Operations Director

WJ Groundwater; Toronto; On-site; CAD 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

WJ Groundwater Canada is seeking an Operations Director to lead day‑to‑day operational delivery across dewatering, water treatment, bypass pumping, and yard functions. The role emphasizes cross‑divisional integration, capacity planning, and scalable processes to support an expanding pipeline of construction water‑management projects.

The position requires 10+ years in operations leadership within construction or related services, strong safety knowledge, and the ability to travel regularly

Qualifications

• Progressive operations leadership experience in construction, drilling, or related industrial services.
• Strong understanding of safety standards and OHSA requirements.
• Proven ability to manage schedules, budgets, crews, and equipment across multiple sites.

Responsibilities

• Lead day‑to‑day operational delivery across dewatering, water treatment, bypass pumping, and yard functions.
• Strengthen cross‑divisional integration and optimize capacity planning.
• Oversee equipment deployment, maintenance, and lifecycle management.
• Establish industry-leading standards for equipment preparation and deployment.
• Drive continuous improvement to enhance reliability, efficiency, and customer service.
• Maintain safety culture and ensure compliance with Ontario requirements.
• Develop and mentor senior operational leaders and scalable processes.

Skills

Operations leadership

Project management

Safety compliance

Budgeting & cost control

Multi-site coordination

Stakeholder communication

Travel readiness

Job description

WJ Groundwater Canada is a leading construction water management and groundwater specialist, delivering custom dewatering, water treatment, and bypass pumping solutions for infrastructure, heavy civil, and development projects across Canada.

We are entering an exciting phase of growth and are seeking an Operations Director to develop our Canadian operations. This is a senior leadership opportunity to build scalable processes while maintaining the practical, technical, safety-first delivery culture that has driven our success.

The Opportunity

As Operations Director, the primary responsibility is to lead day-to-day operational delivery across our dewatering, water treatment, bypass pumping, and yard functions. Key targets will be to strengthen integration across divisions, oversee how we plan and deploy people and equipment, and ensure our operations are ready to support an expanding pipeline of construction water-management projects. You will help improve the processes, capacity planning, yard operations, and cross-functional coordination required for a larger, more complex business—while continuing to deliver safely, reliably, and profitably.

Primary Responsibilities.

• Lead operational planning, sequencing, resourcing, and delivery across multiple active projects and service divisions.
• Build closer collaboration between dewatering, water treatment, bypass pumping, and plant and equipment teams.
• Ensure crews, equipment, maintenance, and yard capacity are aligned with project schedules and client requirements.
• Own and lead the strategic planning, lifecycle management, and deployment of key capital assets, including drilling, pumping, treatment, and electrical equipment.
• Establish industry-leading standards for equipment preparation, branding, and deployment.
• Drive equipment standardisation and continuous improvement to enhance compliance, reliability, usability, operational efficiency, and customer service outcomes.
• Improve operational visibility through practical KPIs, reporting, and regular performance reviews.
• Act as the senior escalation point for site issues, resource conflicts, client concerns, and operational risks.
• Drive a strong health and safety culture across sites and yard operations, including compliance with applicable Ontario and provincial requirements.
• Lead and develop senior operational, divisional, and plant/equipment leaders.
• Identify capacity, hiring, process, and systems improvements needed to support sustainable growth.
• Support operational integration and continuous improvement as the business expands.

What we are looking for

• 10+ years of progressive operations leadership in construction, drilling, dewatering, utilities, heavy civil, industrial services, or a related field.
• Strong understanding of construction-site operations, water management, pumping systems, or related technical services.
• Proven ability to manage schedules, budgets, crews, equipment, and multi-site resource plans.
• Experience leading operational leaders and building scalable processes in a growth environment.
• Practical knowledge of Ontario occupational health and safety legislation and construction safety best practices, including the OHSA and O. Reg. 213/91.
• Strong communication skills, with the ability to engage credibly with field teams, clients, senior leadership, and external stakeholders.
• Comfortable working from a yard-based operations environment and travelling regularly to project sites.
• Valid Class G driver’s licence and a clean driving record. Regular travel between the head office in North York, our construction yard in Peterborough and sites across Toronto will be required.
• Current WHMIS, First Aid/CPR, and Working at Heights training, or willingness to obtain them within 90 days.

Assets

• Experience integrating service lines or business units.
• Familiarity with COR 2020 and ISO 45001, 9001, or 14001 management systems.
• Experience in a multi-region or international operating environment.

Why join WJ

You will join an established specialist contractor with a strong technical reputation, a growing Canadian platform, and a leadership team committed to developing people. We offer meaningful autonomy, a visible impact on the business, and the opportunity to shape how a high-performing operations organization scales.

Accessibility & Accommodation

WJ Groundwater is committed to providing an inclusive and accessible recruitment process. We welcome applications from all qualified candidates, including persons with disabilities. Accommodation is available upon request throughout the recruitment and selection process.

All applications are reviewed by our hiring team. AI is not used in the screening or selection process.