Head, Property

Fonction publique de l'Ontario; Toronto; On-site; CAD 120,000 - 170,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Defined-benefit pension

Competitive pay

Benefits package for well-being

Job summary

Ontario Public Service seeks a Head of Property to lead strategic planning, acquisition, and management of property for provincial highways, focusing on Highway 413. You will guide appraisals, negotiations, and settlements, and manage day-to-day team activity to meet property service requirements.

You will oversee external consultants, coordinate with Indigenous communities and municipalities, and ensure budget alignment for major infrastructure delivery.

Qualifications

• Strong leadership experience directing property acquisition and real estate services.
• Knowledge of government real estate policy and Acts governing acquisitions.
• Experience managing budgets and external service providers.

Responsibilities

• Lead delivery of a real estate services program supporting capital construction.
• Oversee appraisals, acquisition, land management, leasing and conveyancing.
• Manage business loss claim settlements and external consultants.
• Foster relationships with municipalities, Indigenous communities, and partners.
• Advise on budget, resources, and risk for program delivery.

Skills

Strategic Leadership

Real Estate Management

Negotiations

Budget & Finance

Stakeholder Engagement

Team Management

Policy & Legislation

Project Delivery

Job description

Apply By: Friday, September 18, 2026 11:59 pm EDT

Are you an innovative leader with a passion for real estate and a proven track record in property acquisition? Are you ready to step into a dynamic leadership role and make a meaningful impact on Ontario's highway network? If so, consider this opportunity to join a team of experts within the Major Highway Projects Division.

As the Head of Property, you will lead the strategic planning, acquisition, and management of property needed for the construction and maintenance of provincial highways, with primary focus on Highway 413. This includes overseeing and providing guidance on appraisals, negotiations, compensation settlements, coordinating the removal of buildings or other obstacles, and supporting the disposal of surplus lands within the Highway 413 corridor. You will oversee and coordinate the day-to-day activities of the team, ensuring property acquisition requirements are met through effective planning, stakeholder engagement and delivery of property services in support of the Highway 413.

Please Note: This position may require occasional travel to sites throughout the region.

The Ontario Public Service: Strengthening Ontario, together.

A career in the Ontario Public Service (OPS) is driven by purpose. We're building a stronger Ontario by delivering programs and services that make a real difference in people's lives. If you share this ambition, you'll find a workplace that reflects the diversity of the people we serve and empowers you to lead with confidence.

Why Your Leadership Belongs Here

• Purpose that drives you: Lead work that matters. Your leadership will shape policies, programs, and services that improve lives across the province - every day.
• A culture that supports you: Thrive in a flexible, inclusive, and respectful workplace that values your well-being and empowers you to bring your whole self to work.
• A career that grows with you: Explore leadership opportunities across ministries and sectors. With access to mentorship, learning, and mobility, your career can evolve here.
• Recognition that reflects your impact: We value the difference you make. You'll receive competitive pay, a defined-benefit pension, and benefits that support your well-being - plus meaningful recognition for your contributions.

About the job

We hold our leaders to high standards because we believe in their potential to drive meaningful change. In the Ontario Public Service, leadership means showing up with authenticity, acting with integrity, and having the courage to do what's right—even when it's hard.

As a leader, you'll be expected to create a team culture that encourages innovation, supports collaboration, and champions inclusion. You'll help build a diverse, anti-racist, and accessible workplace where everyone feels safe, respected, and able to thrive.

Leadership is about impact—and in these roles, you'll have the opportunity to make a meaningful one. You will:

• Manage the delivery of a real estate services program, including property appraisal, acquisition, land management, sales, leasing, and legal conveyancing, to support capital construction for ministry programs.
• Lead the review and settlement of business loss claims related to ministry property acquisitions.
• Lead the acquisition and management of external consultants and contract staff.
• Manage relationships with key partners, including consultants, contractors, other ministry offices, regulatory agencies, municipalities, and Indigenous communities.
• Identify financial, material, and human resource needs, and manage the operational, program, project, or activity budget.
• Respond to emergency situations affecting real estate assets, collaborate with other offices and units, and determine effective solutions.

Meet Your New Team

The Major Highway Projects Division provides end-to-end delivery of major infrastructure projects through a variety of contract delivery models and partnerships, working closely with delivery partners within the Ministry of Transportation (MTO), across the Ontario Public Service (OPS), with agencies, industry partners, municipalities, and First Nations communities. Major infrastructure projects include Highway 413, the Bradford Bypass, the Garden City Skyway twinning, Ring of Fire roads, and Highway 401 tunnelling, among others.

Why Join Us

• Lead a high-performing property team supporting the delivery of some of Ontario's largest and most transformative transportation infrastructure projects.
• Make a province-wide impact by guiding complex property acquisitions, compensation settlements, land management activities, and relationship-building with municipalities, Indigenous communities, landowners, and industry partners.
• Join a collaborative and forward-thinking division that works across government and with external partners to help shape Ontario's transportation future.

What you bring to the team

Leadership Experience

• Inclusive Leadership: Promotes inclusion and diversity, fostering a respectful and supportive work environment.
• People Management: Leads teams by clearly communicating expectations and priorities, with experience in hiring, training, and applying workplace policies.
• Team Guidance & Risk Awareness: Guides staff across different areas of work, ensuring key issues are addressed and risks are identified and managed.

Technical Expertise

• Real Estate & Market Context: Possess knowledge and the ability to apply principles related to real estate market conditions, environmental issues, and processes related to property acquisition, sale, and leasing.
• Legislation & Policy: Demonstrated ability to apply legislation and policy governing real estate activities, including the Expropriations Act, Public Lands Act, Highway Traffic Act, and Occupational Health and Safety Act.
• Settlements & Case Insight: Knowledge of case law, past practices, and industry trends from negotiations, mediations, the Ontario Land Tribunal, and legal counsel to inform recommendations and approve settlements.
• Technical Direction: Competently able to guide staff on appraisals, land management, expropriation, negotiations, and conveyancing, and review and approve reports, legal documents, and briefing notes.

Analytical and Project Management Skills

• Analysis & Advice: Able to apply your knowledge of economic analysis and research information to advise senior management on property acquisitions, compensation, business loss, construction impacts, costs, and options.
• Issue Interpretation: Assesses technical, legal, and policy issues to interpret legislation, standards, and tribunal or court decisions related to real estate and claim valuation.
• Financial Management: Manages budgets, assets, and external service providers using government and ministry financial and administrative processes.
• Project Delivery: Plans and delivers program commitments, initiatives, and goals using project management principles and methods.

Communications and Relationship Management

• Relationship Management: Builds and manages effective relationships, negotiate outcomes, and communicate clearly with partners and their legal representatives.
• Senior & External Communication: Communicates effectively with senior provincial and municipal elected officials, as well as Indigenous communities.
• Relationship Building: Develops and maintains strong working relationships across the organization and with external partners through consultation and negotiation.

Don't meet every qualification?

If you are excited about this position and meet most, but not all, of the listed qualifications, please still consider applying. We recognize that no one person might have every qualification in this job ad, and you just might be the right candidate!

Think this role could be right for you?

We're here to support you every step of the way. These short videos can help you feel confident and prepared:

• Navigating Our Hiring Process – Get a clear overview of each stage in our structured hiring process so you know what to expect and how to prepare.
• Application Preparation Tips – Learn how to showcase your leadership experience in ways that align with how we evaluate applications during the screening stage.

Take a few minutes to explore these resources. They're designed to set you up for success.

How we support diversity, inclusion and accessibility

We are building an inclusive workforce that reflects the communities we serve. We encourage everyone interested in working with us to apply, including people with disabilities, Indigenous, Black and racialized individuals, as well as people from all ethnicities, cultures, sexual orientations, gender identities and gender expressions.

Our hiring process is accessible, consistent with Ontario's Human Rights Code and the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005. We are working to prevent and remove barriers in our hiring processes and can offer accommodation to address specific needs related to Code-protected grounds such as disability, family status and religion. For more information about accommodation during the hiring process please contact us.

Learn more about the work the OPS is doing to create an inclusive, anti-racist, accessible and diverse workplace:

• diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives
• accessibility
• Anti-Racism Policy

• 1 English Permanent, 159 Sir William Hearst Ave, Toronto, Toronto Region

Language requirements and assessment: All external Ontario Public Service (OPS) job ads are posted in English and French. Check the "position(s) language" section at the top of each job ad for the language requirements. For all roles, candidates are assessed in English, the business language of the OPS. If the position is bilingual (English/French), you'll also need to pass a French-language proficiency test.