Director of Operations

Our client is a general contractor based in Burlington, Ontario. They deliver institutional, municipal, water and wastewater, and commercial projects across Ontario for public owners and private clients.

The role You will lead project operations across our portfolio. You will be accountable for contract compliance, cost control, safety, quality, client relationships and on-time delivery. Our Project Managers run their projects. Your job is to make them better at it through contract discipline, clear reporting and timely support, stepping in only when a project needs it.

Contracts and project oversight

• Review every prime contract and subcontract at award, including the agreement (CCDC 2, CCDC 5B, OPSS), supplementary conditions, Division 1 and tender documents. Identify the risks, opportunities and obligations, and make sure the project team understands them before kick-off.

• Track progress against baseline schedules. Challenge slippage and optimistic reporting.

• Give Project Managers decision support through regular check-ins, and help them clear schedule, budget and scope obstacles.

• Keep the President informed of issues, risks, opportunities and successes.

Changes, notices and claims

• Make sure every contractual notice is issued on time under the governing general conditions.

• Review and approve changes, change orders, purchase orders and invoices within defined authority limits.

• Make sure work done for a trade by others or by our own forces is recovered from that trade.

• Review change requests and claims for entitlement, accuracy and completeness before submission.

Health and safety

• Make sure the company meets its obligations as constructor under the Ontario Occupational Health and Safety Act.

• Oversee the site safety program through the Construction Manager, including incident investigation and corrective action.

Financial oversight and reporting

• Validate monthly WIP reports, analyze cost and schedule variances, and lead recovery plans for underperforming projects.

• Oversee payables and receivables, including holdback and prompt payment timelines under the Construction Act.

• Own the handoff from estimate to project at award, including budget setup, cost codes and buyout plan.

• Report monthly to senior management, and support audits and milestone reviews.

Operations and clients

• Attend project kick-off meetings and key client and consultant meetings.

• Visit sites and spot-check drawings, specifications and submittals for contract compliance.

• Step into trade conflicts and coordination problems when they are not being managed.

• Lead post-project reviews, and make sure lessons learned are applied to future projects.

What you bring

• 10+ years in commercial, institutional or municipal construction, including 5+ years managing Project Managers on multiple concurrent projects

• Portfolio-level accountability for project margin and performance

• Strong working knowledge of CCDC 2 and CCDC 5B, including change management, notices and claims

• WIP reporting, cost-to-complete forecasting and variance analysis

• Working knowledge of the Ontario Occupational Health and Safety Act and the Construction Act

• Procore or a similar construction management platform

• Clear, professional written communication with owners and consultants

• A leadership style that builds team capability rather than replacing it

Assets

• Gold Seal Certification (GSC), PMP, P.Eng. or C.E.T.

• Water and wastewater, municipal civil, or institutional renovation experience

• Degree or diploma in construction management, engineering or a related field