Manager, Thunder Bay Office

J.L. Richards & Associates Limited; Northwestern Ontario; On-site; CAD 120,000 - 170,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health & dental benefits

RRSP matching

Parental leave top-up

Share ownership

Merit bonus program

Annual salary reviews

Job summary

J.L. Richards & Associates Limited seeks a proven leader to establish and grow our Thunder Bay office and Northwestern Ontario presence. You’ll shape strategy, build a local team, and cultivate strong relationships with clients, communities, and partners to deliver lasting impact.

You’ll drive talent development, mentorship, and a culture of excellence while navigating a dynamic landscape and ensuring high-quality solutions across multidisciplinary projects.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of professional and leadership experience.
• Strong communication and relationship-building skills.
• Proven ability to establish and grow a new regional presence.

Responsibilities

• Act as ambassador for JLR in Northwestern Ontario and lead Thunder Bay office strategy.
• Build relationships with municipalities, Indigenous communities and local partners.
• Develop talent, mentor staff and foster an engaging organizational culture.
• Drive cross-disciplinary collaboration and ensure consistent project delivery across markets.
• Lead client engagement, risk management, and high-quality solutions delivery.

Skills

Leadership

Strategy & Growth

Relationship Building

Mentoring

Job description

Help Shape the Future of JLR in Northwestern Ontario

JLR is looking for a proven leader to establish and grow our presence in Thunder Bay and Northwestern Ontario. This is more than an office leadership role; it’s an opportunity to strengthen communities, build relationships, develop talent, and create a lasting legacy in one of Canada’s most dynamic regions. We’re seeking an experienced professional with deep local connections, a passion for people, and the vision, persistence, and business acumen needed to grow a thriving office and team for the long term.

We’re looking for someone who displays:

• Both visionary and practical leadership: as JLR’s first employee based in Thunder Bay, you’ll play a defining role in establishing our presence, growing our local team, and building long-term relationships throughout Northwestern Ontario. Your vision will help shape JLR’s future in the area, and you’ll turn that vision into action through strong relationships, local engagement, and office growth.
• An entrepreneurial mindset: you’re someone who’s comfortable building something new, creating momentum where none exists, and navigating ambiguity with confidence and persistence. You’ve got initiative, resilience, and a willingness to roll up your sleeves to establish a successful and sustainable presence in Northwestern Ontario.
• Relationship-driven business development: you’ve already built trusted relationships with clients, communities, partners, and industry stakeholders, and you’ll develop opportunities that support sustainable growth. You’ll help strengthen JLR’s profile through community involvement and professional networks.
• Leadership in talent & culture: you’ll help attract, develop, and retain exceptional people while fostering a positive and engaging culture. You’ll connect local employees to the broader organization and lead through mentorship, collaboration, and people-focused leadership.
• Trusted professionalism: you’ll bring at least 10 years of professional and leadership experience, sound judgment, and strong communication skills to the team. Your understanding of client needs, effective risk management, practical delivery, and high-quality solutions will enhance JLR’s reputation.

You’ll be supported by a Platinum Club member of Canada’s Best Managed Companies program, 100% employee-owned firm that has a long-established reputation for quality services in multiple sectors, while you take on existing clients, develop new relationships, and deliver world-class, innovative solutions that support community building and growth in our cities.

JLR is a creative, tight-knit, and mentorship-focused community with unique opportunities for driven people with tenacity and spirit. Our organization is made up of diverse employee owners with specialized expertise in a wide range of disciplines. Joining the JLR team means joining a dynamic group of innovative architecture, engineering, and planning professionals and support staff. If you’re innovative and collaborative, thrive when presented with new challenges, and are eager to take your career in new directions, then JLR is the right environment for you.

Your Role as Manager, Thunder Bay office:

Let’s talk about how your skills, experience, goals, and passions can find a home at JLR. As the Manager, Thunder Bay office, your role will include:

Leadership and Management Aspects:

• Acting as JLR’s ambassador in Northwestern Ontario, building, developing, and supporting our presence in Thunder Bay, and providing input and leadership on office strategy and direction.
• Building relationships with municipalities, Indigenous communities, private-sector clients, and local partners and identifying opportunities to expand JLR’s services and presence in the region.
• Assisting in the implementation of strategies to allow for consistent delivery across projects and markets.
• Providing daily guidance to your growing Thunder Bay team in close collaboration with our Discipline and Market Directors.
• Coaching employees, including both formal and informal training and mentoring and guiding a program of local wellness and employee engagement initiatives.
• Assisting in ensuring back-up and succession by monitoring the ongoing development of staff members’ abilities and scope of expertise.
• As a member of the leadership of the organization, working collaboratively with other stakeholders to ensure positive outcomes for the entire organization.

Technical Aspects:

• Engaging through all project stages, from definition, through planning, design, and construction using your demonstrated abilities to recognize opportunities, understand client needs and manage and deliver projects.
• Ensuring fluid communication between the various internal and external stakeholders involved in each project.
• Participating in the preparation of proposals and budget estimates.
• Coordinating with other engineering disciplines, architects, and planners on multidisciplinary projects.

Why Join Us?

We live, work, breathe, sleep, and thrive in the communities we build. We love northern Ontario and the glorious bounty of the natural world and we’re proud of our reputation and longevity in the National Capital and Kingston regions. Furthermore, we’re growing our presence in southwestern Ontario and all along the Great Lakes of Ontario. Now, our newest adventure has brought us to beautiful Thunder Bay.

We foster a friendly, welcoming, and team-oriented atmosphere that encourages innovation and collaboration. We have an established depth of technical and support resources that can efficiently and effectively deliver small and large multidisciplinary projects. We provide flexible career direction with opportunities to choose your own path and interesting and exciting assignments ranging in size and type.

• Share ownership opportunities at all levels
• Merit and profit bonus program
• Competitive salaries reviewed annually

Work-life Balance and Employee Wellness

• Immediate health and dental benefits
• RRSP/DPSP matching program
• Parental leave top-up program
• Fun Funds to plan extracurricular social events

Community Engagement and Social Responsibility

JLR welcomes and encourages applications from people with disabilities. Accommodations are available on request for candidates taking part in all aspects of the selection process.

At JLR, each of us contributes to inclusion and we all have a role to play. Our culture is the result of our behaviours, our personal commitment, our curiosity, how we collaborate, and the ways that we courageously share our perspectives and encourage others to do the same. In turn, our environment inspires us to try new things, speak openly, and be bold. It brings us together in ways that help us stand out. Our inclusive culture empowers all of us to connect, belong, and grow. Learn more about our commitment to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.

Ottawa, Kingston, Sudbury, Timmins, North Bay, Guelph, London