Recognized as one of Canada's Top 100 Employers (2025), Top Employers for Canadians Over 40 (2024), Canada's Top Family-Friendly Employers (2024) and National Capital Region's Top Employers (2024):
Mediacorp Canada Inc. staff editors (Nov 14, 2024)
Here are some of the reasons why Export Development Canada was selected as one of Canada's Top 100 Employers (2025), Top Employers for Canadians Over 40 (2024), Canada's Top Family-Friendly Employers (2024) and National Capital Region's Top Employers (2024):
- Along with a number of initiatives to keep employees informed, EDC hosts an annual employee conference to share the organization's objectives -- the multi-day event features internal and external speakers, TED talk-style 10-minute presentations, and opportunities to connect with fellow employees in person
- EDC helps employees balance their work and personal lives through compassionate programs such as family caregiver leave for adults (with top-up to 95 per cent of salary for up to eight weeks), paid personal leave for family emergencies (five to 10 days depending on the situation), and special leave for extenuating circumstances (employees can work reduced hours at full salary)
- EDC helps to ensure employees take time to rest and recharge with four weeks of starting vacation allowance and the option to buy (or sell) up to five additional days off through their flexible health benefits plan
Employer Background
Industry | International trade financing and support services |
Established in Canada | 1944 |
Major Canadian locations | Ottawa ON, Toronto ON, Vancouver BC, Mississauga ON, Montréal QC |
Full-time employees in Canada | 2,094 |
Full-time employees worldwide | 2,129 |
Workforce engaged on a contract basis | 2.2% |
Average age of employees in Canada | 41.6 years |
Longest serving employee | 39.5 years |
Work Environment Rating: A
Flexible work options | hybrid work option, flexible work hours, telecommuting, reduced summer hours |
Commuter amenities | walk to public transit, transit subsidies, online carpool sign-up, electric vehicle charging stations, secure/sheltered bicycle parking |
Onsite workplace features | 18-storey head office was built to LEED Gold standards, workplace features live plants and original artwork, café and kitchen areas on each floor, customizable meeting spaces as well as large event spaces, training rooms, small private work rooms, in-house catering kitchen for meals and snacks at onsite events, telecommuter workstations, sit-stand workstations, private phone booth, religious observance room, self-serve lunchroom, outdoor patio |
Employee lounge amenities | comfortable seating, television, 2 large lounge areas on the 5th and 18th floors |
Other food options at main location | Bridgehead coffee shop |
Onsite fitness facility | for employees only, free membership, treadmills, stationary bikes, stairmasters, instructor-led classes (virtual classes include yoga, body pump, sports conditioning, martial arts, high-intensity interval training, spin classes, outdoor boot camps, Zumba and weight circuits), elliptical trainers, rowing machines, weights, shower facilities, facility is open 6 days a week, employs a full-time fitness coordinator who provides fitness advice and ensures equipment is properly maintained |
Work Atmosphere & Communications Rating: B
Past social events | book clubs, social hours, employee sports teams |
Cultural aspects | business-casual dress daily, dress-for-your-day policy, casual dress (e.g. jeans) daily, employee sports teams |
Employee communications | intranet site, company newsletter, traditional/email suggestion box, internal social media |
Other in-house communications | annual employee conference (guest speakers, EDC Talks, and viewing parties for those who cannot attend in person), EDC Sounding Board (confidential platform for employees to ask questions about policies, regulations, or anything related to the organization), virtual town halls |
Financial Benefits & Compensation Rating: B+
Outside salary surveys | participates in outside salary surveys every 12 months |
Employee salary reviews | individual salaries are reviewed every 12 months |
Long-term savings | defined-contribution (DC) pension |
Long-term planning | retirement planning assistance |
Year-end bonuses | available to all employees |
Signing bonuses | available for some positions |
Additional financial benefits | discounted home insurance, discounted auto insurance, relocation assistance for new hires and current employees moving to other office locations, quarterly allowance of $250 for home office or wellness-related equipment, pre-retirement workshops on financial planning and the transition to retirement |
Health & Family-Friendly Benefits Rating: A
Health plan premium | as part of the health plan, the employer pays up to 100% of the premiums |
Flexible coverage | health plan is flexible with adjustable premiums and coverage levels |
Minimum hours worked for coverage | 15 hours per week |
Waiting period | there is no waiting period for coverage |
Family coverage option | yes |
Retiree coverage with no age limit | yes |
Dental coverage | routine, restorative, orthodontics |
Paid sick days | employees receive 10 days off each year |
Health plan includes | traditional coverage (e.g. prescription drugs), employee assistance (EAP) plan, semi-private hospital room, physiotherapy, medical travel insurance, medical equipment and supplies, massage therapy, podiatrist, osteopathy, chiropractor, alternative coverage (e.g. acupuncture, naturopathy), virtual healthcare services |
Mental health practitioner benefit | up to $2,500 each year |
Additional health plan information | flex credits can be allocated towards the purchase of additional vacation days, health or wellness spending accounts, RSP, TFSA or an RESP, or donated to United Way, unique paramedical benefits extension program (employees with ongoing medical conditions may apply to receive 90% reimbursements after exceeding the allowable maximum under EDC's benefits plan), retiree premium coverage ranges from 75% to 100% |
Additional health and wellness initiatives | LiveWELL hub with extensive wellness resources, a monthly LiveWell newsletter, annual Healthy Workplace Month in October |
In vitro fertilization (IVF) | $20,000 per lifetime |
Maternity top-up (mothers) | up to 95% of salary for 17 weeks |
Parental top-up (mothers) | up to 95% of salary for 9 weeks |
Parental top-up (fathers) | up to 95% of salary for 18 weeks |
Adoption top-up | up to 95% of salary for 18 weeks |
Additional family-friendly benefits | compassionate top-up to 95% of salary for 18 weeks, academic scholarships of up to $2,700 per child |
Additional family-friendly information | family caregiver leave for adults (top-up to 95% of salary for up to 8 weeks), paid personal leave option for family emergencies (5 to 10 days depending on the situation), virtual Parents@EDC group to help employees connect and share experiences |
Vacation & Personal Time-Off Rating: A+
Vacation allowance | new employees receive 4 weeks of paid vacation after their first year on the job |
Vacation jump | vacation increases after 8 years of employment |
Maximum vacation allowance | employees move to a maximum of 5 weeks of vacation over their career |
Previous experience | considers previous work experience when setting annual vacation for new employees |
Paid holiday shutdown | during the Christmas to New Year's holiday break, employees receive an additional 3 days off |
Personal paid days off | employees can schedule 2 personal days off each year, as needed |
Company paid days off | employees receive 1 personal day off, as determined by their employer |
Unpaid leave of absence option | yes |
Additional time-off information | employees can purchase up to 5 additional vacation days as part of EDC's health benefits plan, employees may apply for special leave, allowing them to work reduced hours at full salary during extenuating circumstances |
Employee Engagement & Performance Rating: A
Employee performance reviews | employees receive individual performance reviews every 6 months |
Managers receive performance review training | yes |
360° feedback option | as part of the review process, performance feedback is also solicited from co-workers and other managers familiar with each employee's work |
Confidential employee feedback | employees can also provide confidential feedback on their manager's performance |
Exit interview | exit interview option is available for departing employees |
Performance recognition | individual performance bonuses, on-the-spot rewards, peer-to-peer recognition awards, tailored and unique rewards (e.g. travel), long service awards (employees can choose from a gift catalogue or opt for a donation to a charity of their choice) |
Training & Skills Development Rating: A
Career planning | in-house career planning services |
In-house training initiatives | mentoring, in-house training, online training, paid internships, subsidies for professional accreditation |
Related tuition subsidies | employer covers up to 100% of tuition per year |
Annual tuition maximum | employer pays up to $24,000 in tuition subsidies for job-related courses per year |
Unrelated tuition subsidies | employer covers up to 100% of tuition per year for courses unrelated to current position |
Unrelated tuition maximum | employer pays up to $24,000 in tuition subsidies per year for courses unrelated to current position |
Education leave | educational leaves of absence are available |
Unique training & development programs | language training, leadership forums, extensive catalog of online, live and on-demand courses (over 2,000 courses and curated content) |
Community Involvement Rating: A+
Scope of charitable involvement | local, national, international |
Employee charitable involvement | employees are involved in selection of charities, employees receive paid time off to volunteer, (up to 2 paid days) |
Some of the community organizations supported | Campfire Circle, Helping with Furniture, Royal Ottawa Foundation, University of Ottawa Heart Institute Foundation, Scouts Foundation Canada, ABLE2, Hockey Equality, 24H Tremblant, Alzheimer’s Society of Nova Scotia, Canadian Ski Patrol, Peel Guyanese Association for Guyana Health, Immigrant Women Services Ottawa, Canada Learning Code, Dress for Success Canada |
Charitable giving | matches employee donations, matches employee volunteer hours with company donations |
Community highlight | For 13 years, EDC has supported CARE Canada, an international non-governmental organization that focuses on poverty alleviation through women’s economic empowerment programming -- EDC employees have the opportunity to be assigned for a 16-week placement to CARE projects across the world, helping to grow village savings and loan associations in Zambia or assisting agribusiness in Peru (to date, 42 employees have been seconded to nine CARE offices around the world) |
Recognized as one of Canada's Top Employers for Young People (2024):
Mediacorp Canada Inc. staff editors (Jan 22, 2024)
Here are some of the reasons why Export Development Canada was selected as one of Canada's Top Employers for Young People (2024):
- EDC's dedicated Growing Professionals Committee offers development opportunities, resources and support to students and young professionals, as well as organizing various social events throughout the year -- the committee also manages a mentorship program designed to promote career development, support diversity and inclusion, and facilitate connections among employees of all experience levels
- The Growing Professionals Committee also recently launched a collaborative case competition, engaging members of the committee to pitch improvements to EDC's digital onboarding experience -- teams present their ideas to senior executives, and the winning team may see their idea implemented by the Transformation Office
- EDC maintains a range of programs to support recent graduates as they begin their careers, including the 24-month Project Finance Associate Program for new finance professionals, a 24-month Investment Analyst program where graduates can gain hands-on experience on the investment team, and a new articling program for aspiring lawyers
Highlights
Industry | International trade financing and support services |
Major Canadian locations | Ottawa ON, Toronto ON, Vancouver BC, Mississauga ON, Montréal QC |
Full-time employees in Canada | 2,128 |
Student opportunities | paid internships |
In-house training programs | orientation program, in-house training, online training, in-house career planning services, mentoring, leadership training |
Related tuition subsidies | employer covers up to 100% of tuition per year |
Annual tuition maximum | employer pays up to $24,000 in tuition subsidies for job-related courses per year |
Unique training and development opportunities | mentorship program through the Growing Professionals Committee, 12-week unpaid internship offered through the Connexions program at Ottawa University's Telfer School of Business (participants may be offered paid internships upon completion), virtual onboarding buddy program, articling program for law students, investment analyst program for new graduates (24-month program providing hands-on experience on the investment team) |
Additional highlights | student career advice workshops hosted by the CEO, Youth Education Program (awards scholarships to Canadian students with a demonstrated interest in international business, with a set of scholarships for students from diverse backgrounds), offers up to 30 $4,000 international business scholarships annually (25 go to undergraduate students), workshop to guide students to find their dream job at EDC (attended by over 60 employees, topics included career direction, career development resources, potential career paths at EDC, and negotiating effectively, to name a few) |
Dedicated employee resource group | Growing Professionals Committee is a self-driven group of students and young professionals, providing social and professional development opportunities and resources for students and new grads |
Vacation allowance | new employees receive 4 weeks of paid vacation after their first year on the job |
Recognized as one of Canada's Best Diversity Employers (2024):
By Kristina Leung and Stephanie Leung, Mediacorp Canada Inc. staff editors (Mar 4, 2024)
Here are some of the reasons why Export Development Canada was selected as one of Canada's Best Diversity Employers (2024):
- EDC launched its first three-year accessibility plan ahead of the federal Accessible Canada Act deadline and with employee insights and feedback -- the organization also hired a dedicated Accessibility Lead to help guide its work and created new mandatory training on accessibility, in partnership with its DiversAbility ERG
- EDC established representation targets for diverse leadership and introduced an accessible diversity dashboard in 2022, allowing employees to transparently monitor progress to achieving goals -- additionally, the organization measures employee sentiments on inclusion, diversity and equity through a dedicated belonging index as part of its engagement survey
Highlights
Industry | International trade financing and support services |
Major Canadian locations | Ottawa ON, Toronto ON, Vancouver BC, Mississauga ON, Montréal QC |
Full-time employees in Canada | 2,128 |
Management of diversity and inclusion initiatives | chief diversity officer, inclusion, diversity and equity council (chaired by the President and CEO, includes representatives from all employee resource groups) |
Performance management and accountability | campaign to encourage voluntary self-identification, belonging index to measure sentiments on inclusion, diversity, and equity, representation targets for diverse leadership, diversity dashboard introduced in 2022 |
Employee resource groups | ERGs have an executive sponsor who is actively involved in the group's activities, EDC currently supports 10 ERGs: Black employees, DiversAbility Growing Professionals, Indigenous employees, Latin+, 2SLGBTQ+, Women, MOSAIC (new Canadians), Francophonie, and Environment (supports the organization's environmental actions) |
Noteworthy diversity strategies and policies | developed its first 3-year accessibility plan with actions to prevent and remove barriers |
Recruitment initiatives | diverse selection panels and candidate slates, shares vacancies with Equitek Employment Equity Solutions to reach diverse job-seekers |
Training and awareness initiatives | training on topics such as digital accessibility, mental health and mental health leadership, respect in the workplace, and LGBTQ2+ awareness, mandatory training on accessibility and unconscious bias |
Diversity highlights | refreshed its inclusion, diversity and equity intranet to provide a platform for ERGs to interact, provides ERGs with a community investment budget which can be used to make a corporate donation to a charity related to the group's aims, community leadership scholarships for students from diverse backgrounds, partners with the University of Ottawa’s Telfer School of Management and Deloitte for the Diversity and Inclusion MBA Case Challenge (7th year participating), partnered with Coralus to develop the Growing Global Cohorts program, which supports women-led businesses in initiating and growing the export side of their enterprises |
Recognized as one of Canada's Greenest Employers (2024):
Mediacorp Canada Inc. staff editors (Apr 15, 2024)
Here are some of the reasons why Export Development Canada was selected as one of Canada's Greenest Employers (2024):
- EDC manages a comprehensive recycling program that includes paper, metals, plastics and waste -- and the company phased out all disposable cutlery in addition to providing each employee with their own set of reusable cutlery
- EDC's environmental resource group manages a website that provides information and engages directly with more employees, including environmental tips, data on its own operational greenhouse gas emissions, historic building audits, and an internal blog to help employees reduce their own environmental footprint
- Along with a rooftop garden that's managed by kitchen employees, EDC partnered with Alvéole to introduce two rooftop beehives that are home to 50,000 bees -- in their first season, the hives produced 180 jars of honey, which were sold to employees with the funds donated to United Way
Highlights
Industry | International trade financing and support services |
Major Canadian locations | Ottawa ON, Toronto ON, Vancouver BC, Mississauga ON, Montréal QC |
Full-time employees in Canada | 2,128 |
Employee green team | environmental resource group |
Senior executive who oversees initiatives | senior vice-president and chief corporate sustainability officer |
Formal strategy/policy name | environmental and social risk management framework, climate change policy (2019) |
Publishes sustainability report | yes |
Green highlights | Environmental Resource Group's (formerly the Green Team) mandate is to support and promote efforts to reduce the company's operational environmental footprint (with a primary focus on the areas of paper usage, waste sent to landfill, energy and water consumption and business travel), Community Investment Day (an annual day of volunteering) |
Noteworthy initiatives | cleantech team (dedicated service for the support of clean-tech companies), sustainable bond framework supports financing for green, social and transition initiatives that include activities that decarbonize a customer’s operations (including carbon capture utilization, storage and use of low carbon intensity fuels) |
Building footprint includes | green roof, electric vehicle charging stations, rooftop vegetable garden managed by kitchen employees (provides a variety of produce including kale, cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, hot peppers, bell peppers and herbs), LED lighting upgrades |
Extended recycling | workstation waste management program features clearly labelled recycling, waste and composting bins that are designed to match the larger receptacles in the café and public areas, phased out all disposable cutlery (and provided each employee with their own set of reusable cutlery) |
Commuter amenities | Commuter Challenge (employees walk, run, cycle, carpool, take transit or telecommute to work), walk to public transit, secure/sheltered bicycle parking, online carpool sign-up, transit subsidies |
Community partnerships | partnership with Alvéole to introduce rooftop beehives that are home to 50,000 bees (produced 180 jars of honey in its first year, sold to employees with funds donated to the United Way), La Relance Technology Service (partnership that collects, repairs and refurbishes old technology and donates to local schools, libraries and non-profits) |
The Career Directory
Export Development Canada has been selected for The Career Directory, our guide to entry-level recruitment for recent college and university graduates.
Highlights for New Grads
Industry | International trade financing and support services |
Full-time employees in Canada | 1,001 to 2,500 |
Major Canadian locations | Ottawa ON, Toronto ON, Vancouver BC, Mississauga ON, Montréal QC |
Student opportunities | paid internships |
Training | subsidies for professional accreditation, orientation program, online training, in-house training, mentoring, in-house career planning services, leadership training |
Annual tuition maximum | employer pays up to $24,000 in tuition subsidies for job-related courses per year |
Typical new grad positions | Credit and Banking Analyst/Associate, Risk Analyst, Underwriter, Underwriting Policy Coordinator, Loans Services Manager, Financial Analyst, Corporate Banking Officer, Service Desk Professional, Account Manager, Accounts Payable/Accounts Receivable Specialist |
Starting salary | $55K to $60K |
Work benefits | flexible work hours, telecommuting, transit subsidies, employees receive paid time off to volunteer, (up to 2 paid days) |
Vacation allowance | new employees receive 4 weeks of paid vacation after their first year on the job |
Academic fields recruited
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Bachelor of Arts
- Business
- Economics
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Bachelor of Commerce / Business Administration
- Accounting
- Finance
- Information Systems
- Marketing
- Public Administration
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Bachelor of Science
- Computer Science
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Master of Arts
- Economics
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Master of Business Administration
- Accounting
- Finance
- Information Systems
- Marketing
- Public Administration
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Master of Science
- Information Studies / Library Science
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Professional Accreditation
- Accounting (CA)
- Accounting (CGA)
- Accounting (CMA)
- Investment Planning (CFA, CIM)