Deputy Design Director

Kenaidan Contracting Ltd.; Toronto; On-site; CAD 150,000 - 190,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Top wages

Benefit coverage for you and your Dep.

Employer RRSP contributions

Paid Time Off

Job summary

Kenaidan Murphy Joint Venture (KMJV) in the Greater Toronto Area is seeking a Deputy Design Director to lead design management across multidisciplinary teams for major rail and transit infrastructure projects. You will coordinate between design consultants, construction teams, and the client to deliver innovative, cost-effective solutions.

The role requires directing design activities from concept through IFC, mentoring staff, and maintaining alignment with schedule and budget while engaging

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Architecture, or a related discipline.
• Professional Engineer (P.Eng) or related designation preferred.
• Minimum 10–15 years of design management experience, with rail/transit or large-scale infrastructure projects.

Responsibilities

• Act on behalf of the Design Director as necessary.
• Lead and oversee design management and coordination staff.
• Oversee design activities from concept to IFC documentation.
• Ensure conformance to internal standards and project schedule/budget.
• Coordinate multi-disciplinary design teams across civil, structural, architectural, systems, and utilities.
• Lead design review meetings and track deliverables; ensure client standards compliance.
• Mentor design managers and engineers to foster innovation and technical excellence.
• Interface with client representatives, regulatory bodies, and stakeholders to ensure project continuity.

Skills

Design leadership

Coordination

Mentorship

Stakeholder engagement

Risk management

Client liaison

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering/Architecture

P.Eng preferred

10–15 years design management experience

Job description

Deputy Design Director (Greater Toronto Area, ON)

Kenaidan and Murphy are excited to announce a joint venture dedicated to bringing global innovation to infrastructure projects across Ontario.

Project Overview: The Bloor-Yonge CapacityImprovements Project is a significant undertaking by the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) to expand and modernize Bloor-Yonge station – Canada’s busiest subway hub. This initiative is focused on meeting both current and future ridership needs by improving the station’s efficiency, capacity, and accessibility.

The Kenaidan Murphy Joint Venture (KMJV) is committed to transforming the station to enable faster, more reliable, and more comfortable travel throughout the Greater Toronto Area. The project will deliver upgraded facilities, contributing to a safer, cleaner, and higher-capacity subway system for passengers.

Who we are: Founded in 1974, Kenaidan continues to be a fixture as a dynamic construction firm dedicated to creating structures that will contribute to the well‑being of our community and enhance the fabric of our communities for years to come. Our confidence in our expertise and passion for our work has allowed us to deliver an array of projects with unmatched precision, quality, and efficiency. From general contracting to construction management, we deploy a collaborative approach, embedding innovation and sustainability into every project. #TeamKenaidan

Murphy operates in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Canada and America as a leading international specialist engineering and construction company. Founded in 1951, we are committed to improving life through delivering world‑class infrastructure, providing engineered solutions across transportation, natural resources, energy, and water sectors. With around 4,000 engineers, professional managers, and skilled operatives internationally, we work together as One Murphy to ensure project success. #MoveToMurphy.

We are a proud Equal Opportunity Employer, committed to providing employees’ work‑life balance with a competitive compensation package including:

• Top wages
• Benefit coverage for you and your dependents
• Employer RRSP contributions (no match required)
• Paid Time Off

We currently have an opening in Toronto, ON for a:

Deputy Design Director

The Deputy Design Director is responsible for assisting the Design Director in providing technical and managerial leadership across all design disciplines during the progressive design phase. This role will support coordination between design consultants, construction teams, and the client to ensure innovative, cost‑effective, and constructible design solutions are developed and integrated throughout the project lifecycle.

How will you contribute to the team?

To perform this role successfully, the candidate will be responsible for but not limited to the following:

• Act on behalf of the Design Director as necessary
• Support the design team in overseeing the design management process from concept through to IFC Issued for Construction documentation.
• Assist the Design Director in leading and overseeing design management and coordination staff.
• Ensure conformance to internal company standards and policies including design management procedures
• Ensure design is delivered in accordance with the schedule and budget established
• Review and report on updated schedules and cost forecast
• Provide regular updates on progress of design and key issues to senior management
• Oversee the contractual and commercial administration of design activities
• Maintain a good and professional relationship with the Client, Consultants, Sub‑Contractors, Suppliers and Statutory Authorities
• Coordinate design activities with other teams and functions such as construction, estimating, commercial, project controls.
• Oversee the value engineering process
• Coordinate technical risk assessment
• Oversee stakeholder comments and response process and ensure timely resolution of issues in close coordination with other affected departments
• Coordinate multi‑disciplinary design teams including civil, structural, architectural, systems, and utilities engineering.
• Facilitate collaboration between design and construction teams to ensure constructability, schedule alignment, and cost efficiency.
• Lead design review meetings, track design deliverables, and ensure compliance with client standards and project requirements.
• Support risk management, value engineering, and design optimization initiatives.
• Mentor design managers and engineers, fostering a culture of innovation and technical excellence.
• Interface with client representatives, regulatory bodies, and key project stakeholders. Transition from design phase into construction, ensuring commercial continuity.

Education and Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Architecture, or a related discipline.
• Professional Engineer (P.Eng) or related designation preferred.
• Minimum 10–15 years of design management experience, with a focus on rail/transit or large‑scale infrastructure projects.
• Proven experience in progressive design‑build, integrated project delivery (IPD), or Design‑Build project delivery models.
• Strong technical understanding of civil, structural, and systems interfaces within transit infrastructure.
• Strong understanding of design schedule and cost tracking
• Strong understanding of commercial management related to design work
• Excellent communication, leadership, and stakeholder engagement skills.
• Demonstrated ability to manage competing priorities and maintain design quality under tight schedules.

This is a management position

This is a full time position

We are an inclusive and equal opportunity employer committed to providing diversity and accommodation for applicants upon request in accordance with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA).

We thank all candidates who apply, however, only those selected for an interview will be contacted.

The KMJV does not accept resumes from recruitment agencies, employment services or head hunters that are not in a formal contractual arrangement with us. Any resume or other information received from an agency not approved by us will be considered unsolicited and will not be considered. We will not pay any referral, placement or other fee for the supply of such unsolicited resumes or information.