Careers

Vice President, Business Development

Work location: 250 Yonge Street, Toronto ON (hybrid)
Salary Range: $175,190 - $237,900
All applications must be received by 5pm ET, Friday, April 4, 2025

ABOUT US:

Invest Ontario is an independent government agency dedicated to securing private sector strategic business and capital investments that will support economic development, resiliency, and job creation in Ontario. We work hard to bring new opportunity to the province.

At Invest Ontario, you will learn and grow alongside a cohort of talented people from diverse backgrounds and industries. You will work in a collaborative, fast-paced and dynamic environment where you are encouraged to be your best self and given the opportunity to make a meaningful impact.

ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITY:

Invest Ontario is seeking a Vice President, Business Development who will be responsible for:

• The strategic direction and leadership necessary for targeting, negotiating, winning, and closing strategic accounts.
• The development and execution of investor and business support strategies that provide the business supports needed to win strategic investments.
• The development and nourishment of strategic partnerships that improve the coordination of investment attracting efforts across key stakeholder groups that contribute to successfully attracting and winning major investments projects.

SUMMARY OF JOB RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Sets the vision, strategy and priorities for the business development function and is responsible for overseeing the executing contact with potential investors and planning the pitch and presentation with a focus on key opportunities to maximize success; and expediting strategy in negotiating, winning, and closing strategic accounts.
• Provides executive leadership and strategic direction for a targeted and proactive approach that ensures early engagement with companies, and to generate leads and ensure that Ontario is a strong contender in vying for game-changing investments that will drive economic growth and job creation.
• Maintains ongoing collaboration across Invest Ontario (IvO) to secure global investments and the marketing of Ontario’s value proposition to investors and to tailor the full complement of supports and services Ontario provides to the specific needs of companies investing in Ontario.
• Provides executive leadership and accountability in ensuring that the organization operates with prudence and efficiency in the use of public funds.
• Provides executive leadership for the development of the business development aspects of the IvO strategic plan, working with other IvO leaders to ensure integrated strategy planning and priority setting and the development of the Annual Business Plan.
• Champions and leads critical change and a collaborative, forward-thinking culture within the business development function, and works with others to achieve this across the enterprise.
• Promotes and drives innovation, investment quality, and continuous improvement throughout the business development function, including leadership in setting the performance measurement framework.
• Provides executive leadership and accountability for the development and execution of strategies, frameworks, internal policies, processes, and program initiatives for the business development function, consistent with IvO objectives and mandate.
• Provides leadership in the identification of emerging issues, trends and developments impacting key investment sectors.
• Provides executive leadership in the establishment of non-client strategic partnerships across levels of government and with key ecosystem stakeholders to improve the coordination of investment attraction efforts and improve the absorptive capacity of the province to accept investment.
• Provides executive leadership in the provision of investor, triage, and site-related services that provide non-financial supports to attract domestic and foreign investors.
• Represents IvO with MEDJCT, provincial and other governments, and the key investment sectors to build relationships that enhance and maximize the ability to win accounts and provide customized investor support services and issues management to achieve Ontario’s strategic plan.
• Develops an agile and flexible evolving organization structure and work environment which stays at the forefront of innovation, collaboration, and positive employee experience through a diverse multi-disciplinary team. Champions and promotes an environment and culture of service excellence which respects diversity, encourages all employees to work together to achieve results and contribute to a healthy, rewarding, and productive working environment where personal and team accountability are key to meeting the mandate of IvO.
• As a member of the senior executive team, works in close collaboration with leadership colleagues on enterprise-wide vision, strategy, and priorities for IvO.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:

Education and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in business administration or a related field and/or Master of Business Administration (MBA) is preferred.
• 15+ years of leadership and people management experience in international and domestic business/financial services and technology, global investment attraction and/or sales is preferred.

Knowledge and Skills

• A proven strategic thought leader with expertise in championing change for a new organizational culture and vision, promoting innovation enablement and collaboration.
• Knowledge and/or experience in one of the three key sectors, including: Advanced Manufacturing, Life Sciences and Information and Communications Technology, and/or in sales, business-to-business development, managing key accounts, and driving successful project and investment outcomes.
• Knowledge of Ontario’s competitive advantages for investment attraction purposes.
• Excellent strategic thinking and decision-making skills.
• Stakeholder relations and negotiation skills.
• Strategic business investment management skills.
• Expert in innovation, progressive thinking, and entrepreneurship.
• Change management skills to transition and achieve ministry expanded mandate.
• Excellent advisory, presentation, and consultation skills.
• Ability to influence and build consensus to enlist support for new ideas; influence the Deputy Minister, and stakeholders.
• Excellent interpersonal and verbal and written communication skills.
• Strategic leadership, collaboration and management skills and experience.
• Knowledge and skills in performance measurement.
• Political acuity to recognize and respond to issues which may have impact for the Minister and Deputy Minister.
• Strong analytical, strategic thinking and conceptualizing skills.
• Demonstrated keen sense of business acumen and experience in negotiation, structuring deals/contracts, and project management.

Invest Ontario is committed to employment equity and diversity in the workplace and welcomes applications from women, members of racialized groups / visible minorities, Indigenous people, persons with disabilities, persons with any sexual orientation, and persons of any gender identity or gender expression. To explore this opportunity further please submit your application with the job title of the position you are applying for in the subject line to hr@investontario.ca.

We thank all those who express an interest, however only those chosen for further development will be contacted.