations engage funders.
• Co‑author funding proposals that draw on policy analysis, program impact, and organizational strategy.
• Track government mandates, budget cycles, and policy developments to inform both…