Director of Professional Services

ANVIL; Ottawa; On-site; CAD 140,000 - 185,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading technology firm in the defence sector is seeking a Director of Professional Services in Ottawa. You will lead customer engagement strategies and operational excellence while ensuring customer satisfaction. The ideal candidate has over 10 years in professional services with proven leadership in complex technical environments. This role offers a competitive salary between CAD $140,000 and $185,000.

Benefits

Competitive salary

Flexible benefits

Work from home options

Qualifications

• 10+ years in professional services or project leadership within technical environments.
• 3+ years of direct team leadership experience.
• Proven track record leading complex software deployment initiatives.

Responsibilities

• Serve as a trusted advisor to senior government stakeholders.
• Lead complex delivery engagements and guide adoption.
• Oversee budgets, resource allocation, and operational planning.

Skills

Leadership

Communication skills

Operational management

Problem-solving

Education

BSc in Computer Science or related field

Tools

Atlassian Jira

Atlassian Confluence

Job description

Overview

Job Description

Salary CAD $140,000 - $185,000 base salary - Placement within range based on experience and qualifications

About ANVIL

ANVIL is a trusted partner in the defence industry, delivering cutting-edge solutions that enhance military capabilities and operational effectiveness. We extend our expertise to public safety, law enforcement, and national security organizations, accelerating mission-critical decision making through analytical tools, automations, and game-changing machine learning capabilities. ANVIL helps organizations discover, manage, enrich, fuse, and exploit the information available to them in support of Information Dominance and Decision Advantage.

Role Type Full Time (Ottawa)

Total Compensation CAD $140,000 - $185,000 base salary - Placement within range based on experience and qualifications

Role (Description)

As ANVILs Director of Professional Services reporting to the COO, you will play a pivotal role in ensuring customer success while shaping and leading ANVILs professional services capability. You will lead from the front personally directing key delivery engagements to gain firsthand understanding of customer missions, workflows, and pain points while also building the structures, practices, and talent required to deliver sustained impact at scale.

This is both a customer-facing and organizational leadership role. You will act as a trusted advisor who bridges technology and mission outcomes. You bring executive presence with senior stakeholders and credibility with operational users, working effectively with members throughout the chain of command. You embody ANVILs mission-first culture: orienting teams on impactful outcomes for customers and making decisions that advance their operational effectiveness.

We’re seeking a leader who thrives in complexity, demonstrates sound judgment under pressure, and can inspire teams to deliver high-value results in dynamic and challenging environments.

Organizational Structure

This position reports directly to the Chief Operating Officer (COO) and works closely with:

• ANVILs leadership team
• Product and Engineering teams
• Customer operational users, technical teams, and senior government stakeholders

Responsibilities

Customer-Facing Leadership

• Serve as a trusted advisor to senior government and defence stakeholders, ensuring alignment of ANVILs solutions with mission priorities.
• Lead complex, dynamic delivery engagements, guiding adoption, operational change, and integration into existing workflows.
• Build strong executive relationships while maintaining credibility with operational users across the chain of command.
• Act as the primary escalation point for customer delivery issues, ensuring timely resolution and accountability.
• Anticipate risks and challenges early; navigate ambiguity with sound judgment, pragmatism, and resilience.
• Represent ANVIL with professionalism and credibility in sensitive, mission-critical settings.

Team & Organizational Leadership

• Provide day-one leadership to professional services staff; manage, coach, and develop the team to excel in demanding environments.
• Establish and refine delivery processes, ensuring quality, scalability, and repeatability across engagements.
• Shape and grow the professional services organization, including hiring, resource planning, and evolving the reporting structure as the company scales.
• Oversee budgets, resource allocation, and operational planning for professional services.
• Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, and mission focus within the team.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Partner with Product and Engineering to ensure customer needs and insights directly inform ANVILs roadmap and solution design.
• Act as the voice of the customer internally, balancing operational realities with product vision.
• Represent Professional Services as a key contributor to ANVILs leadership team and overall company strategy.

Prerequisites

• Eligible for Government of Canada Top Secret security clearance.
• 10+ years in professional services, consulting, or project leadership within technical environments.
• 3+ years of direct team leadership experience, including hiring, mentoring, and performance management.
• Proven track record leading complex software deployment or transformation initiatives, ideally in defence, government, or national security contexts.
• Outstanding documentation, presentation, and communication skills, with the ability to engage both executive stakeholders and technical teams.
• Strong operational and financial management skills (budgeting, resource allocation).
• Excellent communication and executive presence; able to frame issues, decisions, and strategies for diverse audiences.
• Demonstrated ability to build consensus and trust with senior decision-makers and technical teams.
• Demonstrated ability to exercise sound judgment in resolving complex problems, acting as a calm and professional escalation point in high-pressure or unforeseen situations.
• Ability to thrive in mission-critical environments and drive clarity and progress in the face of competing priorities.

Preferred Qualifications

• PMP, ITIL, or other relevant certifications.
• BSc in Computer Science, Engineering, or related technical field.
• Significant experience working in or closely with defence, public safety, or national security organizations.
• Familiarity with military or government organizational structures, operational planning, or procurement processes.
• Experience building or scaling a professional services function in a high-growth environment.
• Familiarity with Atlassian Confluence, Jira, or similar collaborative tools.

Why work here?

We have competitive salaries, flexible benefits, and the ability to work from home. But the most compelling reason to work with us is that this is more than just a job; you’ll be part of a team of dedicated professionals who share a common goal: to increase the safety and security of western democracies through the effective use of data. Our workplace is not just a job, it\'s a community of like-minded people working together to make a positive impact on the world we live in.

At ANVIL you will work in a dynamic and collaborative environment where creativity, curiosity, and teamwork are celebrated. You will work alongside talented and passionate experts, and have the chance to learn from some of the best in the industry. Join us and be part of a team thats making a meaningful impact in the world.