Senior Director of Operations

Position Overview

The Senior Director of Operations is responsible for the strategic leadership and management of complex projects in energy, infrastructure, and building modernization sectors. This position leads multidisciplinary teams to ensure project completion that meets safety, quality, commercial, operational, and client requirements. From initial planning to commissioning, the role involves maintaining strong collaborative relationships with clients, consultants, contractors, and internal stakeholders.

Key Responsibilities

• Direct the successful execution of major energy, mechanical, and infrastructure construction projects from start to finish.
• Offer expert guidance during project planning, feasibility studies, development of solutions, procurement strategies, and launch preparation.
• Manage project budgets, timelines, staffing allocations, and resources to fulfill objectives concerning cost, schedule, and quality.
• Act as the senior client liaison to uphold productive relationships and ensure their expectations are consistently achieved.
• Lead multidisciplinary teams consisting of project managers, engineers, subcontractors, commissioning experts, and external consultants.
• Review project scopes, identify risks (commercial and technical), and implement appropriate mitigation measures throughout the project lifecycle.
• Assess contract conditions, oversee change orders and pricing revisions, and handle commercial negotiations.
• Supervise financial performance, including forecasting, controlling costs, reporting, and variance analysis, while seeking profitability improvements.
• Ensure compliance with relevant legislation, regulations, industry standards, and company policies on all construction activities.
• Promote and establish a strong safety culture ensuring adherence to health and safety regulations among all personnel and partners.
• Develop and enforce project governance frameworks, documentation standards, and reporting mechanisms to maintain consistent project delivery.
• Manage procurement activities such as selecting subcontractors, purchasing equipment, negotiating with suppliers, and coordinating deliveries.
• Oversee construction operations, verifying that work aligns with approved designs, specifications, quality standards, and commissioning needs.
• Support commissioning processes including system verification, functional testing, and facilitating project closeout.
• Coordinate client training sessions, turnover documentation, and final acceptance procedures.
• Engage in business development by providing technical expertise for audits, feasibility reviews, proposals, budgeting, and solution designs.
• Lead initiatives aimed at continuous improvement in project management methods, delivery processes, and operational workflows.
• Support organizational goals and strategic priorities as necessary.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Construction Management or related technical field.
• Registered Professional Engineer (P.Eng.) in Ontario is mandatory.
• Project Management Professional (PMP) credential is a plus.
• Certified Energy Manager (CEM) credential is beneficial.
• Health and safety supervisory training or equivalent is preferred.
• Familiarity with project management tools such as Procore is advantageous.
• Valid Ontario driver’s licence is required.
• Experience working on projects in institutional settings like healthcare, higher education, or public sector facilities is desirable.
• Background in energy, infrastructure, or building performance sectors is an asset.

Experience and Skills

• At least 10 years’ experience managing sophisticated capital construction or infrastructure projects involving mechanical systems, building automation, HVAC modernization, renewable energy, or energy efficiency efforts.
• Proven ability to handle multiple simultaneous projects while ensuring budget compliance, timely delivery, quality standards, and customer satisfaction.
• Strong leadership skills with experience in managing teams, supporting performance evaluations, mentoring, succession planning, and professional growth.
• Excellent commercial awareness demonstrated by contract administration, change order negotiations, and risk management.
• Exceptional communication and presentation skills suitable for conveying technical concepts to executives and non-experts.
• Established relationship-building skills for effective collaboration with clients, consultants, contractors, suppliers, and internal colleagues.
• Robust analytical and problem-solving aptitude with a proactive stance toward resolving issues.
• Competency with Microsoft Project, Office suite, financial reporting software, and project management platforms.

Work Environment

• Frequent travel to project sites across Ontario is expected, accounting for approximately 25–40% of overall work time depending on project demands.
• Occasional flexibility to support projects beyond the primary region may be required.