TITLE: President, Alexander Innovation Centre
POSITION OVERVIEW:
Alexander Innovation Centre (AIC) is seeking a senior, entrepreneurial, and externally focused leader to serve as President of AIC.
The President will provide strategic, commercial, operational, partnership, and ecosystem leadership for AIC. The role is responsible for transforming AIC from an emerging strategic initiative into a sustainable, recognized, and revenue-generating innovation platform with strong links to industry, government, Alexander College, startups, and the broader community.
This is a builder role. The successful candidate must be able to operate at both the strategic and execution levels: developing corporate relationships, securing training clients, identifying grant opportunities, preparing the incubation centre and founder lab, supporting Alexander College AI-related degree development, representing AIC externally, and building systems that allow AIC to grow beyond founder-led execution.
EMPLOYMENT TYPE: Full-Time, Permanent
SALARY: $160,000–$190,000
WORK WEEK: As required
LOCATION: Downtown Vancouver, BC (Alexander Innovation Centre)
ABOUT ALEXANDER INNOVATION CENTRE
Alexander Innovation Centre is being developed as a British Columbia-based applied artificial intelligence, innovation, corporate training, entrepreneurship, and ecosystem-building platform. Its purpose is to help organizations, entrepreneurs, students, professionals, and industry partners understand, adopt, and implement artificial intelligence and emerging technologies in practical, responsible, and commercially meaningful ways.
AIC is positioned as a bridge between education, industry, government, startups, and the broader innovation ecosystem. Its strategic priorities include corporate AI training, applied AI adoption, corporate and industry partnerships, government relations, grant-supported innovation projects, founder development, incubation programming, and community-building events.
AIC will also work closely with Alexander College to support the development of future-facing academic initiatives, including the Bachelor's Degree in Applied Artificial Intelligence and the e-Business in Artificial Intelligence degree pathway or related degree development initiatives.
CORE MANDATE
- Build AIC into a credible applied AI, corporate training, innovation, and incubation platform in British Columbia.
- Develop corporate AI training as AIC's initial commercial revenue engine.
- Build corporate, industry, government, community, and academic relationships that create revenue, partnerships, funding, and program opportunities.
- Prepare and launch the incubation centre and founder lab in a phased, financially disciplined manner.
- Support Alexander College in the development of its Bachelor's Degree in Applied Artificial Intelligence, e-Business in Artificial Intelligence degree pathway, and related applied AI academic initiatives.
- Create an active innovation community through events, roundtables, founder programming, and ecosystem engagement.
- Reduce founder dependency by creating clear operating systems, staffing plans, revenue pipelines, and measurable performance dashboards.
QUALIFICATIONS:
- A master’s degree in business administration, innovation management, technology management, education, public policy, computer science, artificial intelligence, entrepreneurship, or a related field is preferred.
- A bachelor’s degree in a relevant field is required.
- Senior leadership experience in innovation, corporate training, technology, education, consulting, entrepreneurship, economic development, or a related field.
- Demonstrated ability to build relationships with corporate, government, institutional, academic, and community stakeholders.
- Experience developing revenue-generating programs, services, partnerships, or training businesses.
- Strong understanding of artificial intelligence adoption, digital transformation, workforce transformation, or emerging technology trends.
- Experience with grant applications, public funding, government relations, or economic-development programs is strongly preferred.
- Experience with startups, incubators, accelerators, entrepreneurship programs, or innovation ecosystems is an asset.
- Experience supporting academic program development, industry advisory committees, work-integrated learning, or employer engagement is an asset.
- Strong business-development, proposal-writing, presentation, negotiation, and stakeholder-management skills.
- Proven ability to manage teams, budgets, programs, projects, contractors, and cross-functional initiatives.
- Ability to work independently in a founder-led organization and create structure in an emerging business unit.
SPECIFIC RESPONSIBILITIES
1. Strategic Leadership
2. Corporate AI Training and Revenue Development
3. Corporate Relationship Building and Industry Partnerships
4. Government Relations and Grant Development
5. Incubation Centre and Founder Lab Development
6. Support for Alexander College AI Degree Development
7. Community and Ecosystem Building
8. Organizational Leadership and Operations
9. Brand, Communications, and Public Representation
IDEAL CANDIDATE PROFILE
The ideal candidate is a strategic builder who can operate externally and internally with equal strength. This person should be comfortable meeting with government officials, corporate executives, technology companies, startup founders, educators, investors, funders, and community leaders.
The successful candidate will have the ability to turn broad ideas into concrete programs, revenue opportunities, corporate relationships, academic collaborations, funding proposals, and operating systems. They should be entrepreneurial but disciplined, commercially minded but mission-aligned, and capable of building AIC's credibility in the market.
AIC is looking for a leader who can move beyond planning and create measurable execution.
WHY JOIN ALEXANDER INNOVATION CENTRE
This is an opportunity to lead and build an innovation platform from an early stage with strong institutional backing. The President of AIC will help shape an applied AI and innovation centre in British Columbia, build meaningful relationships with industry and government, support companies in AI adoption, contribute to AI-related degree development at Alexander College, develop founder and startup programming, and create a community hub for innovation, talent, and entrepreneurship.
This role is suited for a senior leader who wants to build, not simply maintain; lead externally, not only manage internally; and create a visible innovation platform with long-term impact.
We thank all interested candidates. Only shortlisted applicants will be contacted. No phone calls please.
All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however, Canadians and permanent residents will be given priority. Thank you.
Job Types: Full-time, Permanent
Pay: $160,000.00-$190,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- Company events
- Dental care
- Extended health care
- On-site parking
- Paid time off
- Vision care
Ability to commute/relocate:
- Vancouver, BC: reliably commute or plan to relocate before starting work (required)
Education:
- Bachelor's Degree (required)
Experience:
- Business development: 5 years (required)
- AI usage: 2 years (required)
Language:
Work Location: In person
