Electrical Associate

Smith + Andersen; Ottawa; On-site; CAD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible hours and half day Fridays

Comprehensive health benefits with HSA

Group retirement savings plan

ESOP

Transit subsidy

Community events

Great Place to Work-Certified

Job summary

Smith + Andersen is seeking an Associate in our Ottawa office to drive project outcomes across design and implementation. You will lead teams, balance scope, schedule and budget, and liaise with clients to build trust at every stage.

You’ll collaborate with experienced leaders on technically engaging projects across Canada, growing alongside a team committed to mentorship, sustainability and quality. This role offers meaningful career growth in a collaborative environment.

Qualifications

• Strong project management experience across design and construction.
• DPM accreditation or eligibility.
• Excellent communication with clients and stakeholders.
• Ability to manage budgets, schedules and risk.

Responsibilities

• Oversee all phases of project management lifecycle from kickoff to closeout.
• Coordinate schedules, milestones and interdisciplinary dependencies.
• Lead project budgeting, billing setup and financial monitoring.
• Coach and develop project staff and maintain client relationships.

Skills

Project management

Leadership

Stakeholder communication

Budgeting

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering or related field

DPM accreditation

Tools

MS Project

Contract management software

Job description

Smith + Andersen is a trusted, Canadian engineering firm, recognized for its multi-disciplinary expertise. With more than seven hundred and fifty employees across eleven offices in five provinces, the firm delivers comprehensive solutions nationwide.

At Smith + Andersen our employees contribute to some of the most sustainable building design projects in Canada. The work we do has meaningful impact on the community by contributing to landmark projects such as hospitals, transit stations, community centres, federal and provincial government buildings and post secondary institutions.

Our values drive and define everything we do, demonstrating a deep commitment to sustainability, mentorship and quality work that spans nearly six decades in business. In addition, we are proud to have been certified as a Great Place to Work™ and selected as one of Canada’s Best Workplaces™ for the highly collaborative culture we’ve built and for empowering employees to do great work!

This Opportunity

Step into an Associate role at Smith + Andersen in our Ottawa office and grow your impact across projects, client relationships, and team leadership. You’ll take meaningful ownership of project outcomes, leading teams through delivery while balancing scope, schedule, and financial performance. Working closely with clients, you’ll apply sound professional judgement to navigate challenges, make independent decisions, and build trust at every stage.

At Smith + Andersen, you’ll be part of a collaborative team working on impactful, technically engaging projects across Canada. You’ll grow alongside experienced leaders who are invested in shaping your long‑term growth and success.

This posting is for an existing vacancy within our organization.

Why choose Smith + Andersen?

In addition to an exciting career filled with meaningful work, we offer:

• Flexible hours and half day Fridays (all year round)
• Comprehensive Group Health Benefits Program, including a Health Spending Account
• Group Retirement Savings Plan (Employer and Employee Contributions)
• Employee Share Ownership Program (ESOP)
• Purchase Time off Program
• Transit Subsidy Program
• Wide variety of community and social events
• Great Place to Work-Certified™
• Best Workplace ™ in Ontario
• Best Workplaces for Inclusion™
• Best Workplaces for Professional Services ™
• Best Workplaces for Mental Wellness ™

What You’ll Do

Project Control (Design & Implementation)

• Accountable for all phases of the project management lifecycle, including kickoff, delivery milestones, stakeholder communications, scheduling, quality, risk, staff supervision, document management and closeout.
• Oversee contract administration activities, including reviews, site activities, submittals, RFIs and change management.
• Coordinate project schedules, milestones, approvals and interdisciplinary dependencies across internal teams and external stakeholders.
• Identify, assess, and manage project risks; escalation issues and drive resolution as required.
• Serve as the Designated Project Manager (DPM) when required.
• Develop and manage project fee proposal and budgets with supervision to ensure alignment to approved scope and resourcing plans.
• Oversee project billing setup and invoicing to support accurate, timely billing and revenue collection.
• Lead scope and fee change control, including RAF preparation, internal approvals and client alignment.
• Monitor project financial performance (revenue, utilization, burn rate and forecast) and drive corrective actions through collaboration with project leadership.
• Coach, mentor and develop Project Managers and project team staff as required, through regular feedback, knowledge sharing and on-the-job support to reinforce firm standards and best practices.
• Develop performance reviews with supervision, career development planning and career progression in alignment with firm expectations.
• Support recruitment activities, including screening, interviews and candidate evaluation, in partnership with HR.

Construction Administration

• Oversee contract administration activities on assigned projects, ensuring timely issue identification, documentation and resolution.
• Establish a review cadence and delegate site activities to Project Managers and contract administration staff, as appropriate.
• Ensure timely review and coordination of submittals and RFIs and maintaining effective change control (including change orders and change directives).

Standards, Quality & Governance

• Oversee the consistent application of TQM practices including across multi-disciplinary projects to strengthen quality, consistency and client outcomes.
• Provide governance oversight for technical deliverables, including scope, cost, schedule, risk and status reporting.
• Ensure projects comply with firm standards, applicable codes, and approved scope, schedule, budget and risk controls in collaboration with Project Managers.
• Lead or actively contribute to internal committees and initiatives that advance strategic priorities by sharing insights and developing content and helping implement agreed actions.
• Research and evaluate emerging industry trends, regulations and best practices to inform firm strategy and service delivery.
• Contribute to the development and continuous improvement of firm policies, standards, tools and best practices.

Client & Business Development

• Coordinate proposal and RFP responses with Shared Services; participate in client interviews as required.
• Build and maintain high-quality client relationships, ensuring clear expectations and consistent, high‑quality delivery.
• Proactively identify growth opportunities, promote firm services and report leads to the Principal in Charge and Marketing.

Who You Are:

• Consistently demonstrates Smith + Andersen’s core qualities, values and standards.
• Successfully completes Smith + Andersen’s Designated Project Manager (DPM) accreditation.
• Recognized technical and professional leader with strong client credibility.
• Demonstrates strong ability to influence, negotiate and communicate effectively with diverse stakeholders.
• Excellent presentation skills with experience leading client meetings and facilitating decision‑making.
• Committed to delivering excellent client service while developing and supporting team members.
• Flexible, approachable and willing to commit to additional effort when required to ensure project needs are met.

About Smith + Andersen

Founded in 1965, Smith + Andersen has organically grown from an established reputation as a trusted engineering consulting firm, reaching new levels of engineering and design excellence in the mechanical, electrical, communications, security and audiovisual fields, and providing enhanced services such as lighting, building automation systems, and intelligent integrated systems design. Thanks to our client‑focused approach, we are able to apply efficient, sustainable, and reliable design and engineering solutions on the some of the most exciting projects across Canada.

For more information about Smith + Andersen, please visit our website at Smith + Andersen.

Accommodation

Appropriate accommodations will be provided to candidates upon request throughout the recruitment and hiring process. If you require accommodation during any phase of the hiring process, please advise the Human Resources Specialist with whom you are in contact.

Diversity

Smith + Andersen is committed to diversity, equity and inclusion and welcomes applications from all qualified candidates of any age, culture, subculture, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, nationality, race, ethnicity, family status, religion, mental or physical status or veteran status.

Recruitment Agencies

Smith + Andersen welcomes interest by individual applicants. For resumes or applications submitted by agencies or recruiters with which Smith + Andersen does not have an agreement in place, Smith + Andersen will not pay any referral fee. Unsolicited resumes or applications from agencies or recruiters will be deemed to have been referred without fee or other charges.

Smith + Andersen does not use artificial intelligence (AI) to screen, assess or select applicants.

Smith + Andersen is an equal opportunity employer.