About the OSC
Canada’s Ocean Supercluster accelerates the development and commercialization of made-in-Canada ocean solutions in energy transition, food security, future of transport, and climate change while also growing more companies, creating more jobs, and attracting ocean talent. As Canada’s national ocean cluster, the OSC is a convenor of members, partners, and networks and a catalyst for transformative growth that helps build the robust ecosystem needed to help realize Ambition 2035 – a 5X growth potential in ocean in Canada by 2035. To date, the OSC has approved more than 150 projects valued at more than $600 million, which will deliver more than 300 new made-in-Canada ocean products, processes, and services to sell to the world. For more information visit oceansupercluster.ca
The OSC has a team of over 30 employees across seven provinces. We are looking for an innovative thinker to drive our workforce agenda and contribute to the growth, retention and development of the ocean economy and the health of the planet.
About the Role
Canada’s Ocean Supercluster is seeking a dynamic, strategic leader to serve as Director of Membership, Events and Outreach. This role is responsible for strengthening and growing OSC’s national member network, leading high-impact events and convening activities and advancing initiatives that enhance OSC’s reputation and stakeholder relationships across Canada and internationally.
Reporting to the Chief Engagement and Communications Officer, the Director leads a team of two – spanning member engagement and events, and data and membership – and works in close strategic partnership with OSC’s Marketing and Communications Lead. The Director will play a key role in building on the momentum of the national cluster through member engagement, partner relationship building, convening activities, and collaboration with partners across Canada. This is a player-coach role: the Director is expected to set strategic direction while remaining actively engaged in delivery, bringing both leadership depth and hands-on presence to a high-impact national portfolio.
- Lead the development and execution of OSC’s membership engagement and growth strategy, with direct accountability for member retention, satisfaction, and network growth outcomes;
- Build and maintain strong, trusted relationships with member organizations across industry, startups, scaleups, Indigenous organizations, academia, government, and investors;
- Identify and drive opportunities to increase member participation, collaboration, and value creation across the OSC network;
- Lead the recruitment and onboarding of new members aligned with OSC’s strategic priorities, actively targeting partners that enhance the breadth and depth of the national network;
- Leverage membership data and analytics – supported by a dedicated data and membership function – to inform engagement strategy, track member lifecycle performance and report on growth and retention outcomes; and
- Track and report on membership metrics, trends, and engagement outcomes for internal leadership and external stakeholders.
Events and Convening
- Own OSC’s national events strategy and delivery, with accountability for event impact, stakeholder engagement outcomes, and alignment with OSC’s broader strategic objectives;
- Develop and execute event strategies that position OSC as the primary national convener of Canada’s ocean economy – moving beyond event logistics to active ecosystem orchestration;
- Collaborate with internal teams and external partners to deliver high-impact experiences that generate new partnerships, advance sector priorities and reflect the caliber of OSC’s national mandate;
- Oversee event logistics, sponsorship development, programing design, speaker coordination and stakeholder engagement across OSC’s national events calendar;
- Ensure OSC’s presence and visibility at key regional and national events across Canada and internationally; and
- Ensure all convening activities align with OSC’s brand, strategic objectives, and member value proposition.
- Drive external relations activities with industry leaders, strategic partners, and stakeholders across Canada and internationally, advancing OSC’s profile and influence in the ocean innovation ecosystem;
- Serve as the primary business partner to OSC’s Marketing and Communications function, working closely with the Marketing and Communications Lead to align membership strategy, events programing and outreach activities with OSC’s brand narrative and communications calendar;
- Monitor emerging trends, stakeholder priorities and opportunities relevant to Canada’s ocean economy and innovation ecosystem, translating intelligence into actionable insights for OSC leadership; and
- Advance OSC’s positioning as a trusted national convener and catalyst for ocean innovation, collaboration and economic growth.
- Lead, coach and develop a team of direct reports – spanning member engagement and events, and data and membership – providing clear strategic direction, performance oversight, and ongoing professional development support;
- Set the strategy and be present in its execution. OSC is a lean, high-performing team and this Director is expected to lead from the front when national events and stakeholder moments demand it;
- Build alignment and deliver results across matrixed, cross-functional teams – including through influence where direct line authority does not exist;
- Work collaboratively across OSC to advance strategic initiatives, organizational priorities, and cross-functional partnerships; and
- Foster a culture of collaboration, innovation, accountability, and excellence within the team and across the organization.
- Bachelor’s degree in communications, business, public relations, marketing, public affairs, event management or related field. Equivalent progressive experience may be considered;
- 7–10+ years of experience in membership organizations, stakeholder engagement, events or related leadership roles, including demonstrated success managing and developing people;
- Experience working within innovation ecosystems, industry associations, economic development organizations or the ocean and maritime sector is considered a strong asset;
- Demonstrated success leading large-scale events and stakeholder engagement initiatives with accountability for measurable outcomes;
- Strong working knowledge of government, industry and innovation environments in Canada;
- Demonstrated ability to lead through influence and deliver results in matrixed, cross-functional environments – including building alignment with functions where direct line authority does not exist;
- A genuine curiosity for Canada’s ocean economy and the ability to translate complex sector dynamics into compelling member and stakeholder value propositions;
- Experience engaging with Indigenous organizations or communities is considered an asset; a genuine commitment to respectful, relationship-based engagement with Indigenous stakeholders is expected;
- Exceptional written, verbal, and presentation communication skills, with the ability to engage confidently with senior executives and strategic partners;
- Proven ability to manage competing priorities and complex projects in fast-paced, high-stakes environments;
- Strong interpersonal skills with a track record of building trusted, long-term relationships across diverse stakeholder groups; and
- Comfortable operating as both a strategic leader and a hands-on executor – the ability to shift between high-level direction and ground-level delivery is essential in this role.
We are excited to continue building our team with experienced professionals who are passionate about realizing Canada’s ocean opportunity and growing the ocean economy in a digital, sustainable, and inclusive way.
The OSC is committed to your career growth and supports team-wide professional development through internal training in DEI (Diversity, Equity & Inclusion).
The OSC is committed to living its values, which includes the development of a diverse, inclusive, and equitable experience for our applicants and team members. Please let us know if you require any interview accommodations.
Apply Now by providing your cover letter and resume to [email protected]
