External Relations and Program Associate

University Health Network; Toronto; On-site; CAD 52,000 - 78,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

HOOPP pension

Transit access

Flexible work environment

Development opportunities

Corporate discounts

Job summary

The Temerty Advanced Surgical Education & Simulation Centre at University Health Network (UHN) is seeking a temporary full‑time External Relations & Program Associate to plan and deliver conferences, workshops and simulation courses for national and international audiences. You will collaborate with program chairs, faculty, sponsors, and industry partners within a dynamic calendar of events.

This 12‑month leave coverage role involves working in a surgical simulation environment with cadavers and

Qualifications

• Completion of a post-secondary program in business, health administration, communications, or health sciences.
• Experience coordinating medical or non-medical events, conferences, or programs with multiple stakeholders and fixed deadlines.
• Experience with accreditation or grant submission processes is an asset.
• Experience supporting external relationships with sponsors, vendors, or institutional partners is an asset.
• Strong organizational skills with accuracy in document preparation and record-keeping.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills with professional correspondence to faculty, sponsors, and external stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate and execute surgical conferences, workshops, simulation courses, and skill labs with the Manager and Director.
• Support program chairs and sponsors in developing scientifically rigorous programs.
• Coordinate logistics including venue, invitations, registration, and equipment arrangements.
• Liaise with sponsors and exhibitors regarding branding, space allocation, and engagement opportunities.
• Prepare sponsorship proposals and materials for conferences and workshops.
• Track KPIs and compile post-event reports with impact data and recommendations.
• Provide general event support, including materials handling and setup.

Skills

Event planning

Stakeholder engagement

Sponsorship development

Business development

Program coordination

Project management

Microsoft Office

Education

Post-secondary program in business/health admin/communications

Tools

CRM systems

Registration platforms

Survey tools

Learning management systems

Job description

Company Description

UHN is Canada’s #1 hospital and the world’s #1 publicly funded hospital. With 10 sites and more than 44,000 TeamUHN members, UHN consists of Toronto General Hospital, Toronto Western Hospital, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, Toronto Rehabilitation Institute, The Michener Institute of Education and West Park Healthcare Centre. As Canada's top research hospital, the scope of biomedical research and complexity of cases at UHN have made it a national and international source for discovery, education and patient care. UHN has the largest hospital-based research program in Canada, with major research in neurosciences, cardiology, transplantation, oncology, surgical innovation, infectious diseases, genomic medicine and rehabilitation medicine. UHN is a research hospital affiliated with the University of Toronto.

UHN is Canada’s #1 hospital and the world’s #1 publicly funded hospital. With 10 sites and more than 44,000 TeamUHN members, UHN consists of Toronto General Hospital, Toronto Western Hospital, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, Toronto Rehabilitation Institute, The Michener Institute of Education and West Park Healthcare Centre. As Canada's top research hospital, the scope of biomedical research and complexity of cases at UHN have made it a national and international source for discovery, education and patient care. UHN has the largest hospital-based research program in Canada, with major research in neurosciences, cardiology, transplantation, oncology, surgical innovation, infectious diseases, genomic medicine and rehabilitation medicine. UHN is a research hospital affiliated with the University of Toronto.

UHN’s vision is to build A Healthier World and it’s only because of the talented and dedicated people who work here that we are continually bringing that vision closer to reality.

www.uhn.ca

Job Description

Union: Non-Union

Number of vacancies: 1

New or Replacement Position: Replacement

Site: 222 St Patrick St, Toronto, ON

Department: Temerty Advanced Surgical Education & Simulation Centre

Reports to: Manager

Salary Range: $37.85 to $56.77 hourly

Hours: 37.5 hours per week

Shifts: Days

Status: Temporary Full-Time

Closing Date: September 13, 2026

Position Summary

The Temerty Advanced Surgical Education & Simulation Centre delivers hands‑on surgical training to surgeons and trainees from across Canada and internationally, using cadaveric, animal tissue, and simulation‑based methods. The External Relations & Program Associate supports this work by planning and delivering high‑quality conferences, workshops, and simulation courses, and by contributing to the partnerships and sponsorships that sustain them. Reporting to the Manager, the Associate works closely with Program Chairs, faculty, sponsors, and industry partners across a varied program calendar.

This is a temporary full‑time position covering a leave of absence, anticipated at approximately 12 months, with the possibility of an extension. This position works in a surgical simulation environment involving biological materials, including animal tissue and cadavers.

Duties

• Conference & Event Planning
  • Coordinate and execute surgical conferences, workshops, simulation courses, and skill labs with the Manager and Director.
  • Support Program Chairs, Scientific Planning Committees, and corporate stakeholders in development of scientific programs that meet continuing professional development standards.
  • Coordinate event logistics including venue, faculty invitations, delegate registration, and surgical equipment arrangements.
  • Liaise with sponsors and exhibitors regarding branding, space allocation, and engagement opportunities during programs and events.
  • Execute accreditation application submissions to all relevant accrediting bodies, including post-program requirements.
  • Maintain and update centralized event records, including logistics, vendor and faculty details, equipment requirements, and post-event documentation.
• Stakeholder Engagement & Relationship Management
  • Serve as first point of contact for conferences, workshops, simulation courses and lab correspondence.
  • Maintain professional, responsive communication with surgeons, educators, faculty, sponsors, delegates, and health system stakeholders.
  • Facilitate faculty engagement, speaker communications, and briefing sessions.
  • Collect feedback from delegates and faculty to support continuous improvement.
• Strategic Partnerships & Sponsorship Development
  • Prepare tailored sponsorship proposals and materials for conferences, hands‑on workshops, and other simulation programs.
  • Work with Centre leadership and Program Chairs to align partnerships with educational goals and standards.
  • Support the Manager and Director in maintaining partner relationships.
• Business Development
  • Support the Manager and Director in building business cases for new training programs and simulation courses.
• Monitoring, Evaluation and Improvement
  • Track key performance indicators (KPIs) related to events and partnerships, including delegate satisfaction, sponsor ROI, and educational outcomes.
  • Compile post‑event reports with impact data, feedback, and recommendations.
• Additional Responsibilities
  • Provide general event support, including materials handling, room set‑up and reset, as required.
  • Support Fundamentals of Laparoscopic/Endoscopic Surgery (FLS/FES) program delivery, including proctoring, administrative, and operational support as applicable.
  • Perform cross‑functional and other duties consistent with the job classification as assigned.
  • Ability to assist with event setup, equipment coordination, and minor lifting up to 15 kg.

Qualifications

• Completion of a recognized post‑secondary program in business, health administration, communications, health sciences, or recognized equivalent.
• Demonstrated experience coordinating medical or non‑medical events, conferences, or programs with multiple stakeholders and fixed deadlines; experience in healthcare, medical education, simulation, or hospitality is an asset.
• Experience with accreditation or grant submission processes is an asset.
• Experience supporting external relationships with sponsors, vendors, or institutional partners is an asset.
• Strong organizational skills with demonstrated accuracy in document preparation and record‑keeping.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to correspond professionally with faculty, sponsors, and external stakeholders.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint); experience with registration platforms, CRM systems, survey tools, or learning management systems is an asset.
• Availability for early morning, evening, and weekend work during peak event periods.

Additional Information

Why join UHN?

In addition to working alongside some of the most talented and inspiring healthcare professionals in the world, UHN offers a wide range of benefits, programs and perks. It is the comprehensiveness of these offerings that makes it a differentiating factor, allowing you to find value where it matters most to you, now and throughout your career at UHN.

• Competitive offer packages
• Government organization and a member of the Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan (HOOPP https://hoopp.com/)
• Close access to Transit and UHN shuttle service
• A flexible work environment
• Opportunities for development and promotions within a large organization
• Additional perks (multiple corporate discounts including: travel, restaurants, parking, phone plans, auto insurance discounts, on‑site gyms, etc.)

Current UHN employees must have successfully completed their probationary period, have a good employee record along with satisfactory attendance in accordance with UHN's attendance management program, to be eligible for consideration.

At University Health Network (UHN), artificial intelligence technologies may be used to assist in the screening, assessment, and selection of candidates for this position.

Please be advised that a Criminal Record Check may be required of the successful candidate. Should it be determined that any information provided by a candidate be misleading, inaccurate or incorrect, UHN reserves the right to discontinue with the consideration of their application.

UHN is an equal opportunity employer committed to an inclusive recruitment process and workplace. Requests for accommodation can be made at any stage of the recruitment process. Applicants need to make their requirements known.

We thank all applicants for their interest, however, only those selected for further consideration will be contacted.