Director, Project

Aecon; Toronto; On-site; CAD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

Aecon is seeking a Director, Project to lead a landmark heavy civil infrastructure program in Ontario. Based in Toronto, you will drive safety, schedule, budget, and stakeholder alignment across the Aecon Civil team and its partners.

Bring 20+ years of construction leadership on major projects, with a track record of delivering projects valued hundreds of millions to over a billion dollars. Strong commercial, contractual, and governance expertise is required.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree in engineering or equivalent.
• Minimum 20 years of construction leadership experience on complex major projects.
• Proven track record delivering projects valued $500M+ to $1B+.
• Experience with IPD, Alliance, or Progressive Design-Build delivery models.
• Strong understanding of commercial, contractual, financing, and governance frameworks.
• Proven ability to lead organizations of 100+ personnel.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.

Responsibilities

• Establish safety, team, systems and procedures to ensure a safe work environment.
• Develop, monitor and ensure project is delivered on schedule.
• Maintain quality metrics and ensure targets are achieved.
• Oversee project closeout and commercial management under the Prime Contract.
• Foster strong stakeholder relationships with clients, JV partners, and governments.
• Hire, supervise, and mentor project personnel; ensure adequate resources.

Skills

Leadership

Communication

Risk management

Stakeholder management

Strategic thinking

Team building

Education

Bachelor’s degree in engineering

Job description

Location: Toronto, ON, CA

Operating Sector: Major Projects East

Position Title: Director, Project

Come Build Your Career at Aecon!

Aecon delivers some of the most complex and impactful infrastructure projects — from transformative transportation networks to critical energy, industrial and nuclear programs. The projects we build connect communities and power future generations. With deep roots in North America and a strong footprint internationally, Aecon brings global expertise and proudly serves public and private sector clients through its Construction and Concessions segment.

Safety Always is not only our #1 core value – it is the standard that anchors our culture. We believe the most ambitious projects deserve the most committed people. At Aecon, you won’t just build your career — you’ll help build what matters to enable future generations to thrive.

At Aecon, you can count on:

• Safety Always. Our number one core value. The safety of our people, projects, partners, and stakeholders is our priority focus – today and always.
• Integrity. We lead by example, with humility and courage.
• Accountability. We’re passionate about delivering on our commitments.
• Inclusion. We provide opportunities where people feel valued, supported, and empowered to contribute fully.

We deliver infrastructure with purpose, and our people are at the heart of everything we do. Aecon employees are incredibly proud to build some of the most impactful infrastructure of this generation – we call it Aecon Proud.

At Aecon we:

• Ensure you and your family receive the services and benefits needed to support your mental, emotional, and physical well-being.
• Are intentional when it comes to investing in your development. We help you build your career and advance your skills through our Aecon University, tuition reimbursement, and Leadership Programs.
• Are committed to creating work environments focused on mutual respect, teamwork, collaboration, and new ideas, through meaningful initiatives, training, partnerships with Veteran groups, our Aecon Women in Trades and diversity programs, as well as our Employee Resource Groups (ERGs), to ensure we are building with top talent and harnessing our collective strengths within every aspect of our culture.
• Operate responsibly by managing risk, safety, and environmental considerations across all our projects and surrounding communities.

Our success is built on the passion, expertise, and dedication of our people. Together, we embrace strong execution, innovation, and continuous improvement — values that come to life through the unique talents and collaborative spirit of every team member. If you’re inspired to make a difference through future-building projects, join our best-in-class team.

What is the Opportunity?

Aecon Civil is a recognized leader in the market, backed by strong self‑perform capabilities and deep local expertise. We play a key role in building and enhancing infrastructure across Canada, the U.S., and an expanding international footprint improving everyday life through the roads, bridges, tunnels, and transit systems that connect communities. With more than a century of experience and a full suite of integrated services, Aecon is a trusted partner for delivering complex civil projects, including tunnels, transit expansions, airports, ports, highways, and large‑scale site development.

The project is a landmark heavy civil infrastructure project in Ontario's Kawartha Lakes and Barrie regions. As a key part of the Arctic Over the Horizon Radar Program , the project includes significant on-site and off-site material movement activities, extensive earthworks, deep and shallow foundation construction, structural concrete works, and the delivery of multiple buildings and supporting infrastructure.

As part of this project, Aecon's Civil team is advancing nation-building infrastructure through a strategic partnership with Pomerleau and Stantec. Delivered through a collaborative Integrated Project Delivery model, an Aecon-led joint venture is responsible for project delivery.

Project Management

• Construction Operations
  • Safety. Establish safety, team, systems and procedures and ensure a safe work environment for everyone involved in the project.
  • Schedule. Develop, monitor and make decisions to ensure project is delivered on schedule.
  • Quality, ensuring key metrics and KPI’s are established and targets are consistently achieved.
  • Responsible for all aspects of project close out
• Commercial Management
  • Ensure teams understand and protect Aecon / Project interests under the Prime Contract
  • Financial / cash flow management
  • Identifies risks and implements mitigation and contingency plans
  • Results. Ensure everyone on the project has a commercial mindset to deliver the project at or exceeding budget.

Stakeholder Management

• Create and maintain excellent relationships with all stakeholders
  • The client, and all participants organization to this program
  • Joint venture partners
  • Government, the public, special interest groups

People Management

• Creates and maintains a culture and environment that is open and respectful
• Hire, supervise, coach and mentor project personnel
• Ensure project has capacity and expert capability is in all engineering, procurement and construction activities
• Expertise required functional areas: Design management, Project Controls, Procurement, Contract Management, Quality, Commercial Management)
• Communicates with Aecon Sr. Management to ensure adequate resources are provided
• Ensure the project as required staffing and succession plans

Communication

• Builds engagement through ongoing communications to all staff and stakeholders
• Provide all required project reporting / forecasting

Executive Responsibility

• Aecon ambassador to employees, the client, partners the public and Aecon executive leadership.

Required Knowledge and Experience

• Bachelor’s Degree in engineering or equivalent
• A minimum of 20 years of construction leadership experience on complex major projects, with a p roven track record of delivering commercial success.
• Proven success leading projects valued at $500M+ to $1B+ through the full project lifecycle.
• Significant experience working within highly collaborative project delivery models, including Integrated Project Delivery (IPD), Alliance, or Progressive Design-Build environments.
• Strong understanding of commercial, contractual, financing, and governance frameworks on major projects.
• Demonstrated expertise in risk management, change management, claims, and commercial negotiations.
• Proven ability to lead organizations of 100+ personnel, including senior project leadership teams.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.

Necessary Competencies\"

• High degree of emotional intelligence and self-awareness
• Able to work with and communicate to executives from JV partners, owner/clients, governments, etc., in complex and ambiguous political situations

Stakeholder Management

• Communication in all forms, articulating the project vision in a meaningful and compelling way to all stakeholders.
• Organizational and politically savvy. Able to engage with and seek input and involvement from all stakeholders within the project’s ecosystem.

Adaptive Thinking

• Change Leadership. Ability and willingness to always challenge the status quo, in the interest of the success of the project
• Critical thinking capability by applying sound analysis and logical reasoning to evaluate ideas, decisions and outcomes. Able to properly evaluate the quality of evidence and reasoning, then draw appropriate conclusions.
• Ability to take a broad perspective and to think laterally; analyzing risks, which incorporates being proactive, assessing the potential cost of a risk and solving any problems associated with it; negotiating; communicating; and team working.

Strategic Orientation

• Strategic mindset to envision and shape the future while always keeping in mind the basic project needs
• Commercial acumen. A strong sense of urgency to quickly assess and understand the key business drivers that influence or impact the project and the broader organization
• Breadth of market knowledge. Deep understanding of all aspects of mega project work within this sector.

Dealing with complexity

• Comfortable with ambiguity
• Able to operate comfortably in a VUCA environment (Volitivity, Complexity, Uncertainty, Ambiguity)

Successfully builds high performing teams

• Motivate and build trust
• Balanced decision making – allowing for discussion and collaboration but driving to decisions, driving accountability and ensuring there are lessons learned from poor decisions
• Creates an open and diverse work environment

Character based Leadership

• Integrity, Humility, Transparency, Courage, Drive, Energy, Passion

Ambassador for the company internally and externally

• Lives and demonstrates Aecon's leadership expectations.

Reason for Vacancy: New

Aecon fosters diversity, inclusion and belonging within and across our organization. We welcome all to apply including, women, visible minorities, Indigenous peoples, persons with disabilities, and persons of any sexual orientation or gender identity.

We are committed to adhering to the objectives and requirements outlined in the Accessible Canada Act (ACA), and to meeting the accessibility needs of persons with disabilities in a timely manner. Through the implementation of the requirements of the ACA and its applicable regulations, appropriate accommodations will be provided upon request throughout the interview and hiring process.

As part of our commitment to fair and transparent hiring practices, Aecon may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to assist in screening and reviewing candidates. These tools are applied responsibly and in accordance with applicable privacy laws and Aecon’s AI Usage Policy. All final decisions are made by qualified Aecon team members.