Senior Director, Engineering & Operations

Lock Search Group; Toronto; On-site; CAD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

Lock Search Group is assisting a well-established Canadian provider of engineered water and wastewater treatment solutions in their search for a Senior Director, Engineering & Operations. This role will lead Engineering, Bids & Proposals, Production and Field Services, and act as site leader across the full project lifecycle from proposal through commissioning and handover.

The successful candidate will drive operational excellence, ensure engineering quality, improve project profitability,

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering; P.Eng preferred.
• MBA or advanced technical degree is considered an asset.

Responsibilities

• Provide leadership across Project Engineering, Application Engineering, Production, and Field Services, establishing objectives, KPIs, budgets, and performance expectations.
• Lead end-to-end execution of municipal and industrial water and wastewater projects, ensuring on-time delivery within budget and to quality standards.
• Oversee bids and proposals, including technical solutions, process designs, cost estimates, risk assessment, and bid strategy.
• Lead Project Engineering activities from contract handoff through commissioning, ensuring governance and design quality.
• Direct Production operations, including capacity planning, scheduling, and cost control.
• Oversee Field Services, including installation support, commissioning, and customer handover.

Skills

Leadership

Strategic planning

Cross-functional

Stakeholder mgmt

People development

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering

P.Eng designation preferred

MBA or advanced degree asset

Job description

Our client is a well-established Canadian provider of engineered water and wastewater treatment solutions. With a strong reputation for technical expertise and innovation, the company combines engineering, manufacturing, and field service capabilities to deliver customized solutions to its customers. Its experienced team supports projects from initial concept and design through engineering, manufacturing, installation, commissioning, and ongoing service. The organization has completed thousands of projects and continues to expand its capabilities and market reach.

As part of its continued growth, the organization is seeking to appoint a Senior Director, Engineering & Operations to provide strategic and operational leadership across key functions.

JOB SUMMARY

The Senior Director, Engineering & Operations will provide strategic and operational leadership across Engineering, Bids & Proposals, Production, and Field Services, while serving as the site leader. This role will oversee the complete project lifecycle, from proposal development and engineering through manufacturing, commissioning, and customer handover. The successful candidate will drive operational excellence, engineering quality, project profitability, customer satisfaction, and continuous improvement while building organizational capacity to support the company’s continued growth.

JOB RESPONSIBILITIES

• Provide leadership across Project Engineering, Application Engineering, Production, and Field Services, establishing clear objectives, KPIs, budgets, and performance expectations.
• Lead the end-to-end execution of municipal and industrial water and wastewater treatment projects, ensuring delivery on schedule, within budget, and to required quality standards.
• Oversee bids and proposals, including technical solutions, process designs, equipment selection, cost estimates, risk assessment, contractual requirements, and bid strategy.
• Lead Project Engineering activities from contract handoff through commissioning, ensuring effective resource allocation, technical governance, design quality, and compliance with applicable standards and customer requirements.
• Direct Production operations, including capacity planning, scheduling, workforce allocation, productivity, quality, cost control, and delivery performance.
• Oversee Field Services, including installation support, commissioning, troubleshooting, technician scheduling, subcontractor coordination, and customer handover.
• Drive standardization, value engineering, process improvement, and operational initiatives that improve efficiency, reduce costs, minimize waste, and enhance project outcomes.
• Build strong relationships with customers, consulting engineers, regulatory bodies, and industry stakeholders, providing executive support on strategic opportunities and complex technical or customer issues.
• Develop and mentor department leaders, strengthen organizational capabilities, and support succession planning and long-term workforce development.
• Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, innovation, safety, and continuous improvement across the site.

JOB REQUIREMENTS

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering; P.Eng. designation is preferred. - MBA or advanced technical degree is considered an asset.
• 10+ years of progressive leadership experience within a manufacturing, industrial, or project-based environment, with a strong combination of project and operations experience. - experience in water and wastewater treatment or a related engineered industrial sector is an asset.
• Proven experience as a site leader or senior operational leader, with accountability for people, performance, resources, and results.
• Background overseeing both application/proposal engineering and project engineering, with an understanding of the full project lifecycle.
• Experience managing complex, multimillion-dollar engineered-to-order projects, with the ability to navigate and resolve technical and operational challenges.
• Strong people leadership and management capabilities, with a track record of building, developing, and motivating teams.
• Credible, accountable, and execution-focused leader who takes ownership, follows through on commitments, and drives initiatives to completion.
• Highly detail-oriented and disciplined, with the ability to balance strategic priorities with hands‑on involvement in execution.
• Collaborative and influential leadership style, with respect for existing teams and culture and a strong focus on relationships, communication, and customer needs.

The employer may use AI-assisted tools during the screening of applicants.

Applicants must be legally entitled to work in Canada without sponsorship.