Senior Project Director – Major Energy Projects (EPCM)

Thorens Inc.; Montreal; On-site; CAD 250,000 - 300,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading company in the energy sector is seeking a visionary Project Director to lead a landmark $10 billion investment project from design to completion. This high-profile role requires exceptional leadership, strategic insight, and operational excellence, tackling complex challenges in multicultural environments while ensuring compliance with legal and regulatory standards.

Benefits

Relocation support

Executive benefits

Group insurance

Retirement savings plan (RRSP)

Qualifications

• 20+ years of experience in managing large-scale, complex capital projects.
• At least 5 years in a senior leadership role.
• Proven success in delivering projects exceeding $1B in capital value.

Responsibilities

• Lead the overall planning, execution, monitoring, and control of the project.
• Oversee all phases of project execution including engineering, procurement, construction, commissioning, and handover.
• Serve as the principal liaison with internal and external stakeholders.

Skills

Leadership

Negotiation

Conflict Resolution

Strategic Thinking

Communication

Education

Bachelor’s degree in engineering, Construction Management, or related field

Tools

Primavera P6

MS Project

Job description

With 30 years of experience, our client is a key player in the execution of major energy projects. The company is renowned for its agility and the excellence of its achievements, managing large-scale investment projects while meeting the challenges of remote locations and multicultural environments. They are seeking a visionary and results-oriented Project Director to lead the execution of a landmark $10 billion investment project, from design through to completion.

JOB DESCRIPTION :

Reporting to the Chief Executive Officer, the Project Director will assume overall accountability for the project's performance delivered under the EPCM (Engineering, Procurement, Construction Management) model, including schedule, budget, quality, safety, risk, and stakeholder engagement. This is a high-profile, mission-critical role that requires exceptional leadership, strategic insight, and operational excellence.

TASKS AND RESPONSIBILITIES :

Key Responsibilities - Strategic Leadership

• Lead the overall planning, execution, monitoring, and control of the project.
• Define and implement the project delivery strategy, execution plan, and governance structure.
• Align project goals with broader corporate and stakeholder expectations.
• Foster a culture of realism in forecasting, actively mitigating optimism bias and political pressure.

Execution & Delivery

• Oversee all phases of project execution including engineering, procurement, construction, commissioning, and handover.
• Ensure project milestones, quality standards, and performance metrics are met or exceeded.
• Drive rigorous cost, schedule, and change control processes.
• Establish formal mechanisms to re-baseline scope and cost as soon as deviations are confirmed.
• Identify, assess, and manage project risks proactively.
• Establish mitigation and contingency strategies for critical path elements.
• Ensure independent risk reviews are embedded into project lifecycle milestones.
• Prevent exclusion of strategic alternatives by ensuring all viable project options are evaluated and documented.
• Build, lead, and inspire a high-performing multi-disciplinary project team, including contractors and partners.
• Foster a culture of safety, accountability, innovation, and continuous improvement.
• Supervise the Deputy Director and a team of 15 to 20 Project Managers.

Stakeholder Engagement

• Serve as the principal liaison with internal and external stakeholders (government agencies, Indigenous communities, regulators, shareholders, the public).
• Uphold inclusive and meaningful consultation processes, particularly with Indigenous communities, as emphasized in the Commission’s findings.

Governance & Compliance

• Ensure full compliance with legal, regulatory, ESG, and corporate governance requirements.
• Report regularly to the executive leadership and board on project status, challenges, and achievements.
• Promote robust and independent board oversight, with full disclosure of emerging risks, to prevent governance gaps experienced previously in the province.

Profil

QUALIFICATIONS :

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering, Construction Management, or a related field.
• 20+ years of experience in managing large-scale, complex capital projects, with at least 5 years in a senior leadership role.
• Proven success in delivering projects exceeding $1B in capital value.
• Experience in joint ventures, public-private partnerships, or multi-stakeholder environments is desirable.
• Experience in managing major energy projects using the EPCM delivery model.
• Strategic thinker with strong business acumen.
• Exceptional leadership, negotiation, and conflict resolution skills.
• Ability to operate effectively in politically and culturally complex environments.
• Resilience, adaptability, and integrity under pressure.
• Deep commitment to transparency, public accountability, and documentation rigor, recognizing the critical role they play in megaproject success.
• Excellent knowledge of project management tools (Primavera P6, MS Project, etc.).
• Outstanding communication skills, both written and verbal, in French and English.

WORK CONDITIONS :

• Salary around 250 000$ base / yearly & bonuses
• Relocation support and executive benefits, as applicable.
• Group insurance and retirement savings plan (RRSP).
• Frequent travel to project sites, including remote locations.
• Availability to work in high-pressure, high-stakes environments.

Note : The masculine is used to lighten the text without prejudice to the feminine form.

ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS ROLE?

Contact the assigned recruiter (see at the top of the page)

514.842.7846

Check the contact information of our team here.

Requirements