Chief Technology Officer

McElhanney; Vancouver; On-site; CAD 200,000 - 275,000; Full time

Job summary

McElhanney is seeking a Chief Technology Officer (CTO) to join their executive team in Vancouver. The successful candidate will drive the technology strategy and lead teams in delivering innovative solutions while ensuring alignment with corporate objectives. This role requires a strategic leader with extensive experience in IT and a passion for leveraging technology for business value. McElhanney values diversity and encourages all qualified individuals to apply.

Benefits

Flexible work hours

Extended health and dental coverage

RRSP matching

Maternity leave and parental leave top-up

Employee assistance program

Financial assistance for relocation

Qualifications

• 15+ years of experience in digital solutions and IT leadership.
• Deep expertise in IT infrastructure and emerging technologies.
• Experience with large-scale IT environments (1,000+ users).

Responsibilities

• Lead digital transformation and modernize systems at McElhanney.
• Develop and execute enterprise-wide technology strategies.
• Oversee IT services, infrastructure, and vendor relationships.

Skills

Strategic Thinking

Leadership

Innovation

Collaboration

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, Software Engineering

Master’s degree (preferred)

Job description

Based in Western Canada for over 110 years, McElhanney offers innovative and practical engineering, surveying, mapping, planning, landscape architecture, and environmental services. As a 100% employee-owned and operated firm, with over 1,400 staff members in 33 locations, we are proud to offer qualified staffwith shareholding options in our company. At McElhanney, we work in teams to build strong connections with our staff, clients, and local communities. Our employees enjoy working here because of our varied projects, high levels of autonomy, opportunities for career development, excellent total compensation and benefits package, and collaborating with a team of great professionals.

The Opportunity:

At McElhanney, we care deeply about each other, our clients, and our communities. We are driven by our grit, passion, and perseverance, and we rally behind safety, respect, and inclusion for all. With our core values acting as our guiding principles in every decision we make, our executive leaders show up each day to lead our firm with purpose-driven direction and our people with support and care.

McElhanney is pleased to announce an exciting opportunity for a Chief Technology Officer (CTO) to join our executive leadership team. Reporting directly to the President & CEO, the CTO will play a pivotal role in shaping and advancing our enterprise-wide technology strategy to support McElhanney’s growth, innovation, and operational excellence.

The CTO will lead three key functions: the delivery of innovative digital solutions, overseeing technology operations (IT infrastructure, cybersecurity, help desk and applications), and leading our strategic technology initiatives. As a strategic leader, technical mentor, and business enabler, you will ensure McElhanney’s technology capabilities are innovative, scalable, and aligned with evolving client needs and market opportunities.

While our preference is for the successful candidate to be based in Vancouver, we are open to candidates located in any of our McElhanney offices across Western Canada.

Who You Are: A Strategic Partner, a Leader, and an Achiever

As a Strategic Partner, you are a collaborative and people-focused business leader who plays a key role on McElhanney’s Executive Committee, helping shape the future of our company through technological innovation. As a People Leader, you champion a people-centered approach, fostering an engaged, empowered, and forward-thinking team. As a Visionary, you explore emerging technologies to ensure McElhanney’s long-term readiness. And as an Achiever, you inspire teams to reach ambitious goals with optimism, purpose, and drive.

What You’ll Be Doing:

Working closely with our technology teams, executive and operational leaders, you will drive innovation by identifying, evaluating and implementing technological advancements. You will develop, advance and guide the overall information technology roadmap, leveraging your expertise to ensure the execution of technological solutions. You will play a pivotal role in aligning McElhanney’s technology direction with our corporate strategic objectives, vision and values. Y ou will inspire and mentor a team of senior IT professionals, fostering a culture of collaboration, growth and innovation. Your leadership will be instrumental in building strong, trust-based relationships across all levels of the organization.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead McElhanney’s ongoing digital transformation journey, both internally and externally, by modernizing systems and collaborating to digitalize project workflows.
• Understand our business and client needs to identify opportunities where technology can drive value and enable innovative solutions.
• Develop and execute enterprise-wide technology strategies aligned with McElhanney’s corporate strategic plan.
• Effectively communicate the technology vision and strategy, gaining alignment and support from executive leaders and key stakeholders.
• Monitor emerging technologies, industry trends, and regulatory requirements, assessing their potential impact on the organization.
• Ensure the development and maintenance of a robust, scalable, and secure IT infrastructure, including cybersecurity and disaster recovery readiness.
• Ensure compliance with relevant standards, regulations, and evolving requirements across all technology systems.
• Oversee the delivery of exceptional IT services and digital experiences for McElhanney employees.
• Lead the planning and execution of large-scale technology transformation initiatives.
• Manage strategic vendor relationships and technology partnerships to support business objectives and innovation.

What You’ll Bring:

• Bachelor’s degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, Software Engineering, or a related field; a Master’s degree is preferred.
• 15+ years of progressive experience in digital solutions and/or information technology leadership roles.
• Proven strategic thinker with a passion for leveraging technology to drive business value and enable innovation.
• Deep expertise in data governance, IT infrastructure, and emerging technologies, including the practical application of artificial intelligence.
• Strong business acumen with a solid understanding of operations, budgeting, market trends, and internal client needs.
• Experience working within large-scale IT environments (1,000+ users), including leading major system replacement initiatives such as ERP implementations.
• Comprehensive knowledge of cloud-native architecture, DevOps practices, application development, and system integration strategies.

What Can We Offer You? The salary range for this position is $200,000 - $275,000 per annum along with the opportunity to participate in our generous Performance Bonus Plan and to become a shareholder in an employee-owned company.

In addition to a competitive salary, we also offer:

• Flexible work hours to accommodate your lifestyle
• Great benefits, including extended health and dental coverage, healthcare spending account, and RRSP matching
• Maternity leave top-up and parental leave top-up
• Employee and Family assistance program, which offers 24/7 support for all employees and their families either online or over the phone
• Continuous support for your professional development and growth
• Financial assistance to support your relocation if applicable
  

McElhanney offers fair compensation that is commensurate with the individual’s education, experience, skills, and professional qualifications which is representative of the required level of qualifications and experience for the position as noted in the job posting. The salary offered will be based on the experience and qualifications of the successful candidate.

Application Instructions:

Please include the following in your application:

• An updated curriculum vitae that is relevant to the position.
• A cover letter that includes your interest in the position and a description of the qualities and experience you have which will make you excel in this position.

Deadline to apply: July 25, 2025, 8:59pm PST

Our Commitment to Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion

At McElhanney, our unwavering commitment lies in cultivating a culture that aligns with our core values and fosters diversity, equity, and inclusion. We celebrate the collective achievements of a team rich in expertise, experiences, and perspectives, and welcome applications from individuals of diverse ethnicities, religions, backgrounds, genders, sexual orientations, gender identities, aboriginal statuses, various age groups, and those with disabilities. Requests for accommodations can be made at any stage of the selection process. If this job description resonates with you, we encourage you to apply even if you don’t meet all of the requirements outlined. We’re interested in getting to know you and explore the unique contributions you can bring to McElhanney!

If this is the opportunity for you, apply now o r visit www.mcelhanney.com/careers to learn more. We thank all applicants for their interest; however, only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

To learn more about our recognition as Canada's Top 100 Employers (2025), visit Top Employer: McElhanney Ltd. (canadastop100.com).

Visit us on Glassdoor to learn more about our employee experience.

Our Purpose: Amaze our clients. Care for our communities. Empower our people.

McElhanney is aware of activities where individuals have received fraudulent job offers. Please be advised that McElhanney will not ask applicants for any form of monetary exchange at any point in the recruitment process. To learn more visit: www.mcelhanney.com/careers/fraud-warning . The disclosure of your information in accordance with this Policy and applicable law, including to third party service providers may result in your personal information being transferred outside of Canada, including to the United States. Such transferred personal information may be subject to the laws of these other countries and the laws of other countries regarding the collection, use, and disclosure of personal information may be different from the laws of Canada.