Senior Director, Operations

DM Lyons Consulting; Toronto; On-site; CAD 180,000 - 260,000; Full time

Job summary

DM Lyons Consulting in Toronto, Ontario, seeks a Senior Director, Operations to lead planning and execution of large-scale energy, infrastructure, and building modernization projects.

You will oversee multidisciplinary teams, manage budgets and schedules, maintain client relationships, and drive safe, efficient project delivery from concept to commissioning. Travel 25-40% across Ontario is expected.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical or Electrical Engineering, Construction Management, or a related technical field.
• P.Eng. designation in Ontario is required.
• PMP certification is considered an asset.
• CEM designation is an advantage.
• Experience with Procore or similar PM platforms preferred.
• Experience delivering projects in energy, infrastructure, or building performance sectors.

Responsibilities

• Lead delivery of large-scale infrastructure, energy, and mechanical construction projects from concept through completion.
• Provide technical and operational guidance during planning, procurement, and execution.
• Oversee budgets, schedules, staffing, and resource allocation to meet cost, schedule, and quality targets.
• Maintain strong client relationships and act as primary contact during project delivery.
• Direct multidisciplinary teams including engineers, subcontractors, and consultants.
• Monitor risks and manage change, pricing, and commercial negotiations.
• Ensure compliance with legislation, standards, and company policies; promote safety culture.
• Support project closeout, commissioning, and client turnover activities.

Skills

Leadership

Budget management

Contract negotiation

Stakeholder management

Project management

Risk management

Communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical or Electrical Engineering, Construction Management

P.Eng. Ontario

Tools

Procore

Job description

The Senior Director, Operations provides strategic leadership for the planning and execution of complex energy, infrastructure, and building modernization projects. This role oversees multidisciplinary project teams, ensuring initiatives are delivered safely, efficiently, and in alignment with commercial, operational, and client objectives. The successful candidate will guide projects from early planning through commissioning while maintaining strong relationships with clients, consultants, contractors, and internal stakeholders.

Primary Responsibilities

Lead the successful delivery of large-scale infrastructure, energy, and mechanical construction projects from concept through completion.

Provide technical and operational guidance during project planning, feasibility assessments, solution development, procurement strategy, and execution planning.

Oversee project budgets, schedules, staffing plans, and resource allocation to achieve cost, schedule, and quality objectives.

Serve as the senior client contact throughout project delivery, maintaining strong relationships and ensuring client expectations are consistently met.

Direct multidisciplinary teams including project managers, engineers, subcontractors, commissioning specialists, and external consultants.

Review project scope, identify commercial or technical risks, and implement mitigation strategies throughout the project lifecycle.

Evaluate contract requirements and manage change requests, pricing adjustments, and commercial negotiations.

Monitor project financial performance through forecasting, cost control, reporting, and variance analysis while identifying opportunities to improve profitability.

Ensure all construction activities comply with applicable legislation, regulatory requirements, industry standards, and company policies.

Champion a strong safety culture by promoting compliance with health and safety regulations among employees, contractors, and project partners.

Establish project governance standards, documentation practices, and reporting procedures that support consistent project execution.

Manage procurement activities, including subcontractor selection, equipment purchasing, supplier negotiations, and delivery coordination.

Oversee construction activities to verify compliance with approved designs, specifications, quality standards, and commissioning requirements.

Support commissioning, system verification, functional testing, and project closeout activities to ensure successful operational handover.

Coordinate client training, turnover documentation, and final acceptance activities.

Participate in early-stage business development efforts by contributing technical expertise during audits, feasibility reviews, proposal development, budgeting, and solution design.

Promote continuous improvement initiatives by enhancing project management practices, delivery methodologies, and operational processes.

Support broader organizational initiatives and strategic business priorities as required.

Qualifications

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Construction Management, or a related technical discipline.

Professional Engineer (P.Eng.) designation in Ontario is required.

Project Management Professional (PMP) certification is considered an asset.

Certified Energy Manager (CEM) designation is an advantage.

Health and safety supervisory training or equivalent certification preferred.

Experience with project management platforms such as Procore is beneficial.

Experience delivering projects within institutional environments such as healthcare, post-secondary, or public-sector facilities is desirable.

Experience within the energy, infrastructure, or building performance sector is considered an asset.

Experience & Core Competencies

Minimum of 10 years leading complex capital construction or infrastructure projects involving mechanical systems, building automation, HVAC modernization, renewable energy, or energy efficiency initiatives.

Demonstrated success managing multiple concurrent projects with responsibility for budget, schedule, quality, and client satisfaction.

Proven leadership experience managing project professionals while supporting performance management, coaching, succession planning, and professional development.

Strong commercial acumen with experience administering contracts, negotiating change orders, and managing project risk.

Excellent communication and presentation skills with the ability to convey technical information to executive and non-technical stakeholders.

Strong relationship management skills with the ability to collaborate effectively across clients, consultants, contractors, suppliers, and internal teams.

Sound analytical and problem-solving capabilities with a proactive approach to issue resolution.

Proficiency with Microsoft Project, Microsoft Office applications, financial reporting tools, and project management software.

Travel to project sites throughout Ontario is expected and may represent approximately 25-40% of working time, depending on project requirements.

Flexibility to support projects outside the primary geographic region may occasionally be required.