Advisor, MedTech

About MaRS

MaRS Discovery District (@MaRSDD) in Toronto is one of the world’s largest urban innovation hubs.

MaRS supports promising high-growth companies to scale their businesses globally, while tackling key societal challenges in areas such as Health, Cleantech, Finance, Transportation, AI, and others. In addition to helping start-ups launch, grow and scale, the MaRS community is dedicated to cross-disciplinary collaboration, commercialization of discoveries, and driving ideas to impact.

MaRS is the place where you can play a meaningful role in our innovation economy.

We understand qualifications on a posting can be daunting. If you're passionate about the opportunity and believe you can make a meaningful impact, we want to hear from you, even if you don't meet every listed qualification. We’re always looking for great talent to join our team on planet MaRS.

We actively encourage all applicants, including equity-deserving communities, including those who identify as BIPOC, racialized, women, people with disabilities, and people with diverse gender identities, expressions and sexual orientations.

We want you to be comfortable being your most authentic self throughout our search process. Please reach out to [email protected] if there’s anything we can do to make your experience more accessible and inclusive, including accommodations. Include 'Accessibility Request' in your subject line.

About the opportunity

MaRS is seeking a part-time MedTech Advisor (Independent Contractor) to provide tactical, hands-on guidance to high-potential startups in the device, diagnostics and medical technology/ software space across the MaRS portfolio, including MaRS’ Mobility Unlimited Hub startups (primarily pre-commercial or early growth stage). The ideal candidate is a former founder or C-suite executive who has successfully navigated the path from product development to global market access. You will empower medtech startup CEOs to overcome the industry’s most rigorous hurdles: securing FDA/Health Canada approvals, architecting reimbursement models, and managing complex clinical sales cycles. This role is for a strategic operator dedicated to helping ventures scale life-changing technologies through actionable, expert insight.

Advisors do not operate as employees of MaRS.

Scope of Work

Through individual and advisory community events, you will provide guidance and subject matter expertise on topics relating to scaling hardtech and software ventures in the medtech space like:

Technology development, business model refinement and reimbursement strategies 

Regulatory, compliance, quality management and manufacturing considerations 

Go-to-market strategy, partnership development with strategics and reaching customers with long sales cycles

Capital strategy and investor engagement

Collaborate on project plans with the aim of guiding startups to integrate end-users into their innovation culture and accelerate the commercialization of novel innovations; this includes clinical validation and/ or evidence generation 

Work with the MaRS team to support the delivery of best in-class programs:

Assess client needs and plan service delivery in collaboration with the MaRS team

Provide input into company application assessments and program strategy 

Make connections to your network–to talent, customers, experts, and funding

Share up-to-date intelligence on current MedTech trends or opportunities 

Lead or contribute to net new and/or improve existing programming necessary to accelerate the growth of medtech and active mobility businesses. Collaborate on designing solutions to reduce barriers for growth across multiple medtech sectors.

Engagement Structure

You will be assigned through a ‘Monthly Work Plan’ that outlines specific deliverables to be completed that month.

Monthly deliverables will vary and are based on current needs; no minimum or guaranteed number of hours is offered. 

Advisors are engaged as independent contractors, not as employees of MaRS.

Advisors are expected to work autonomously.

Areas of Engagement 

Beyond what is outlined in the Scope of Work, Advisors may be engaged to contribute in one or more of the following ways, depending on the needs outlined in the monthly work plan:

Provide individual advisory to ventures outside the medtech sector, as appropriate, and make connections to your network for MaRS clients

Support the creation and delivery of programming and content. This might include:

Small group advisory sessions and other 1:many experiential learning programs

Peer groups and other networking activities

Provide insights to content for MaRS platforms like the Startup Toolkit, and contributing thought leadership through articles, speaking engagements and other forums

Provide insights and knowledge to MaRS corporate projects including sessions for corporate partners, special venture cohorts, and more

Support MaRS operational excellence and administration including by:

Providing input to shape decisions on programs, venture portfolio, and strategy decisions

Logging all interactions with MaRS ventures in Salesforce (or any other mechanism directed by MaRS) and providing a detailed monthly summary of work performed.

Any additional work or activities will be mutually agreed upon in advance

What you bring

Demonstrated ability to coach and provide guidance to entrepreneurs, founders and technical project leads in the development and deployment of effective commercialization strategies.

Robust (10+ years) experience with building/ growing a medtech startup 

Demonstrated record of executing, leading or advising on successful business-to-business experience with firms and projects closely related to medical devices, clinical research & diagnostics, and/or medial therapeutics.

Experience managing engagements with patient groups and/or people with lived experience engagement (i.e. focus groups) is an asset.

Knowledge of product development, medical device design and MedTech commercialization strategies.

Knowledge of the North American healthcare system; understanding of global healthcare systems in key markets of expansion for Canadian medtech companies 

Practical approach with passion and ability to inspire, communicate, and collaborate with a broad range of stakeholders including industry leaders, researchers, affiliated organizations, and ecosystem partners.

Demonstrates tact, sensitivity and diplomacy when dealing with various stakeholders; able to effectively build relationships.

Advanced business or health sciences qualifications preferred (MBA, Medical Laboratory Technologist, or equivalent); additional scientific background (PhD/MD) is a strong asset

Advisors are not considered employees of MaRS, and no employee benefits, vacation, or statutory entitlements apply.

Advisors are responsible for their own taxes, insurance, and business expenses.

#LI-MDD