Associate, Corporate Innovation (Contract)

About MaRS MaRS Discovery District (@MaRSDD) is a charitable organization and North America’s largest urban innovation hub, dedicated to helping high-growth technology companies succeed. With a focus on climate, health sciences and other emerging technologies, MaRS supports startups tackling some of the world’s most pressing issues. Through its world-class facilities, strategic programs and partnerships, MaRS accelerates the adoption of groundbreaking Canadian technology and bolsters a globally competitive innovation ecosystem. MaRS is the place where you can play a meaningful role in the innovation economy. About the Position The Corporate Innovation (CI) team at MaRS leverages MaRS’ unique expertise to deliver programming and facilitate connections that drive adoption of new technologies across the Canadian private sector. The core objective of the Associate, Corporate Innovation role is to support the coordination, delivery, and reporting of our grant programs for cleantech deployment projects in the Food & Agriculture sector. This will include supporting the competition aspect of the grant programs as well as the post-award monitoring, distribution, and reporting phase. The grant programs run in support of our corporate adopter cohorts, which are theme-based, time-bound programs that provide accelerated support for 5–12 corporate partners in a peer group format. The Associate, Corporate Innovation may support the delivery of workshops, roundtables, webinars, and relationship management in support of the corporate adopter cohort program on an as needed basis. This is a 1-yr contract. Key Responsibilities Support the administration of project finance grant programs for cleantech deployment projects in the food and agriculture sector, including: Assessment and selection of detailed project proposals and applications for funding in an innovation challenge-like competition format Communication of application outcomes, funds awarded, disbursement schedule, and applicable terms and conditions Contract management Disbursement and financial management of funding tranches Verification of compliance with stage-based progress and reporting requirements Preparation of program progress, performance, and financial reports for the grant sponsor(s) and MaRS internal impact tracking Work collaboratively across the Corporate Innovation team to manage timelines and the execution of the grant finance programs and deliverables, and ensure alignment with other corporate adopter programs . Support the development and management of governance processes related to project finance grants, including assessment criteria and process, and recipient reporting requirements Support ongoing relationship management with grant recipients to ensure that participants are receiving high-quality high-value services. This includes attending and supporting participant engagement in meetings, developing decks, conducting surveys, and collaboratively scoping future programming, among other tasks. Identify opportunities for corporate participants in the grant programs to engage in other MaRS Corporate Innovation programming, and work with other members of the Corporate Innovation team to develop those opportunities Contribute to the delivery of program promotional deliverables (decks, brochures, guides and external program communications such as webinars) Coordinate effective delivery of corporate adopter cohort programming with other teams across MaRS (e.g., Mission from MaRS, communications, real estate, venture engagement team, etc.). Ensure that the organization, quality, and standards are maintained for client-facing deliverables by capturing continuous improvements and utilizing project management and communication tools. Requirements Undergraduate degree or equivalent 1-3 years of relevant business experience in client-facing roles related to program/project delivery and administration Experience synthesizing insights and developing recommendations and deliverables for senior-level audiences, internal and external Data management and analysis experience Consummate professional, able to represent the organization in all circumstances Confidence and capability in research, content development, and program delivery Strong analytical and synthesis skills: capable of prioritizing and integrating multiple information sources into a cohesive, well developed thesis Strong interpersonal and communication skills Excellent capabilities in Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint (or Google Workspace equivalents) Nice to have: Undergraduate degree or diploma with a focus in business, environmental science, climate, and/or food and agriculture 1-3 years of experience working on topics related to innovation, climate, cleantech, food and agriculture, and/or built environment/real estate Experience administrating grant programs, including: assessment of applications, disbursement of funds, compliance verification, and management of reporting requirements Experience delivering workshops and/or consulting engagements Marketing and/or business development experience Ability to work with multiple stakeholders, clients, and colleagues in a fast-paced business environment Superior organizational skills and ability to self-start Ability to problem-solve and identify engagement pathways that satisfy organization and partner objectives Personal accountability and commitment to achieving and exceeding goals and objectives Capabilities in Asana and Salesforce Subject matter competency in the Canadian food and agriculture sector What we offer: Base Salary Range for this role: $55,000 - $62,000 Comprehensive extended healthcare benefits Wellness spending account Generous paid time-off, starting at five weeks per year We actively encourage all candidates to apply, including those from equity-deserving communities. If you're passionate about the role and believe you can make a meaningful impact, we want to hear from you, even if you don't meet every listed qualification. We’re always looking for great talent to join our team. Please reach out to if there’s anything we can do to make your experience more accessible and inclusive, including accommodations. Include 'Accessibility Request' in your subject line. This posting will close at 12pm EDT on Sept 14, 2026. However, we may close the posting earlier if we receive a high volume of qualified applications or if the position is filled before the deadline. We encourage interested candidates to apply as soon as possible. Applicants must be legally eligible to work in Canada, reside in Ontario and be willing to work out of our Toronto office (101 College Street) a minimum of 3 days per week. This posting is for an existing vacancy. Our Applicant Tracking System, BambooHR, does not use Artificial Intelligence (AI). From time to time MaRS may use AI in our screening, assessment, and selection processes.