Operations Lead, ScaleUP & Growth Programming

Operations Lead, ScaleUP & Growth Programming

Institute for Innovation & Entrepreneurship, Mount Royal University (MRU)

Type : Contract | Location : Calgary, AB (Hybrid : in-person + remote)

Reports to : Director, ScaleUP & Growth Programming

ABOUT THE INSTITUTE AND PROGRAMS

MRU’s Institute for Innovation & Entrepreneurship supports SMB growth across Western Canada through Growth Catalyst ( www.growthcatalyst.ca ) strategy + leadership development for established SMEs) and ScaleUP ( www.scaleupweek.ca ) ScaleUP Week summit + year-round events and advisory). See the 2025 Growth Catalyst and ScaleUP Impact Reports for details.

ABOUT THE ROLE

The Operations Lead is the operational backbone of MRU’s Growth Catalyst and ScaleUP portfolio. You ensure every program, cohort, and event is delivered with excellence, consistency, and a relentlessly client-first mindset.

You will support the full portfolio of open-enrolment and custom offerings across Growth Catalyst and ScaleUP, including the flagship Growth Catalyst strategy program, the annual ScaleUP Week summit, the Learning Hub, live sessions, and all supporting communications, tools, and participant touch points. As new programs come online, you will play a central role in shaping and delivering these experiences.

This is a hands-on role that blends producer, product manager, and team lead. You will :

• Design, coordinate, and continuously improve end-to-end delivery of scale-up programs and events.
• Protect and evolve the “current best version” of the program—content, cadence, tools, and participant experience.
• Ensure cohorts and events run smoothly from pre-program onboarding through post-program follow-up and impact evaluation.
• Lead a small delivery team (staff, students, and contractors) to deliver an “awesome, client-first” experience for founders, CEOs, presidents, and growth leaders across Western Canada.

Key Responsibilities

1) Program Operations & Delivery Leadership (50%)

2) Program Quality & Content Governance (20%)

3) Team Leadership & People Development (20%)

4) Ecosystem & Stakeholder Management (10%)

Advisors & Growth Navigator Network (GNN)

Client Service Management (CSMs)

Student Engagement

WHO YOU ARE

You are an operations-minded builder who loves making complex things run smoothly. You think in systems, run sheets, and critical paths. You take pride in creating experiences that feel effortless for participants, faculty, advisors, and partners.

You thrive in fast-paced, multi-stakeholder environments where cohorts, events, content, and communications move in parallel. You can hold the big picture (program calendars, governance, and quality standards) while sweating the details (room setups, templates, comms, tools, and timelines).

You are a clear communicator and practical problem-solver who :

You are digitally fluent and comfortable improving the tools that power the work. You don’t need to be a developer, but you are at ease with project / team management and delivery platforms such as Monday.com, Thinkific / LMS tools, basic web / content systems (WordPress / Squarespace), engagement tools (Mailchimp, Typeform / Google Forms), and collaboration platforms (Google Workspace, Slack, WhatsApp, Zoom / Teams, Miro, DocuSign / Adobe).

Formal project management training (PMP, Agile, etc.) and experience working across both for-profit and not-for-profit / post-secondary contexts are strong assets.

PREFERRED BACKGROUND

You bring 5+ years of experience in operations, program management, project management, event production, or a similar role delivering complex programs end-to-end. Ideally, your experience includes some combination of :

You likely hold post-secondary education (or equivalent experience) in business, management, operations, project management, entrepreneurship, or a related field.

You live in Calgary or already plan to relocate, and you are open to hybrid work with regular weekly in-person days plus occasional travel across Western Canada (for cohorts, events, and production days). Familiarity with the innovation ecosystem and experience working with scaling companies are strong assets.

WHY JOIN US?

This role is an opportunity to be the operational engine behind some of Western Canada’s most impactful scale-up initiatives. As Operations Lead, you will :

You’ll join a high-trust, high-impact team at MRU’s Institute for Innovation & Entrepreneurship, working alongside faculty, partners, and ecosystem leaders committed to evidence-based practice, practical impact, and supporting ambitious businesses. If you get energy from making complex programs work beautifully—and want your operational talent to directly enable the growth of real companies—this is a rare opportunity to do exactly that.

TO APPLY

Please submit your CV and a short cover letter to thrive@growthcatalyst.ca with the title “Operations Lead - job application”, that :

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the position is filled. Shortlisted candidates will be invited to a multi-stage interview process that may include a practical exercise (e.g., reviewing or drafting a run sheet, critical path, or SOP).