Electrical Project Designer / Project Engineer

Smith + Andersen; Ottawa; On-site; CAD 85,000 - 125,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible hours and half day Fridays

Comprehensive Group Health Benefits

Group Retirement Savings Plan

Employee Share Ownership Program (ESOP

Transit Subsidy Program

Community and social events

Job summary

Smith + Andersen in Ottawa seeks an Electrical Project Designer / Project Engineer to own discipline design and deliver technical solutions from design through construction. You will lead design production, coordinate across disciplines, and guide junior staff while collaborating with clients and project partners.

Join a firm with a strong emphasis on engineering excellence, sustainability, and mentorship, offering flexible hours and comprehensive benefits in a collaborative environment.

Qualifications

• Demonstrated understanding of project lifecycle, codes, and internal coordination processes.
• Clear written and verbal communication, including client-facing interactions.
• Ability to manage scope, budgets, and deadlines in complex projects.
• Experience guiding junior staff and providing technical mentorship.
• Strong organizational and time-management skills under deadlines.

Responsibilities

• Develop and implement system design concepts, calculations, equipment selections and layouts for small to moderately complex projects.
• Review constructability and deliverables for completeness and coordination; oversee junior staff work.
• Support construction administration activities: site reviews, submittals, shop drawings, RFIs, meetings; coordinate with CA team.
• Identify scope gaps and interface issues; communicate requirements across teams and AHJ.
• Manage small to moderately complex projects or portions of larger projects; track time and budget; lead meetings and document decisions.
• Mentor junior team members and promote a collaborative, high-performing environment.
• Act as a client-facing representative, translating technical concepts for non-technical audiences and managing client expectations.

Skills

Discipline design ownership

Client facing communication

Cross-disciplinary coordination

Mentoring junior staff

Time management

Budget awareness

Job description

Job Type: In Office

Salary Range: $85,000 - $125,000

Who We Are

Smith + Andersen is a trusted, Canadian engineering firm, recognized for its multi-disciplinary expertise. With more than seven hundred 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, parks, 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 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

Join Smith + Andersen as an Electrical Project Designer / Project Engineer in our Ottawa office and play a key role in designing building systems that shape how people experience the spaces where they live, work, and learn. The position offers ownership of discipline design and day-to-day technical delivery, close collaboration within integrated project teams, and exposure to projects from design through construction. The role includes leading technical work, working directly with clients and project partners, supporting construction administration and site reviews, and guiding junior team members through review and mentorship, with strong opportunities to deepen technical expertise and grow project delivery leadership within a firm committed to engineering excellence.

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™
• Canada’s Best Workplaces™ in Ontario
• Canada’s Best Workplaces™ for Professional Services
• Best Workplaces for Mental Wellness™
• Best Workplaces for Inclusion™

What You’ll Do

• Develop and implement system design concepts, calculations, equipment selections and layouts for small to moderately complex projects. Lead discipline design production and drive coordination across disciplines to deliver high-quality, compliant solutions aligned with codes, standards and firm technical expectations.
• Review constructability, technical feasibility and all deliverables to ensure they are complete, accurate and well-coordinated. Provide oversight of calculations and technical work completed by junior staff, and contribute to the preparation and refinement of specifications, schematics and technical documentation appropriate to project complexity.
• Support construction administration activities, including site reviews, submittals, shop drawings, RFIs, change documentation and participation in project meetings. Partner with the CA team and project leadership to resolve construction-phase technical issues and ensure timely, effective responses.
• Identify and address scope gaps and interface issues between disciplines early and proactively. Communicate discipline-specific requirements clearly to internal teams, consultants, contractors and Authorities Having Jurisdiction (AHJ) to support cohesive project delivery.
• Manage small to moderately complex projects, or defined portions of larger projects, under senior guidance. Track time for oneself and team members, monitor scope to support budget control and identify potential scope creep or additional services. Lead meetings, document decisions, communicate progress and escalations as required.
• Support the growth and development of junior team members through task delegation, mentoring and technical guidance. Contribute to a collaborative, inclusive and high-performing team environment.
• Act as a client-facing representative, translating technical concepts into clear, accessible guidance for non-technical audiences. Build trusted relationships by managing expectations, providing thoughtful recommendations and supporting informed decision-making. Collaborate with architects, designers, consultants, manufacturers and vendors to deliver coordinated solutions and contribute to the overall strength of client partnerships.

Who You Are:

• Advanced understanding of the project lifecycle, applicable codes and standards, TQM principles, and internal coordination processes.
• Demonstrated technical judgment and problem solving skills with the ability to manage moderately complex work.
• Clear written and verbal communication skills, including client facing communication and presentations.
• Working knowledge of project scope and budgets, with the ability to identify and communicate potential scope creep.
• Strong organizational and time-management skills, with the ability to perform effectively in deadline driven environment.

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 www.smithandandersen.com.

Accommodation

Appropriate accommodations will be provided to candidates upon request throughout the recruitment and hiring process. Successful applicants will be advised of Smith + Andersen’s accommodation policies at the time the employment offer is extended. Only qualified candidates will be contacted.

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.