Director Program Delivery

Thales; Ottawa; Hybrid; CAD 155,000 - 190,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Extended health benefits

RRSP matching

Paid holidays

Employee discounts

Job summary

Thales in Ottawa seeks a Director, Program Delivery to lead a portfolio of complex programs, ensuring profitable execution and high customer satisfaction. The role involves cross-functional collaboration with engineering, finance, and procurement, coaching PMs on risks, and driving continuous improvement in delivery.

The role is hybrid in Ottawa, requires strong leadership and EVM/risk-management mastery, and reports to the VP Delivery.

Qualifications

• Oversee a portfolio of programs, delivering on time, on budget, and to client expectations.

Responsibilities

• Oversee execution of a portfolio of programs and ensure alignment with business objectives.
• Coordinate with cross-functional teams (engineering, finance, operations, supply chain, services, procurement).
• Lead Project and Program Managers, define delivery priorities and governance, and drive customer satisfaction.
• Prepare status reports, forecasts, and BOR/Executive updates; chair monthly program reviews.
• Lead budgets, multi-year projections, and performance metrics for program delivery.

Skills

EVM mastery

Risk management

Leadership

Stakeholder management

PMP or similar

Program management

Communication

Defence industry experience

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering/Business/Management

Tools

PMP certification

Job description

Location: Ottawa, Canada

In fast changing markets, customers worldwide rely on Thales. Thales is a business where brilliant people from all over the world come together to share ideas and inspire each other. In aerospace, transportation, defence, security and space, our architects design innovative solutions that make our tomorrow's possible.

This role is Hybrid Ottawa

Director, Program Delivery

Position Summary

To support our Delivery function, we are seeking a Director, Program Delivery to join our team in Ottawa on a full time basis. The Director, Program Delivery is responsible for the delivery and management of a portfolio of complex programs, ensuring the profitable execution, delivery, and customer satisfaction for all projects and programs under their remit. The Director, Program Delivery will serve as the primary escalation point for customer challenges, facilitate cross-functional collaboration, and drive continuous improvement in program execution and delivery. The Director, Program Delivery will also be expected to support program execution through the coaching of project and program managers on risks and issues which may impact program delivery and performance.

The Director, Program Delivery will be expected to work closely with their relevant counterparts in Services, Engineering, Supply Chain and Procurement on the delivery of projects/programs. The Director, Program Delivery will be responsible for coordination across the Delivery organization in direct support of the VP, Delivery.

Regulatory Compliance Requirement

This position requires direct or indirect access to hardware, software or technical information controlled under the Canadian Export Control List and/or the US the Export Administration Regulations (EAR). All applicants must be eligible or able to obtain authorization for such access.

Key Areas of Responsibility

• Oversee the execution of a portfolio of programs, ensuring alignment with business objectives, strategic priorities, and client expectations.
• Ensure the Projects are correctly planned and executed by the responsible project managers in achievement of financial targets (Order Intake Growth, Sales Revenue, Gross Margin) as defined by the company.
• Serve as the primary escalation point for the resolution of customer issues across all programs, ensuring rapid response and effective communication.
• Provides leadership and direction to a team of Project Managers and Program Managers, establishing delivery priorities, ensuring adherence to governance standards, and driving accountability for program execution, customer satisfaction, and achievement of business objectives.
• Will support/provide direct inputs into performance cycles (Objectives, Check ins, YER).
• Implement effective contract and claim management in all projects to increase the contractual margin and protect the company against liability claims.
• Develop and implement program governance structures and performance metrics to maximize efficiency and quality.
• Foster a customer-oriented culture, proactively anticipating risks and taking corrective action to ensure program delivery and satisfaction.
• Coordinate and facilitate collaboration across functional teams (engineering, finance, operations, supply chain, services, procurement, etc.).
• Monitor program progress, identify risks and issues, and drive timely resolutions to maintain program schedules, budgets, and scope.
• Establish and maintain strong relationships with executive sponsors, customers, stakeholders, and partners.
• Accountable directly to the VP delivery for the execution of all programs under their remit through the application of Earned Value Management (EVM), Risk and Schedule Management and Leadership of all project and program managers working within their domain.
• Ensure compliance with contractual commitments, regulations, and company policies.
• Prepare and present regular status reports, forecasts, and recommendations to senior leadership.
• Chair Monthly Program Reviews, supporting and challenging Project and Program Managers to ensure that program performance is on time and on budget.
• Lead the development and management of Departmental budgets and Multi-Year Budget projections for all projects and programs under their remit.
• Lead the generation and presentation of Business Opportunity and Risk (BOR) program reporting, including Risks and Opportunities which may affect the financial forecasts associated with the projects and programs.
• Present the BOR to the requisite Business Line, GBU or Region Executives.
• Establish and maintain Director level relationships across all customers in the assigned portfolio.
• Collaborates with the VP, Operations and Chief Performance Officer to implement performance metrics across program execution to drive execution efficiency and continuous improvement.
• Must be able to Act for VP Delivery.
• Other duties as required

Minimum Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Business, Management, or related field
• 10+ years’ experience in program/project management, preferably in defence industry
• Proven track record of managing large and complex programs
• Mastery level skills in EVM and Risk Management.
• Excellent leadership, communication, and stakeholder management skills.
• Strong problem-solving and risk management abilities, especially in customer-facing environments.
• Proficiency with program management tools and methodologies (PMP or similar certification preferred).

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working in a complex, multidisciplinary, matrix organization;

Special Position Requirements

• Type of Role: Hybrid (Home/Office) – flexibility to work from home, but expected to be in office a minimum of 3 days per week and as required to support the business.
• 40 hours per week
• Physical Environment: Office environment
• Travel: Approximately 10% domestic and international travel, as required to support customer engagements, program reviews, business operations, and strategic initiatives.

The reference Total Target Compensation (TTC) market range for this position, inclusive of annual base salary and the variable compensation target, is between Total Target Cash (TTC) $155,000 - $170,000 – 190,000 CAD Annual.

This reflects how companies in a similar industry and geographic region generally pay for similar jobs. This range helps the Company make pay decisions as one data point among many. Where a position falls within this range is also dependent on other factors including – but not limited to – the employee’s career path history, competencies, skills and performance, as well as the company’s annual salary budget, the customer’s program requirements, and the company’s internal equity. Thales may offer additional benefits and other compensation, depending on circumstances not related to an applicant’s status protected by local, state, or federal law.

We use artificial intelligence–enabled tools as part of our recruitment process to support activities such as candidate discovery, résumé matching, and interview scheduling. These tools may help screen and assess applications and recommend potential matches based on the requirements within the job description. All hiring decisions, including candidate evaluation, selection, and disposition, are made by human recruiters. Artificial intelligence does not make hiring decisions on our behalf.

Why Join Us?

Thales provides an extensive benefits program for all full-time employees working 24 or more hours per week and their eligible dependents, including the following:

• Company paid Extended Health, Dental, HSA, Life, AD&D, Short-term Disability, Cancer Care Program, travel insurance, Employee Assistance Plan and Well-Being program.
• Retirement Savings Plans (RRSP, DCPP, TFSA) with a company contribution and a match to a DCPP, with no vesting period.
• Company paid holidays, vacation days, and paid sick leave.
• Voluntary Life, AD&D, Critical Illness, Long-Term Disability.
• Employee Discounts on home, auto, and gym membership.

Thales is an equal opportunity employer which values diversity and inclusivity in the workplace. Thales is committed to providing accommodations in all parts of the interview process. Applicants selected for an interview who require accommodation are asked to advise accordingly upon the invitation for an interview. We will work with you to meet your needs. All accommodation information provided will be treated as confidential and used only for the purpose of providing an accessible candidate experience.

This position requires direct or indirect access to hardware, software or technical information controlled under the Canadian Export Control List, the Canadian Controlled Goods Program, the Canadian Industrial Security Program, the US International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) and/or the US Export Administration Regulations (EAR). All applicants must be eligible or able to obtain authorization for such access including eligibility to the Canadian Controlled Goods Program and able to obtain a Canadian NATO Secret clearance.