Aviation Program Leader / Design Director

Mott MacDonald Group; Toronto; Hybrid; CAD 285,000 - 349,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Bonuses opportunity

Comprehensive benefits

Hybrid/hub office culture

Job summary

Mott MacDonald is seeking an Aviation Major Program Lead / Design Director to shape and deliver complex aviation programs from pursuit through execution. You will act as the Design Authority, coordinating architecture, engineering, and contractor partners to meet client and safety requirements.

The role requires 20+ years in complex infrastructure programs, P.Eng. status, and a track record in senior leadership.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering or a related discipline.
• P.Eng. designation or eligibility for registration in the relevant jurisdiction.
• Typically 20+ years of progressive experience leading pursuit, design, and delivery of complex multidisciplinary infrastructure or major capital programs.
• Significant aviation-sector experience with understanding of airport environments and capital program priorities.
• Proven record in senior roles such as Program Director, Major Project Lead, Design Director, or Engineering Director.
• Demonstrated success building trusted relationships with executive-level clients across owners, authorities, and partners.
• Strong commercial acumen including experience with major pursuits, fee development, contract strategy, and risk-informed decisions.
• Deep knowledge of governance, design management, quality, interfaces, and delivery risk.

Responsibilities

• Lead planning, mobilization, and delivery of major aviation programs with clear governance and integrated delivery.
• Serve as trusted senior advisor to client executives, airport authorities, and delivery partners.
• Translate client priorities into coordinated program and design outcomes.
• Strengthen client relationships and support pursuing major opportunities.
• Develop program delivery strategies covering scope, governance, resources, schedule and risk.
• Act as senior design authority for multidisciplinary solutions.
• Direct design work balancing safety, operations, constructability, sustainability, and value.
• Guide governance and performance reporting across disciplines and partners.
• Oversee costs, schedules, interfaces, changes, and risk across the program.

Skills

Leadership

Communication

Negotiation

Facilitation

Education

Bachelor’s degree in engineering

Professional Engineer (P.Eng.) designation

Job description

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Location(s): Toronto, ON, CA

Contract Type: Permanent

Work Pattern: Full Time

Market: Transport

Job Ref: 17685

At Mott MacDonald, we are driven by purpose and powered by brilliant people. As a trusted engineering, management, and development consultancy, we work with clients to solve complex challenges and deliver sustainable outcomes that make a meaningful difference for the communities we serve.

When you join us as an experienced professional, you will bring your expertise to work that matters while continuing to grow your career. You will collaborate with talented colleagues across disciplines and geographies, contribute your perspective, and help shape better outcomes through technical excellence, innovation, and integrity.

Build on your experience while helping shape what comes next. At Mott MacDonald, you'll work alongside talented people on complex and rewarding projects that make a real difference. We value fresh perspectives, encourage collaboration, and provide opportunities to expand your skills, take on new challenges, and grow your career. Whether you're deepening your technical expertise, broadening your leadership experience, or exploring new opportunities across our business, you'll be supported by a team that is committed to helping you succeed.

The Aviation Major Program Lead / Design Director is a senior leadership role responsible for shaping and delivering complex aviation infrastructure programs from pursuit through execution. Acting as the Design Authority, you will lead the planning, integration, governance and delivery of multidisciplinary design services, coordinating architecture, engineering, airport systems, specialist consultants and contractor partners to achieve safe, efficient and commercially successful outcomes that meet client, contractual, operational and construction requirements..

Key activities and responsibilities include:

• Leading the planning, mobilization, and delivery of major aviation programs with clear vision, governance, and integrated delivery.
• Serving as a trusted senior advisor to client executives, airport authorities, delivery partners, and key stakeholders.
• Translating client priorities, operational needs, investment objectives, and capital plans into coordinated program and design outcomes.
• Strengthening strategic client relationships, expanding partnerships, and supporting positioning, capture planning, and major pursuits.
• Developing program delivery strategies covering scope, governance, organization, commercial approach, resources, schedule, risk, and assurance.
• Serving as senior design authority, accountable for the integrity, integration, suitability, and performance of multidisciplinary solutions.
• Directing design solutions that balance safety, operations, passenger experience, constructability, sustainability, resilience, cost, schedule, and whole-life value.
• Aligning design delivery with program objectives, contracts, business cases, benefits, and client decisions.
• Partnering with program, project, and commercial leaders to oversee performance, anticipate issues, and drive timely executive decisions.
• Establishing clear governance, reporting, accountability, and escalation across disciplines, workstreams, consultants, contractors, and partners.
• Leading senior forums, design meetings, executive reviews, and decision workshops to maintain alignment and resolve complex issues.
• Overseeing design budgets, schedules, resources, interfaces, changes, risks, opportunities, and performance indicators.
• Guiding integrated work, cost, and organizational breakdown structures for coordinated delivery and transparent performance management.
• Championing technical excellence, innovation, digital delivery, sustainability, quality, and assurance across the program.
• Overseeing program-level technical requirements, standards, criteria, departures, certifications, reviews, approvals, and records.
• Integrating architecture, engineering, airport systems, planning, operations, construction, specialist advice, and supply chain inputs.
• Engaging construction teams and delivery partners early to improve constructability, phasing, operational readiness, and delivery certainty.
• Managing strategic design and program risks, directing mitigation, and escalating material issues with clear recommendations.
• Leading Design Managers, Discipline Leads, Package Managers, and specialists with clear accountability and a collaborative, high-performing culture.
• Supporting workforce planning, succession, capability development, and effective deployment of expertise.
• Representing the organization with clients, industry partners, and professional networks to strengthen market credibility and aviation profile.
• Supporting aviation business growth through thought leadership, strategic accounts, client feedback, and lessons learned.

The successful candidate will bring the following skills, qualifications, and experience:

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering or a related discipline; an advanced degree in engineering, business, program management, or a related field is an asset.
• Professional Engineer (P.Eng.) designation or eligibility for registration in the relevant jurisdiction.
• Typically 20+ years of progressive experience leading the pursuit, design, and delivery of complex multidisciplinary infrastructure or major capital programs.
• Significant aviation-sector experience, with a strong understanding of airport environments, operational interfaces, stakeholder complexity, and capital program priorities.
• A proven record in senior roles such as Program Director, Major Project Lead, Design Director, Engineering Director, or equivalent.
• Demonstrated success building trusted relationships with executive-level clients and influencing complex decisions across owners, authorities, contractors, partners, and communities of interest.
• Strong commercial acumen, including experience with major pursuits, fee development, contract strategy, change management, financial performance, and risk-informed decision-making.
• Deep knowledge of program governance, integrated design management, technical assurance, quality management, interface management, and delivery risk.
• Experience leading large, geographically dispersed, multidisciplinary teams and coordinating multiple projects, packages, consultants, and delivery partners.
• Expertise in major project delivery models such as Design-Build, Progressive Design-Build, P3, Alliance, Construction Manager at Risk, or other collaborative contracting approaches.
• Ability to connect strategic objectives with practical execution and to provide clear direction in complex, high-profile, and rapidly evolving program environments.
• Exceptional leadership, communication, negotiation, and facilitation skills, with the presence and credibility to operate effectively at executive and board-facing levels.
• A strong commitment to safety, ethics, inclusion, technical excellence, sustainability, and positive client and community outcomes.

Bring your expertise, curiosity, and drive to make a difference. If you are ready to join a collaborative consultancy where your perspective is valued, your growth issupported, and you are empowered to lead with integrity, we would love to hear from you.

Benefits & Rewards

The expected salary range for this position is from $200,000 - $245,000.

Multiple factors such as qualifications, overall experience, and position responsibilities will be used to determine the successful candidate's actual salary within the expected range.

In addition to base salary, Mott MacDonald offers performance-based bonuses and a comprehensive benefits package, giving employees a direct connection to our success.

The comprehensive benefits and rewards package is designed to support your health, wellbeing, and professional growth. Eligible employees have access to health and dental coverage, wellness resources, retirement savings, insurance and disability protection, paid time off, family leave support, and professional development opportunities. Benefits are subject to eligibility, plan terms, and change.

This posting is for an existing vacancy.

Collaboration at Our Core

At Mott MacDonald, we believe great ideas happen when we're together. Our hybrid approach centers on an in-office culture, with most of your time spent collaborating face-to-face and a minimum of three days per week in the office. We balance flexibility with connection, so you and your manager can choose how to meet clients, team, and personal commitments.

We seek to promote fair employment procedures and practices to ensure equal opportunities for all. We encourage individual expression in our workplace and are committed to creating an inclusive environment where everyone feels they have the opportunity to contribute.

We are an equal opportunity employer and are committed to providing employment accommodation in accordance with the Ontario Human Rights Code and the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 (AODA). Mott MacDonald Canada Limited will provide accommodations to job applicants with disabilities throughout the recruitment process. If you require accommodations, please notify us and we will work with you to meet your needs.