Manager, Client Services

gems; Vaughan; On-site; CAD 95,000 - 135,000; Full time

Job summary

GEMS is seeking a Manager, Client Services to lead client relationships and project delivery across an environmental portfolio. You will coach Project Managers, drive on-time, on-scope results, and manage scope intake, change orders, and invoicing to ensure profitability.

The role requires strong leadership, hands-on delivery across multiple lines of business, and comfort with commercial discussions with clients.

Qualifications

• 5-8+ years running environmental or infrastructure projects end-to-end including scope, budget, schedule and delivery.
• 3-5+ years of direct people management experience, supervising Project Managers or senior technical staff.
• Ownership of project margins with budget-to-actual tracking and profitability discussions.
• Experience managing change orders and client scope negotiations.
• AR ownership experience and understanding of invoicing cadence and aging.
• Comfortable in commercial conversations with clients without Sales mediation.
• Hands-on delivery across GEMS core lines: ECA/Aquatech, Groundwater & Dewatering, Excess Soils, Air Quality, Hazardous Materials, Settlement Monitoring.

Responsibilities

• Lead client relationships and portfolio-level conversations with clients and Directors.
• Coach and supervise Project Managers to meet KPIs and maintain safety, schedule, and budget.
• Oversee scope intake, change orders, and ensure budget and POs match scope.
• Own day-to-day people management, conduct monthly 1-on-1s, and escalate policy exceptions.
• Monitor portfolio margins, AR payment timeliness, and invoicing quality.
• Ensure high-quality deliverables and client satisfaction on all projects.

Skills

Project management

People management

Budgeting & profitability

AR management / invoicing

Client relationship management

Change orders

Contract review

Coaching / 1-on-1s

Team leadership

Communication with clients

Education

PMP designation

Job description

The Manager, Client Services is responsible for leading client relationships, project delivery, and team performance across an assigned portfolio of environmental projects. This role serves as the primary point of contact for portfolio-level client relationships, ensuring a high level of customer service while partnering with the Director of Client Services to develop account strategies for key and repeat clients.

The Manager provides day-to-day leadership, coaching, and accountability for Project Managers, ensuring projects are delivered safely, efficiently, on time, within scope, and in alignment with GEMS’ core values. The role also oversees scope intake and handoffs, change order management, project financial performance, invoicing, accounts receivable, and client satisfaction, while maintaining appropriate oversight of high-risk projects and supporting the team in resolving delivery challenges. Success in this role is measured through portfolio profitability, timely AR and invoicing, client satisfaction, team performance, adherence to core values, and effective people leadership.

Client Relationship Ownership

• Ensure there is a positive client relationship through all clients within the portfolio, increasingly for clients with multiple awarded projects within the Manager’s segment
• Serve as the primary point of contact for portfolio-level conversations with clients
• Coordinate with the Director of Client Services on account planning for key repeat clients and action plans

Team Leadership & Coaching

• Oversee, mentor, and coach subordinate project managers through managing projects, achieving KPIs, and with mindset
• Set expectations and track results through monthly 1-on-1 meetings with each direct report
• Evaluate effectiveness of communication between PMs and PCs / Technicians

People Management & Team Performance

• Approve time off requests for direct reports and ensure team capacity to continue executing on portfolio
• Own day-to-day people management for the team; elevate policy exceptions to the Director of Client Services
• Set clear expectation that are in line with the direction of Director CS and own accountability on team’s project margins, AR payment timeliness, positive client feedback, optimization of invoicing, and upholding all GEMS core values across the team

Scope Intake & Handoff

• Receive scope, RFPs, and work requests from Sales Team
• Clarify contract scope, fees, and terms as well as client signature before execution
• Own change order conversations on projects; review with Director of Client Services before submission
• Ensure POs cover requested work and ensure budget updated prior to work on any scope

Project Delivery

• Decide on which scopes to self-perform and which to hand off to subordinates to run.
• Run own projects beginning to end
• Step in to support PM-led projects as needed
• Own client-facing commitments and deadlines on own projects
• Monitor customer service and delivery on subordinate projects
• Review major deliverables before release on high-risk projects, whether own or PM-led
• Flag financial risk early, ie. slow pay, disputed invoices, scope-fee mismatch

KPIs

• Portfolio margins
• Portfolio AR on-time payment
• Portfolio client satisfaction / feedback
• Portfolio on-time invoicing
• Core values adherence, team and individual
• Monthly 1-on-1 completion rate with direct reports

Hiring Requirements (Skills, Abilities, Traits, Characteristics, Experience, Education & Accomplishments)

• 5 - 8+ years running environmental or infrastructure consulting projects end-to-end including establishing project scope, budget, schedule, and delivery
• 3 - 5+ years of direct people management experience, ideally supervising Project Managers or similarly senior technical staff
• PMP designation preferred, not required — equivalent demonstrated project management experience will be considered in lieu of certification
• Demonstrated ownership of project margins, not just technical delivery. Experience with budget-to-actual tracking, WIP, and profitability conversations
• Experience managing change orders and scope negotiations with clients, including pushing back on scope creep
• AR ownership experience — has chased payment, understands invoicing cadence and aging, and can speak to the cash-flow impact of a slow-pay client
• Comfortable in commercial conversations with clients — rates, terms, contract review — without needing every interaction brokered by Sales
• Hands-on delivery experience across GEMS’ core business lines — ECA / Aquatech, Groundwater & Dewatering, Excess Soils, Air Quality, Hazardous Materials, and Settlement Monitoring
• Working familiarity with Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks and Environmental Activity and Sector Registry regulatory workflows, or a clear ability to ramp quickly given the client-facing accountability of the role
• Comfortable reviewing and approving technical deliverables and scope without needing SME-level depth in every discipline — judgment over technical mastery
• Prior experience serving general contractors in the infrastructure sector is a strong asset, particularly with demanding, high-volume accounts similar to Aquatech
• Prior experience directly supervising a team of Project Managers or similar technical staff
• Track record running structured 1-on-1s that translate into real coaching, not just status updates
• Experience with HR-adjacent duties — approving time off, performance conversations, balancing workload and capacity across a team.
  

This is a new position within the organization.

GEMS is committed to providing an inclusive, accessible, and barrier-free recruitment process. If you require accommodation at any stage of the recruitment process, please let us know and we will work with you to meet your accessibility needs.