Senior Architect – Rail & Transit Facilities

Parsons; Toronto; On-site; CAD 85,000 - 135,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health benefits

Vision insurance

Dental coverage

Pension (DC)

TFSA

RRSP

Life insurance

Paid time off

Sick leave

Holidays off

Gym membership discounts

Job summary

Parsons in Canada is seeking an experienced Senior Architect for Rail & Transit facilities. You will lead design across stations, depots, and maintenance facilities, coordinating with civil, structural, MEP, and rail teams to meet safety, accessibility, and resilience goals.

The role demands leadership in design delivery, BIM strategy, and pursuit support, with a track record in complex public infrastructure programs. A Canadian licensure and CACB education are required.

Qualifications

• CACB-accredited professional degree or equivalent
• Registered Architect with a Canadian provincial association
• 20+ years of transit/transportation facilities experience
• Proven leadership coordinating with multi-disciplinary teams
• Strong knowledge of Canadian Building Codes and life-safety principles
• Experience with alternative delivery models (DB, P3, Alliance/CM) and procurement
• Business development experience supporting pursuits (proposals, interviews)

Responsibilities

• Lead all phases of transit facility projects from planning to construction support.
• Architectural lead and/or project management for complex facilities.
• Coordinate designs with civil, structural, MEP, and railway teams.
• Ensure design reflects passenger experience, accessibility, safety, and resilience.
• Lead workshops, design reviews, and stakeholder engagements.
• Support pursuits with technical leadership and schedules.

Skills

Architectural leadership

BIM coordination

Project management

Multi-disciplinary collaboration

Education

CACB-accredited degree

Registered Architect (Canada)

Tools

Revit

AutoCAD

Navisworks

SketchUp

MicroStation

Job description

In a world of possibilities, pursue one with endless opportunities. Imagine Next!At Parsons, you can imagine a career where you thrive, work with exceptional people, and be yourself. Guided by our leadership vision of valuing people, embracing agility, and fostering growth, we cultivate an innovative culture that empowers you to achieve your full potential. Unleash your talent and redefine what’s possible.

Job Description:

Senior Architect – Rail & Transit Facilities

Parsons is seeking an experienced Architect to support and grow our Canada Rail & Transit business. This role is ideal for a senior architect with deep expertise in station design, maintenance and storage facilities, rail and bus depots, and zero-emission bus (ZEB) facilities, along with proven leadership in project delivery and pursuit support.

Our Rail & Transit portfolio across Canada includes new station design, station upgrades, rail depot design, bus depot design, and related systems/infrastructure integration. In addition to leading the execution of active projects, you will help expand our facilities practice by supporting pursuits and working closely with multi-disciplinary teams to deliver excellence for our clients.

Key Responsibilities

Project & Design Leadership

• Lead all phases of transit facility projects (planning/feasibility, concept, schematic, detailed design, and construction support) ensuring delivery meets scope, schedule, budget, and quality expectations.
• Serve as Architectural Lead and/or Project Manager for complex transit facilities and coordinating architectural designs with civil, structural, MEP, systems, rail, operations, safety, and sustainability requirements.
• Ensure design reflects transit operating needs, maintainability, passenger experience, safety/security, accessibility, and resilience.

Client Leadership & Stakeholder Management

• Act as a primary point of contact for clients and stakeholders, maintaining trusted relationships and responding effectively to feedback.
• Lead and participate in workshops, design reviews, value engineering, and stakeholder engagement activities (owners, operators, municipalities, Indigenous communities where applicable, constructors, and third parties).

Business Development & Market Growth

• Identify, qualify, and support pursuits across Canada including:

• • Maintenance & Storage Facilities
  • Zero-Emission Bus Facilities (charging infrastructure integration and facility impacts)
  • Transit Stations and Station Upgrades

• Contribute to proposals, interviews, technical approaches, schedules, resourcing plans, and fee development in coordination with Parsons leadership.

Quality, Standards & Digital Delivery

• Champion design quality management and best practices, ensuring deliverables meet Parsons and client standards, applicable Codes, and authority requirements.
• Lead BIM strategy and execution (model-based coordination, clash detection, workflows, and BIM execution planning).

Team Leadership

• Help build, mentor, and develop high-performing teams.
• Provide technical direction, coaching, and review of deliverables.
• Support hiring, resourcing, and capability development to help grow Parsons’ transit facilities architecture practice in Canada.

Required Qualifications

• Professionally degree in Architecture accredited by the Canadian Architectural Certification Board (CACB) or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Registered Architect with a Canadian provincial association (e.g., the OAA, AAA, AIBC, MAA, etc.).
• 20+ years of progressively responsible experience delivering transit/transportation facilities such as stations, depots, maintenance facilities, operations buildings, and/or intermodal facilities.
• Demonstrated leadership coordinating with multi-disciplinary teams to deliver projects from feasibility/concept design and throughout the various phases of detailed design and construction support/contract administration.
• Strong knowledge of Canadian Building Codes, accessibility requirements, and life-safety principles as applied to complex public/infrastructure facilities.
• Proven experience with alternative delivery models (e.g., Design-Build, P3, Alliance/CM) including architect responsibilities during procurement and construction.
• Business development experience supporting pursuits (proposal writing, technical leadership, interviews, and client strategy).

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with ZEB facilities, charging infrastructure interface impacts, and facility planning for electrification.
• Strong proficiency in BIM and design tools such as Revit, AutoCAD, Navisworks, and related coordination tools and workflows. Familiarity with SketchUp and MicroStation is an asset.
• Experience developing BIM Execution Plans, digital QA/QC processes, and model-based coordination practices across disciplines.
• Familiarity with transit agency standards and stakeholder approvals typical for large public infrastructure programs/projects

This position is part of our Critical Infrastructure team.

For more than 80 years, our experts have designed and delivered the critical infrastructure that connects and protects communities around the world. We work in collaborative teams, both within the company and with our partners and customers, to plan, design, build, and modernize infrastructure. We take special pride in projects and solutions that improve communities as well as people’s quality of life by promoting economic growth, enhancing mobility, and increasing sustainability and resiliency. Powered by our people, we provide the imagination necessary to support our customers’ visions—and to help them see what's next!

Salary Range: $85,000 - $135,000

We value our employees and want our employees to take care of their overall wellbeing, which is why we offer best-in-class benefits such as health, vision, dental, employer paid provincial care premiums, Defined Contribution Pension Plan (DCPP), Tax-Free Savings Account (TFSA), Registered Retirement Savings Plan (RRSP), life insurance, paid time off, sick leave, all province observed holidays off, and gym membership discounts to fit your busy lifestyle!

Parsons is an equal opportunity employer committed to diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility in the workplace. Parsons equally employs representation at all job levels for indigenous peoples, women, individuals with disabilities, and visible minorities.