Managing Director, PKP

Simon Fraser University; Burnaby; Hybrid; CAD 122,000 - 159,000; Full time

Job summary

A prestigious Canadian university is seeking a Managing Director to oversee operations and lead a diverse team in scholarly publishing. This role requires strong leadership and budget management skills, with a commitment to fostering an inclusive environment. The ideal candidate holds a Master’s degree and has over 5 years of management experience. This position offers a competitive salary and the option for remote work.

Benefits

Extended health care

Flexible start date

Diversity and inclusion initiatives

Qualifications

• Five or more years of leadership and management experience.
• Demonstrated ability to build consensus and engage diverse teams.
• Excellent communication skills, both orally and in writing.

Responsibilities

• Lead, mentor, and inspire a team of diverse professionals.
• Oversee operations, budget, staff, and grant proposals.
• Build relationships with stakeholders and represent PKP globally.

Skills

Leadership

Budgeting

Strategic planning

Interpersonal communication

Grant management

Education

Master’s degree in relevant field

Job description

THE ROLE

PKP is the world’s leading developer of open source (free) software for scholarly publishing—including Open Journal Systems (OJS), Open Monograph Press (OMP), and Open Preprint Systems (OPS)—and is an internationally recognized research and advocacy organization advancing sustainable and equitable open access to research.

The Managing Director closely collaborates with the Scientific Director to provide strategic and operational leadership for PKP. This role oversees aspects of operations, finance, and personnel management, with responsibility for ensuring PKP’s long-term sustainability and continued global impact.

The Managing Director will:

• Lead, mentor, and inspire a diverse and distributed team of ~30 professionals across three continents, including software engineers, social scientists, and publishing specialists.
• Develop and implement policies, programs, and procedures to foster an inclusive, supportive, and respectful team environment that reflects PKP’s values of equity, diversity, and global knowledge exchange.
• Partner with Scientific and Associate Directors to develop and implement strategic plans, set priorities, and pursue new initiatives that strengthen PKP’s leadership in scholarly communication.
• Oversee operations, providing focus and setting priorities for budget, staff, grants, and projects, while taking responsibility for financial matters, as well as the hiring, developing, and dismissal of personnel.
• Oversee budget management, business development, service delivery, and partner engagement.
• Build and maintain productive relationships with university, national, and international bodies and organizations, representing PKP as a thought leader in open infrastructure and open science.
• Prepare and manage grant and funding proposals among national and international, public and private funding bodies.

THE IDEAL CANDIDATE

This position will appeal to an experienced leader who thrives on:

• Team leadership: motivating, supporting, developing, and coordinating diverse, distributed teams; building a culture of trust, respect, growth, and collaboration.
• Strategic management: balancing vision with execution, and advancing organizational priorities through effective planning and innovation.
• Global engagement: cultivating strong partnerships in Canada and across borders and sectors, and communicating effectively on behalf of the organization.
• Values-driven work: advancing open access and open science through sustainable, mission-driven technologies and services.

The successful candidate will bring a proven record of managing complex projects and teams, a strong financial and operational background, and a commitment to creating inclusive work environments where people thrive.

Full Job Description

POSITION QUALIFICATIONS

REQUIRED

• A Master’s degree in a relevant field of specialization, such as scholarly publishing or business administration.
• Five (5) or more years’ leadership/ and management experience.
• Outstanding management skills, including:
  • Leadership, supervisory, coaching, team management, and mentorship.
  • Grant management.
  • Decision-making, strategic planning, project management, and change management.
  • Budgeting and financial administration.
• Strategic understanding and knowledge of trends in some of the following areas: higher education, academic libraries, open research infrastructure, scholarly publishing, and publishing technology.
• Ability to recognize, respect, and work effectively with people with diverse perspectives and backgrounds.
• A collaborative and transparent leadership style with a demonstrated ability to build consensus.
• Ability to engage in productive relationships across and within a diverse range of institutions.
• Excellent interpersonal and intercultural communication skills, both orally and in written form.
• Willing and able to travel for business estimated at 15-20 days a year.
• Consideration may be given to an equivalent combination of education and experience.

PREFERRED

• Second graduate degree or certification in a relevant field of specialization related to scholarly publishing or business management.
• Experience in fund development.
• Knowledge of effective advocacy strategies with funding organizations, government bodies, and international organizations.
• Background in publishing, particularly scholarly publishing.
• Working knowledge of French, Spanish, or Portuguese.
• Experience with working with software engineers and technical teams, especially PKP software, and/or other post-secondary open-source software (e.g. DSpace, Islandora, etc.).
  Able to nurture a supportive sense of belonging and fulfillment among team members working in a virtual environment.

WORK SETTING

Those who work and study at Simon Fraser University acknowledge the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish), xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), səl̓ílwətaʔɬ (Tsleil-Waututh), q̓íc̓əy̓ (Katzie), and kʷikʷəƛ̓əm (Kwikwetlem) peoples, on whose traditional territories SFU’s three campuses stand. By recognizing the Unceded Traditional Coast Salish territories, we aspire to create a space for reconciliation through dialogue and decolonizing practices.

As an SFU Core Research Facility, PKP is fully embedded in the university community, while maintaining a global reach and distributed team. The Managing Director will be employed by Simon Fraser University and is primarily remote, with the option to be based at one of SFU’s campuses.

Recognizing PKP’s international profile and worldwide community, SFU also welcomes applications from international candidates and will provide support in securing a Canadian work permit.

Over the last twenty years, SFU has been consistently ranked as one of Canada’s top three comprehensive universities; it is repeatedly named one of British Columbia’s Top Employers, among Canada’s Top 100 employers, and a top family-friendly employer. SFU offers more than 100 undergraduate major and joint major programs and more than 45 graduate offerings, spanning many disciplines in eight faculties, and has an international reputation for its innovative interdisciplinary and professional programs.

TERMS OF APPOINTMENT

This is a continuing SFU staff position, with a salary range of $122,570 to $158,620CAD annually, depending on experience, in addition to extended health care and other benefits.

Position begins in January 2026 but can be flexible for the right candidate.

PKP is committed to creating a diverse, equitable, and inclusive working environment. We believe an open and diverse community fosters the inclusion of voices that have otherwise been underrepresented or discouraged. We seek to contribute to efforts and goals to develop and support the decolonization of scholarly publishing, to collaborate in postcolonial publishing initiatives, and to provide the means for a diversity of academic inquiry and voices to readily engage in scholarly publishing on a global scale. For more information on how PKP operates, please see our Organization page.

As part of Simon Fraser University, PKP is committed to employment equity and encourages applications from qualified candidates of all genders, visible minorities, persons of First Nations, Inuit, or Métis heritage, persons with disabilities, and LGBTQ2SIA+ identified persons.

Additional Information

Please note that the job description for this position is under review.

The pay range is the span between the minimum and maximum base salary for the position. The midpoint of the range is approximately halfway between the minimum and the maximum and represents an employee that possesses full job knowledge, qualifications and experience for the position. In the normal course, employees will be hired, transferred or promoted between the minimum and midpoint of the pay range.

Please include your cover letter and resume in one attachment.

SFU is an equity employer and strongly encourages applications from all qualified individuals including women, Indigenous Peoples, visible minorities, people of all sexual orientations and gender identities, persons with disabilities, and others who may contribute to the further diversification of the university.

We are committed to ensuring that the application and interview process is accessible to all applicants. If you require any assistance or accommodations, please contact [e-mail].