Senior Director, Canada Defence — Client & Program (ESCPP)

Telesat; Ottawa; On-site; CAD 230,000 - 290,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Executive-level exposure

Job summary

Telesat seeks a Senior Director to own the DND ESCP-P program, combining deep engineering fluency with program leadership. You will steward the customer relationship and orchestrate delivery from build through in-service operation, working across sales, engineering, security and finance in a matrixed setting.

You bring extensive experience in complex defense programs, a track record of governance and earned-value mastery, and you are based in Ottawa, eligible for Secret clearance.

Qualifications

• Experience managing large, complex defense programs with multi-stakeholder engagement.
• Active or eligible Canadian Secret security clearance is required.
• Ottawa, Ontario area on-site engagement with the customer and leadership.
• Demonstrated governance, scheduling, risk and cost control in large programs.
• Ability to translate mission needs into delivery and technical specs.

Responsibilities

• Own the customer relationship as the single face to DND for the ESCP-P program.
• Lead end-to-end program engagement from initial deployment to in-service operation.
• Coordinate contributions across engineering, network operations, product and legal.
• Govern program health: monitor scope, schedule, cost, risk and quality.
• Engage with technical teams on architecture, integration and acceptance.
• Apply formal program management methods to maintain schedule and budget.
• Translate mission needs into system specifications and roadmaps.
• Represent Telesat in joint governance with DND and partners.

Skills

Large customer leadership

Large technical program experience

Canadian defence experience

Security clearance

Executive presence

Matrixed leadership

Program discipline

Ottawa-based

Education

PMP or equivalent

Job description

Telesat (Nasdaq and TSX: TSAT) is a leading global satellite operator, providing reliable and secure satellite-delivered communications solutions worldwide to broadcast, telecommunications, corporate and government customers for over 55 years. Backed by a legacy of engineering excellence, reliability and industry-leading customer service, Telesat has grown to be one of the largest and most successful global satellite operators.

Telesat Lightspeed, our revolutionary Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite network, scheduled to begin service in 2027, will revolutionize global broadband connectivity for enterprise and Government users by delivering a combination of high capacity, security, resiliency and affordability with ultra-low latency and fiber-like speeds. Telesat is headquartered in Ottawa, Canada, and has offices and facilities around the world. The company’s state-of-the-art Satellite fleet consists of 12 GEO satellites, the Canadian payload on ViaSat-1 and one LEO 3 demonstration satellite. For more information, follow Telesat on X and LinkedIn or visit www.telesat.com

We are looking for an exceptional Senior Director to be the single face of this program from Telesat to DND – owning the customer relationship and orchestrating delivery from build through to operational service. If you are energized by high-stakes defence programs, thrive at the intersection of customer, commercial and engineering, and want to help shape a nation’s strategic communications capability, this is a rare and career-defining role. This is as much a technical and program-delivery leadership role as it is a customer role: you will bring genuine engineering fluency and deep program management discipline to steer a complex, multi-segment space and ground system from build through to in-service operation.

Role Summary

The Senior Director oversees the development, initial deployment, and ongoing engagement over the entire life of the ESCP-P program (LEO Mil-Ka and MEO UHF/X-band). You will be the primary relationship owner and “one face” of the program to DND – accountable for customer trust, implementation progress, program health, and the seamless coordination of every Telesat function that touches the mission. In the initial program phase, to succeed, you must pair strong technical background with deep, hands‑on program management experience: you will engage credibly with engineering and systems teams on architecture, conops, design, integration, test and acceptance, while engaging with the Program Delivery team to hold the program to rigorous schedule, cost, risk and quality discipline.

This is a matrixed leadership role: while you own the customer‑facing program, you will work laterally across sales, engineering, product, network operations, security, supply chain, legal, finance and program management teams and Telesat’s strategic partner MDA Space to keep commitments on track. Success depends on influence, orchestration and executive presence as much as direct authority. It also demands real technical depth and program management rigor: you will be trusted to translate between the customer’s mission needs and Telesat’s engineering and delivery teams, interrogate technical trade‑offs, and keep a large, multi‑year build predictable and auditable.

Key Responsibilities

• Own the customer relationship – serve as the single, trusted point of contact and “one face” of Telesat to DND, building durable, credible relationships across the customer’s program, technical and executive stakeholders.
• Lead end‑to‑end program engagement – oversee the development, initial deployment, and ongoing service engagement across the full ESCP-P lifecycle from initial service access to full operational capability, spanning LEO Mil-Ka and MEO UHF/X-band capabilities.
• Orchestrate across a matrixed organization – coordinating with Program Delivery, align and drive contributions from engineering, network operations, product, security, supply chain, legal, finance and Go To Market.
• Govern program health – in conjunction with Program Delivery, manage scope, schedule, cost, risk and quality against contractual commitments; establish the cadence, governance and reporting that keep the program predictable and on track.
• Co‑ordinate technical program leadership – bring an engineering‑literate perspective to engage the technical teams with customer expectations regarding system design, integration, verification and acceptance across the LEO Mil-Ka and MEO UHF/X-band portions of the program, working with Program Delivery to ensure technical trade‑offs, dependencies and risks are well understood and soundly managed.
• Apply deep program management rigor – working with Program Delivery, deploy proven program management methods (integrated master schedule, earned‑value/cost control, risk and dependency management, and formal milestone/gate reviews) to keep a complex, multi‑year build disciplined, transparent and auditable.
• Translate mission needs into delivery – ensure customer requirements, timelines and mission priorities are clearly understood internally and reflected in system and product specifications and operational roadmaps and procedures.
• Lead the joint governance – represent Telesat in the DND / Telesat Joint program management office and associated working groups, driving decisions, resolving issues and escalating effectively.
• Protect commercial and contractual outcomes – partner with commercial, legal and finance teams to safeguard revenue, manage change, and ensure obligations are met with full compliance and transparency.
• Champion assurance and security – working with Program Delivery and engineering teams, uphold the security, sovereignty and mission‑assurance standards expected of a defence program of national importance.

Ideal Candidate Requirements

You are a seasoned program and customer leader who has carried the trust of major clients on complex, high‑value programs. You combine that a solid technical background and deep, demonstrable program management experience on large, technically demanding programs. Specifically, you bring:

• Large customer / account leadership background – a proven track record managing major, complex customer relationships and large‑scale programs, ideally as the senior accountable interface to the client.
• Large technical program experience - a solid grounding in complex engineering programs (ideally satellite, space, telecommunications, networks or systems integration), with the ability to engage credibly with engineering teams on architecture, integration, test and acceptance, and to challenge, interpret and communicate technical detail. Extensive, hands‑on experience directing large, multi‑year technical programs, with mastery of integrated scheduling, earned‑value/cost control, risk and dependency management, and formal milestone/gate governance; recognized program management credentials (e.g., PMP or equivalent) are a strong asset
• Canadian defence experience – direct experience working with the Canadian defence community (DND / CAF and related agencies), with a strong understanding of how defence programs are governed, delivered and assured.
• Government of Canada Secret Security clearance – you currently hold, or are eligible to obtain, a Secret‑level security clearance.
• Ottawa‑based – located in (or willing to relocate to) the Ottawa, Ontario area to enable close, on‑site engagement with the customer and Telesat leadership.
• Matrixed leadership ability – demonstrated success leading and delivering through influence in a highly matrixed organization, aligning diverse technical and commercial teams toward shared outcomes.
• Executive presence & communication – exceptional stakeholder management, negotiation and communication skills, comfortable operating from the boardroom to the technical working group.
• Program discipline – strong command of program governance, risk, schedule and financial management on large, multi‑year engagements. You are comfortable with an integrated master schedule and earned‑value reporting, and leading technically complex delivery to plan.
• Preferred – background in satellite, telecommunications or a related technology domain, and familiarity with defence procurement, ITB and program delivery frameworks.

Why Join Us

• Take the lead on one of Canada’s most strategically significant defence communications programs – with visible national impact.
• Own the customer relationship end-to‑end and shape how a next‑generation LEO network is delivered into service.
• Work at the forefront of Telesat Lightspeed, a global‑first LEO constellation, alongside world‑class engineering and commercial teams.
• Apply and deepen your technical expertise and program management craft at the leading edge of space systems engineering and large‑scale defence program delivery.
• A senior director‑level platform with executive visibility, meaningful autonomy, and the opportunity to build and grow a program franchise.

The successful candidate must be able to work in Canada and obtain Canadian Government security clearance.

At Telesat, we take pride in being an equal opportunity employer that values equality in the workplace. We are committed to providing the best candidate experience possible including any required accommodations at every stage of our interview process. All qualified applicants that have been selected for an interview that require accommodations, are advised to inform the Telesat Talent team accordingly. We will work with you to meet your needs. All accommodation information provided will be treated as confidential.