Platform Calgary Job Board
Director, Founder Success
Description
Director, Founder Success
Full Time
Salary Range: $115,000 - $130,000/year
Calgary, Alberta
Are you drawn to Calgary’s thriving tech sector and looking to build a meaningful career that allows you to have an impact in your community? Does the prospect of city-building work excite you? If you thrive in a collaborative environment and enjoy putting your own innovative spin on things, then we think this is what you were meant to do as Platform Calgary’s newest Director, Founder Success.
The Founder Success team is accountable for providing seamless founder support through structured programming and coaching engagements, and regularly engages 1,200+ participants/year.
Reporting to the VP, Programming, the Director, Founder Success leads a diverse team responsible for program design, startup portfolio management and program operations, who revel in providing seamless support to startup founders and teams from founder development through to venture growth. The role oversees program staff, project-based contractors and a global network of coaches and subject-matter experts. Like every member of the Platform team, you will be an engaged community member and spokesperson, acting as an integrator, a promoter and an advocate, focused on the overall performance of the tech and innovation ecosystem in our city.
This role is a contract position through December 2026.
What will you do?
Strategy
- Design, align and execute on team objectives, key results, strategic goals and metrics.
- Manage the overall operation of Platform Calgary’s core startup programs including creating and managing program budgets.
- Driving alignment between Platform Calgary programs and overall organizational strategy and initiatives.
Program Development
- Oversee the development, implementation and enhancement of founder and startup-focused programs, ensuring the right mix of mentorship, expertise, and resources to support startup leaders throughout their journey.
- Identify gaps, expand programs and assess program offerings to meet customer and market needs. Standardize program offerings that will allow for scalability in delivery and provide a foundation for future growth.
Team and Resource Management
- Manage and empower a team: overseeing team recruitment, training, professional development and performance.
- Set comprehensive goals and lead and support the team to achieve performance targets and growth.
- Reviewing portfolios to share insights with the team, capturing founder stories and identifying and advocating for high potential companies and facilitating meaningful connections.
Implementation & Execution
- Oversee the operations of programs and drive programmatic outcomes.
- Streamline systems and processes and oversee logistics with internal and external program delivery partners.
Communication & Relationship Building
- Develop and build on relationships with a team of portfolio managers, coaches, and partners.
- Act as a senior point of contact for partners, sponsors and funders, creating alignment between stakeholders and providing insightful reports and metrics as required.
Partner Engagement
- Work with funding organizations and ecosystem partners to align resources, identify white spaces and create seamless support mechanisms for founders and startups.
Additional Responsibilities
- Act as a spokesperson on behalf of Platform Calgary on matters related to the successes and challenges of founders.
- Oversee data collection and reporting submissions as it pertains to programmatic funding requirements.
- Help identify company clusters and provide insights into new program development by highlighting founder trends and challenges, to then approach and/or work with partners for integration.
- Maintain an up to date knowledge of best practices in startup methodologies (eg,. lean startup, growth hacking, etc) and how best to support Calgary founders to learn and apply these methodologies.
The right candidate will demonstrate the following qualifications:
- 8+ years’ experience, including program design, development and management.
- Diverse leadership and management experience.
- Strong detail and process orientation - can manage multiple competing priorities and work with stakeholders to deliver results.
- Ability to think strategically, with business, entrepreneurship and startup knowledge and acumen.
- Knowledgeable about entrepreneur development and the regional startup ecosystem.
During the interview process, we will be looking for:
- Ability to lead with respect, using an approach focused on collaboration, progress and growth
- Strategic thinking at an ecosystem level, in a fast paced environment where competing priorities and iteration is the norm.
- Strong communication skills, including public speaking and business development, to be able to work with founders, stakeholders and team members both internally and externally.
- Ability to facilitate collaboration among multiple parties and align the team toward a cohesive outcome and shared objectives.
- Understanding of how to effectively derive and measure results from the programs we deliver and how we might learn and iterate from those results.
- Ability to establish relationships with multi-faceted stakeholder groups and key partners.
- Ability to flourish in a fast-paced environment, adapt and be proactive.
- Exceptional organizational skills with an eye for detail and ability to execute, while managing multiple priorities concurrently.
Platform Calgary perks:
- Salary Range: $115,000 - $130,000
- Hybrid and flexible work: Our team enjoys the flexibility of hybrid work and flexible hours, so we can all do our best work.
- Great benefits from day one: Health, dental and wellness benefits; RRSP matching program; parental leave top-up program development stipends and other perks!
- Paid Time Off: We offer plenty of paid time off, plus a holiday closure in December/January.
- A unique place to work: The Platform Innovation Centre is the front door to Calgary’s tech and innovation community. Home to 120+ partners (and the thousands of guests who attend education programs, meetups and other events) dedicated to helping companies to start, grow and succeed.
We are fostering a culture of belonging that is diverse and inclusive. This begins with an equitable and accessible hiring process.
- We highly encourage applications from excluded and marginalized communities, regardless of race, creed, sex, gender, orientation, religion, and including persons with disabilities, visible minorities and foreign-born residents.
- You do not need to meet 100% of the qualifications to apply - if you think this could be the role for you and you bring something unique to the table, submit your application!
- Any candidates with disabilities or who may require accommodations throughout the recruitment process are encouraged to contact jointheteam@platformcalgary.com.
To apply, please upload your cover letter and resume. We wish to express our appreciation to all applicants for their interest; however, only candidates selected for an interview will be contacted. This position will remain open until October 5, 2025.
About Platform Calgary
Platform Calgary is an impact organization whose members are tech companies, large and small, united in a vision of inclusive, innovation-driven prosperity for Calgary. Platform Calgary brings together the resources of Calgary's tech ecosystem to help startups launch and grow at every step of their journey, from ideation through to scale. Our focus is on making all parts of Calgary’s startup ecosystem better resourced, connected, efficient and prominent. For more information about Platform Calgary, visit platformcalgary.com
Compensation
$115,000.00 - $130,000.00 per year