Open Data Job Posting at MaRS in Toronto

Posted June 14, 2011

Job Title: Program Director – Regional Strategic Resource Centre Program (ReSRC)

Company Name: MaRS

Position Type: Program Director – Regional Strategic Resource Centre Program (ReSRC)

Location: ON – Metro Toronto

Application Deadline: 2011-06-30

Category: Project Management

Position Overview:

The development of Regional Strategic Resource Centres (ReSRCs) is an exciting new initiative in Ontario’s innovation system, supported by the Ministry of Research and Innovation (MRI) and coordinated by MaRS in partnership with a range of stakeholders.

The ReSRCs will advance Ontario’s Innovation Agenda by creating the information infrastructure required to support 21^st century knowledge economy decision-making, and by engaging the community to use this “open information” to strengthen innovation in the region.

The premise of this initiative is simple: By sharing and integrating disparate sets of data – often collected in institutional silos – from government, academia as well as the private and non-profit sectors, we will better understand the unique strengths, opportunities and needs of our communities and can more effectively work together to build vibrant, productive regional innovation economies.

Successful communities around the world increasingly rely on the information and insights garnered from of a wide range of sources, including civic organizations, businesses, academic institutions, non-profits and governments, among others. Significant amounts of data are collected by these organizations in the course of their work. The aggregation of this data will create a rich virtual information hub that can be accessed by various community stakeholders to make more timely and better decisions on topics ranging from urban planning to drivers of economic development. Different models of these open data platforms are in development elsewhere; there is a unique opportunity for Ontario to become a leader in this arena, given the strong innovation network that is being developed across the Province.

As an example, the ReSRC may specifically focus on the role of high growth firms in the region, given their critical contribution to new job creation. In this case, the hub will integrate relevant data sources and engage entrepreneurs and stakeholders working in/with these firms, in an effort to shed light on the following questions: Where are the high growth firms located? What sectors are they in? How old are these firms? Where do the employees who work in these firms live? How do they get to work? What is their education? How do the high growth firms collaborate with academic institutions in the region? What other firms in the region do the high growth firms rely on or support? Which public policy or program instruments are particularly effective in supporting the growth of these firms, or hinder their progress? How can we do more of what works, to create more high growth firms in the region? What barriers need to be removed?

We believe the time is right for Ontario to take a strong leadership position in the provisioning of open data to foster community leadership and collaboration. This initiative will involve the creation of the inaugural ReSRC, which includes the identification and aggregation of disparate data sources, sourcing a data management infrastructure, and developing an online community engagement portal. The small core ReSRC team will work closely with a range of partners – the success of the initiative will depend on the productive collaboration with stakeholders in different related sectors. An Advisory Board, with representation of key partners, will meet regularly to provide strategic guidance, extend networks, and share expertise.

The qualified candidate for this exciting position will have strong skills and demonstrated experience in project management, open data / information management, data warehousing and integration, community engagement, IP policy / negotiations, and contract management. Outstanding communication skills and ability to lead in a collaborative environment are critical attributes.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide overall leadership and management through all elements of project planning and execution including:
• Building and managing the project team and working with the Ontario Ministry of Research and Innovation to refine the project scope of work, activities, resources, and timelines
• Developing the governance structure of ReSRC including the development and engagement of an Advisory Board to guide and Working Groups to drive the project
• Leading and managing all Request for Proposal (RFP) processes and providing oversight and management of technology implementations (including relevant collaboration portal, data warehouses, and integration with legacy systems and data provider systems)
• Building and managing negotiations and trusted relationships with key data providers, with respect to IP, privacy, data sharing and level of access, fee-for-service offerings, and support / value add services
• Providing consistent project updates to MaRS and the extended project team, select community stakeholders, and the Ministry of Research and Innovation
• Managing the overall decision-making processes and proactively identifying, analyzing and resolving issues
• Managing the allocation of funds, project budget and ensuring adherence / compliance to Ontario procurement legislation
• Managing the development of a brand and marketing strategy
• Developing a best in class on-line portal for ReSRC; launch and maintain strong community engagement with the assets of the entity
• Managing rollout strategy and maintaining documentation / lessons learned on project implementation to support future ReSRC launches in other Ontario regions
• Demonstrate industry knowledge and leadership regarding innovation trends, emerging market shifts, economic development models, current events, major corporate and government initiatives, public policy, regulatory issues etc.
• Effectively maintain key contacts related to open data, community engagement, and data integration
• Leading the development of original thought leadership related to the project scope including open data, community engagement, data integration, GIS

Educational/Experience Requirements

• Minimum Bachelor’s degree and 8+ years of relevant project management and/or business experience in information sciences, market research, management consulting, data management, or related sectors.
• Demonstrated project management experience delivering complex technology or other projects; experienced in project management methodologies and the ability to apply them in a flexible manner; PMP certification considered an asset
• Demonstrated effective approach to problem solving, understands the context and impact of problems and demonstrates an extensive knowledge of available resources and content
• Strong understanding of open data, Geographic Information Systems (GIS), collaboration portals and wiki’s, data integration, IP / privacy, and market research
• Familiar with the “language” and terminology of industry, finance, government and the tech/data community; deep knowledge business development process, including an extensive network of business contacts
• Highly developed analytical and interpretive skills, conceptual thinker, able to solve complex problems
• Demonstrated passion for leading successful, creative, and engaged teams
• Strong capabilities in: MS Word, PowerPoint and Excel

Personal Requirements

• Self-starter, creative thinker, and strong team player
• Strong communications and organizational skills – oral, written, and presentation skills
• Superior interpersonal skills; ability to influence others without formal authority
• Ability to impact and influence key project participants and stakeholders (including strong negotiation skills)
• Strong partnership development capabilities with an array of stakeholders including government, public sector, non-profit, academe, and the private sector
• Ability to multi-task, comfortable working in a fast-paced, high energy environment
• Consummate professional, able to represent the organization in all circumstances
• Personal accountability and commitment to achieving and exceeding goals and objectives

How To Apply: Interested candidates should forward their resume to Elizabeth Pojedyniec at [email protected] by Thursday, June 30^th, 2011