Venture Innovations Manager

Groupe Compass Quebec ltée.; Toronto; On-site; CAD 100,000 - 125,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading foodservice and support services company in Ontario seeks an Innovation Associate to drive innovation by identifying and nurturing startup partnerships. You will evaluate emerging technologies, oversee pilot programs, and collaborate with business partners to address their needs strategically. Candidates with experience in innovation and strong analytical skills are encouraged to apply. This role promotes a diverse workforce and offers a collaborative environment.

Qualifications

• Experience in innovation and startup environments preferred.
• Strong analytical skills to validate thesis through research.
• Ability to build networks and source innovative startups.

Responsibilities

• Develop expertise in innovation areas like FinTech and AI.
• Identify and evaluate innovative startups.
• Oversee Proof of Concept and pilot programs.
• Engage with business to understand needs.

Skills

Understanding of FinTech

Knowledge of AI in Food Retail

Collaboration

Strategic thinking

Job description

Overview

What’s in it for you?

You’ll find Compass Group Canada is part of a global foodservice and support services company that’s the 6th largest employer in the world, with 625,000 employees. We operate in schools, colleges, hospitals, office buildings, senior living communities, tourist attractions, sports venues, remote camps and military installations and more. We’re in all major cities, at remote work sites and everywhere in between – doing business in Canada and 50+ other countries where you can learn and grow. Join us now and point your career forward!

Why work with Compass Digital

We are a member of Compass Group North America, the leading foodservice and support services company. We create remarkable customer experiences through the innovative design and development of technology products and services. Compass Digital began as an innovation startup and has rapidly grown to support technology and innovation across North America. Compass Digital is comprised of user experience designers, developers, data scientists, project managers, business analysts, marketers and technology implementation managers, all of whom look at the world from a human perspective to rethink what’s possible in technology innovation and consumer engagement within the foodservice and hospitality industries. Join us.

About CDV

Compass Digital Ventures (CDV) is the innovation and corporate venture arm of Compass Group, focused on driving the future of foodservice through open innovation. CDV works with the startup and venture capital ecosystem to identify strategic opportunities, innovative pilots, and cutting-edge technologies. Through CDV we create pathways for successful and disruptive startup solutions to grow and enhance the business and operations at Compass.

Job Title

Innovation Associate at CDV, you will be instrumental in identifying, vetting, and nurturing innovation opportunities and startup partnerships that align with our strategic goals.

Key Responsibilities

• Thesis Building and Developing Expertise in certain areas:
• • Develop a deep understanding of specific innovation areas (e.g., FinTech, AI in Food retail) to provide thought leadership and insights to the business. Stay up-to-date on industry trends and emerging technologies within your expertise area.
  • Identify themes within the broader category and validate the thesis through secondary and primary research and meeting with startups
• Startup Deal Sourcing:
• • Identify and evaluate innovative startups that align with our investment/thesis areas and have potential to progress through the stages of PoC, pilot, and commercial implementation.
  • Build a network to source and find new opportunities
  • Discuss and defend opportunities with the CDV team, why would it be a good opportunity for Compass
• PoC / Pilot Program Oversight:
• • Due diligence for strategic opportunity and being able to defend why those areas are strategic for us.
  • Scope and oversee the Proof of Concept and Pilots, to validate the viability and scalability of the innovation opportunity (i.e., startups).
  • Collaborate with the Venture build-ops team to manage the process on running PoCs and Pilots and build the funnel
  • Define success metrics for pilot projects and assess the outcomes, ensuring that each pilot delivers clear learnings and potential pathways to commercialization
  • Help build a repeatable, scalable process for running pilots and proof of concepts, creating an “innovation pilot playbook” that can be used across the organization.
• Strategic Collaboration and Cross-Functional Engagement:
• • Engage with business to understand their needs and explore innovative solutions to meet them.
  • Align with Compass Digital and business stakeholders to understand unmet needs and problems
  • Run strategic sessions and workshops to dive deeper into business needs

Objectives and Success Metrics

• Develop deep knowledge in specified investment/thesis areas and leverage insights to impact CDV’s research and strategy.
• Successfully identify and onboard startups, guiding them through the PoC and pilot process with clear objectives and measurable success metrics.
• Build and refine a standardized pilot/innovation process, ensuring a structured and efficient pathway from concept to commercialization.
• Foster strong relationships with both internal stakeholders and external partners, positioning CDV as a trusted innovation partner within the industry and for Compass.

Compass Group Canada is committed to nurturing a diverse workforce representative of the communities within which we operate. We encourage and are pleased to consider all qualified candidates, without regard to race, colour, citizenship, religion, sex, marital/family status, sexual orientation, gender identity, aboriginal status, age, disability or persons who may require an accommodation, to apply.

For accommodation requests during the hiring process, please contact [e-mail] for further information.

Note: This description preserves the original content language and meaning while improving structure and readability. The final content remains focused on responsibilities and requirements of the Innovation Associate role and related CDV activities.