Chief Operating Officer

Chief Operating Officer

Communitech is a member-led, non-profit organization shaped by the people building tech companies in Waterloo Region. We help tech companies start, grow and succeed and we’re building a globally competitive ecosystem shaped by local companies that start here, scale here and stay here.

Our tech community is at an inflection point. AI is reshaping how technology companies are built, scaled and operated, and the Region's most important question is whether companies here are capturing that advantage. Communitech's answer is to get closer to the companies building here: more focused, more member-led, with sharper programming, stronger engagement, and a member experience that feels as current and high-performing as the top companies we serve.

The COO will own the operational delivery of Communitech’s member experience, including venture services, founder and operator programming, membership, and marketing. This is a market-facing leadership role for someone who can build a delivery engine that earns the trust of local founders and their teams.

The ideal candidate has been a founder, senior executive or functional leader inside a fast-growing technology company. They understand the founder's journey because they have lived close to it. They know the needs of early-stage companies trying to find product-market fit, and they also understand the different challenges facing scale-ups and mature technology companies as they grow teams, revenue, operations and market presence.

This person will bring startup energy, operational discipline and exceptional people leadership. They will be equally comfortable talking to founders about their hardest challenges, working with the marketing team on how Communitech shows up in the market, and helping internal teams build systems, metrics and rhythms that improve delivery.

The COO will report to the CEO and serve as a key member of Communitech’s senior leadership team.

Key Responsibilities

Own the member experience:

• Working in close partnership with the CEO, the COO will translate Communitech’s strategy into a high-performing member-facing operating system.

• Ensure members experience Communitech as practical, relevant, responsive and deeply connected to their needs.

• Build clear service models, member journeys and engagement rhythms that help companies get value from Communitech at each stage of growth.

• Use member feedback, engagement data and market insight to continuously improve the quality and relevance of Communitech’s offerings.

Lead venture services and company support:

• Oversee Communitech’s venture services, coaching, founder development, peer groups, workshops, advisory support and company-facing programming.

• Ensure Communitech’s services reflect the current reality of building technology companies, including AI-native company building, product velocity, customer acquisition, talent, capital, commercialization and scaling.

• Develop a strong bench of founders, operators, experts and partners who can support companies with practical, high-quality advice.

• Ensure programming is not generic, but targeted to the real needs of startups, scale-ups and member companies.

Lead membership growth and value:

• Own the operational delivery of Communitech’s membership model.

• Work with the CEO and leadership team to grow member value, member engagement, and retention.

• Develop clear expectations for account management, member success, onboarding, renewal, tier benefits and relationship management.

• Ensure membership is not simply a list of perks, but a meaningful relationship between Communitech and the people actively building Waterloo tech.

Lead marketing and market presence:

• Oversee Communitech’s marketing function and ensure the brand reflects the energy, ambition and relevance of the Waterloo tech ecosystem.

• Help sharpen Communitech’s voice in the market: founder-led, practical, current, connected and focused on the companies building the future.

• Ensure marketing, events, content, storytelling and member communications work together to drive engagement, reputation and revenue.

• Partner with the CEO on external positioning, ecosystem narratives and major communications moments.

Build an operating system for delivery:

• Translate Communitech’s strategy into clear plans, priorities, metrics and team rhythms.

• Create accountability across member-facing teams so that programs, services, events, marketing and membership operate as one integrated system.

• Improve internal processes, decision-making, reporting and cross-functional coordination.

• Use data to understand what is working, where value is being created, and where Communitech should stop, start or improve.

Lead and develop people and teams:

• Lead a high-performing team across venture services, membership, marketing and program delivery.

• Set clear goals, create focus, coach leaders, and build a culture of urgency, ownership, collaboration and continuous improvement.

• Attract and develop talent with the credibility, curiosity and operating mindset required to serve growing technology companies well.

• Model the standards expected of a member-led organization: responsive, entrepreneurial, practical, accountable and open to feedback.

What Success Looks Like

The COO will help Communitech become more valuable, focused and trusted by the companies it serves. Success in this role will include:

• Members can clearly describe the value they receive from Communitech.

• Startups and scale-ups see Communitech as a critical source of support, connection and momentum.

• Marketing and communications reflect the ambition and energy of Waterloo tech.

• Teams operate with clear priorities, strong accountability and delivery discipline.

• Communitech evolves from a traditional innovation hub and toward an indispensable network layer powering one of Canada’s most dynamic startup ecosystems.

Qualifications

Direct startup and technology experience:

• Experience as a founder, senior executive or functional leader in a fast-growing technology company.

• Deep understanding of startups, scale-ups and the realities of building technology companies in changing markets.

• Familiarity with both early-stage company building and later-stage scaling challenges.

• A genuine love (and endless curiosity) of technology, startups, founders and the people who build companies.

Strong operating leadership:

• Experience leading teams, building systems, setting metrics and improving delivery quality.

• Comfort operating in a fast-moving, ambiguous environment where priorities evolve and judgment matters.

• Ability to create focus, make trade-offs and build accountability without adding unnecessary bureaucracy.

Member and market orientation:

• Strong instinct for member companies' wants and needs.

• Ability to listen closely to companies, identify patterns, and translate those insights into better services, programming and experiences.

• Credibility with founders, executives, investors, operators and ecosystem partners.

• A practical, low-ego approach to building relationships and solving problems.

Marketing and revenue orientation:

• Experience working with (or leading) product, marketing, membership, customer success, and/or revenue.

• Ability to connect storytelling, member value, programming, and revenue into a coherent operating model.

• Comfort supporting private revenue growth through membership, sponsorship, partnerships and high-value services.

People leadership:

• Exceptional people leader with a track record of building high-performance teams.

• Ability to coach, challenge and support leaders.

• High emotional intelligence and communication skills.

• Ability to build trust across teams while maintaining high standards for performance and delivery.

Location

This role is based in Kitchener, Ontario and requires full-time presence in the Region. We work five days a week in the office, with flexibility in hours and schedule. The ideal candidate is already part of this ecosystem, or ready to be fully embedded in it. Regular participation in community events is a critical expectation.