Project Director - Major Projects

Forbes Bros. Group of Companies; Calgary; Hybrid; CAD 150,000 - 230,000; Full time

Job summary

Forbes Bros. Group of Companies in Canada seeks an experienced Project Director to lead complex utility infrastructure programs across North America. You will oversee multi-site construction, manage risks, and ensure on-time delivery on high-value projects.

The role requires senior leadership, strong financial oversight, stakeholder engagement, and travel across Canada and the U.S. to drive project execution while upholding safety and QA/QC standards.

Qualifications

• Degree in Construction Management, Engineering, or related field.
• 18–20+ years of progressive project delivery experience with senior leadership responsibilities.
• Proven ability to lead complex, high-value construction projects with multiple stakeholders and regions.
• Deep knowledge of commercial contract strategy, financial management, and large-scale project execution.
• Strong understanding of construction safety, QA/QC systems, and schedule management.
• Excellent executive communication, negotiation, and stakeholder relationship skills.
• Willingness to travel extensively across Canada and the U.S. for project execution.
• MBA, PMP, or PgMP designation is an asset.

Responsibilities

• Direct the execution of large-scale utility infrastructure projects, often exceeding $500 million, ensuring alignment with schedules, budgets, and delivery objectives.
• Provide executive oversight of multi-site and cross-border construction activities, including workforce planning and logistics.
• Maintain full P&L accountability, forecast margins, and lead contract negotiations and change management.
• Resolve engineering, procurement, and construction challenges while managing regulatory, permitting, and JV commitments.
• Build and maintain strategic relationships with clients, governments, regulators, and partners to support delivery.
• Champion safety and QA/QC programs, audits, and continuous improvement across projects.
• Lead project leadership teams, establish accountability, and strengthen regional capabilities.
• Contribute to preconstruction planning, pursuits, and long-term resource forecasting.

Skills

Executive leadership

Stakeholder management

Contract negotiations

Risk management

Financial acumen

Cross-border coordination

Education

Bachelor's degree in Construction Management or Engineering

Job description

About Us

Forbes Bros. Group of Companies is a leading utility infrastructure contractor helping power communities across Canada and the United States. Built on family roots, we value safety, hard work, and getting the job done right for our clients. We offer competitive compensation, comprehensive benefits, and opportunities to build your skills and grow your career.

• Work arrangement: Hybrid, with required travel to project sites and attendance at the Edmonton office.
• Employment type: Full-time, permanent.
• Schedule: Monday through Friday, with project-specific rotations assigned once onsite.
• Travel: Extensive travel to project locations across Canada and the United States is required, including time away from home to support project execution and stakeholder engagement.

About Us

Forbes Bros. Group of Companies is a leading utility infrastructure contractor helping power communities across Canada and the United States. Built on family roots, we value safety, hard work, and getting the job done right for our clients. We offer competitive compensation, comprehensive benefits, and opportunities to build your skills and grow your career.

Role Details

• Location: Canada.
• Work arrangement: Hybrid, with required travel to project sites and attendance at the Edmonton office.
• Employment type: Full-time, permanent.
• Schedule: Monday through Friday, with project-specific rotations assigned once onsite.
• Travel: Extensive travel to project locations across Canada and the United States is required, including time away from home to support project execution and stakeholder engagement.

The Opportunity

Forbes Bros. Group of Companies is seeking an experienced Project Director to lead the successful delivery of complex, high-value utility infrastructure projects across North America. In this senior leadership role, you will oversee major construction programs, including transmission infrastructure, substations, and large-scale capital projects, with full accountability for operational execution, commercial performance, and stakeholder relationships. This opportunity is well-suited for an established construction leader with extensive experience managing high-risk, multi-site projects. You will play a key role in strengthening project leadership teams, building strategic partnerships, and contributing to the long-term success of our utility construction operations.

Key Elements of the Role

• Direct the execution of large-scale utility infrastructure projects, often exceeding $500 million, ensuring alignment with project schedules, budgets, contractual obligations, and delivery objectives.
• Provide executive oversight of multi-site and cross-border construction activities, including workforce planning, field logistics, resource allocation, and construction sequencing.
• Maintain full profit and loss (P&L) accountability, oversee financial forecasting and margin protection, and lead contract negotiations, change management, claims resolution, and commercial risk mitigation.
• Resolve critical engineering, procurement, and construction challenges while overseeing regulatory requirements, permitting, joint venture commitments, and Indigenous engagement.
• Build and maintain strategic relationships with clients, Indigenous governments, regulatory authorities, industry associations, and business partners to support successful project delivery.
• Champion safety and quality across projects, ensuring consistent implementation of safety and quality assurance/quality control (QA/QC) programs, compliance reviews, audits, and continuous operational improvement.
• Build, lead, and mentor project leadership teams, establish accountability, support succession planning, and strengthen workforce capabilities across regional operations.
• Contribute to preconstruction planning, project pursuits, long-term resource forecasting, and strategic initiatives that strengthen organizational capabilities and national project delivery readiness.

What You’ll Bring

• A degree in Construction Management, Engineering, or a related field.
• 18–20+ years of progressive project delivery experience within utility infrastructure, heavy industrial, or large-scale construction environments, including senior leadership responsibilities.
• Demonstrated success leading complex, high-value construction projects involving multiple stakeholders, geographic regions, and significant operational and commercial risks.
• Extensive knowledge of commercial contract strategy, financial management, joint venture delivery, regulatory engagement, construction logistics, and large-scale project execution.
• Advanced understanding of construction safety, QA/QC systems, schedule management, productivity optimization, and project risk mitigation.
• Proven ability to build and lead senior project teams, manage competing priorities, and make sound decisions in complex construction environments.
• Strong executive-level communication, negotiation, leadership, and stakeholder relationship management skills, with the ability to influence clients, strategic partners, and internal leadership.
• Ability and willingness to travel extensively across Canada and the United States to support project execution, operational leadership, and stakeholder engagement.
• An MBA, Project Management Professional (PMP), or Program Management Professional (PgMP) designation is considered an asset.

Equal Opportunity & Recruitment

Forbes Bros. Group of Companies and its affiliated entities are equal opportunity employers committed to a respectful and accessible recruitment process. We make employment decisions based on job-related qualifications and do not discriminate on the basis of race, colour, ancestry, national or ethnic origin, citizenship, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, disability, marital or family status, genetic information, military or veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. Applicants must currently be legally authorized to work in the country where the position is located and must maintain valid work authorization throughout their employment. Employment is subject to the requirements of the applicable role, location, project, and employing entity. Depending on the position, this may include verification of work authorization, background screening, review of driving records or driver’s abstracts, drug and alcohol screening, credential verification, client or site-access requirements, and other pre-employment conditions permitted by applicable law. Accommodations are available throughout the recruitment process in accordance with applicable law. Applicants who require accommodation are encouraged to contact the recruitment team so we can discuss their needs and arrange appropriate support.