Program Manager, Engagement and Community Relations - 14 Month Contract Opportunity

The Program Manager, Public Engagement and Community Relations plays a critical role in the planning, execution, and evaluation of Perimeter’s initiatives for its Wonder audiences, including participating in the development of public outreach events and community-focused projects.

The Program Manager works closely with internal teams to align institutional priorities with community needs through strategic engagement, planning, and prioritization. The role also leads arts and cultural programming for Perimeter residents and the wider creative community.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead the planning, coordination, and execution of public engagement programs and initiatives including Public lectures, community events like Doors Open and Lumen festival, concerts, etc.
• Maintain a master calendar of Institute and community events and activities
• Collaborate cross-functionally with internal teams and senior leadership to ensure public engagement programs, communications, activities, and events align with organizational strategy and goals
• Contribute to the public engagement budget through the creations of PO’s, ensuring the vendors are set up in our system and other administrative duties as needed
• Screen and triage requests for events in the building
• Establish and apply performance metrics to assess program effectiveness, audience reach, and impact, and support continuous improvement

• Support and execute a comprehensive community relations plan, including budget planning, building initiatives, and fostering partnerships with municipalities, academic institutions, and community partners within Waterloo Region
• Work closely with internal teams to align initiatives and leverage cross-functional opportunities
• Manage event communications and coordinate with external partners on promotion, ticketing, and engagement activities

• Coordinate visits, itineraries, and engagement activities for Perimeter initiative related special guests and VIPs
• Support the execution of high-level stakeholder interactions, both on-site and external to Perimeter
• Develop and maintain effective relationships with regional, national, and international outreach partners

• Collect, analyze, and report on event and engagement data to generate insights, support decision-making, and inform strategic planning
• Evaluate event outcomes using established metrics to assess impact, partnership value, leads and future opportunities for Perimeter

Flexible working hours are required for events and engagement that fall outside of traditional working hours, including some evenings and the occasional weekend. Some domestic travel is also possible.

Competency and Experience Requirements:

• Post-secondary education in communications, marketing, event management, public relations, or a related field.
• 5+ years of progressive experience or an equivalent combination of education and experience planning and managing events from concept through execution, including event strategy, logistics, budgeting, stakeholder coordination, vendor management, registration, delivery, and post-event evaluation
• Experience working in a not-for-profit, academic, research, public engagement, or similar environment is an asset.
• Experience developing and improving processes that support efficient and scalable event delivery is an asset.
• Experience with event marketing, communications, audience development, or promotional campaigns is an asset.
• Ability to develop and execute event concepts that align with organizational goals and audience needs.
• Strong project management skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities, deadlines, and events simultaneously.
• Excellent communication, interpersonal, and organizational skills, with exceptional attention to detail.
• Knowledge of event registration and management platforms, such as Eventbrite.
• Knowledge of customer relationship management (CRM) systems, such as Salesforce.
• Proven ability to build collaborative relationships and work effectively with internal teams, external partners, vendors, sponsors, and community stakeholders.
• Ability to think strategically while maintaining close attention to operational details and execution requirements.
• Demonstrated sound judgment, problem-solving skills, adaptability, and discretion in a fast-paced environment.
• Ability to represent Perimeter Institute professionally when interacting with the public, partners, vendors, and stakeholders.
• Knowledge of and established connections within the local community are considered an asset.

Please submit your resume and expression of interest by October 5, 2026, to ensure full consideration of your application. The posting will remain live until the position is filled. We appreciate your interest in supporting Perimeter Institute’s mission. While we thank all applicants, only select individuals will be contacted.