General Manager

General Manager – Canadian Defense Operations

Canada | Ontario / Ottawa Area

Our client, a leading international defense technology company is looking for a General Manager to establish, lead and grow its Canadian operations.

This is a unique opportunity for a highly connected Canadian defense professional to take ownership of building and developing the company's presence in Canada. The General Manager will be responsible for transforming an existing Canadian legal entity into a fully operational defense business capable of pursuing and executing programs within the Canadian market.

This is a highly visible, hands-on leadership role combining business development, operational leadership, government and industry relations, program development and P&L responsibility.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the development and growth of the company's Canadian defense operations.
• Establish the organizational capabilities, infrastructure and personnel required to support future Canadian defense programs.
• Manage the Canadian operation as a P&L center and drive long-term business growth.
• Support required registrations with Canadian governmental and procurement bodies.
• Identify and develop business opportunities within the Land and Maritime defense sectors.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with key stakeholders across the Canadian Army, Royal Canadian Navy, Royal Canadian Air Force, government agencies, defense organizations and major Canadian defense OEMs.
• Develop relationships with shipyards, land-platform manufacturers, strategic partners and subcontractors.
• Represent the organization at defense industry events, exhibitions and conferences.
• Work closely with international engineering, product and leadership teams to align Canadian customer requirements with technical solutions.
• Provide market intelligence, competitive insights and strategic recommendations regarding the Canadian defense market.
• Support proposals, business development activities and contract negotiations.
• Assume increasing responsibility for the execution of Canadian programs as the organization grows.
• Help establish appropriate standards and processes related to cybersecurity, quality, ethics and other Canadian defense requirements.

The position is intended to build the Canadian entity into an organization capable of independently pursuing defense programs, including the necessary government registrations, infrastructure and personnel.

What We're Looking For

The ideal candidate will bring:

• Proven experience in Canadian and/or U.S. defense business management.
• A strong network and established working relationships within the Canadian Government, Canadian Armed Forces and defense industry.
• Experience developing business and navigating complex defense programs and stakeholder environments.
• Strong commercial and business-development capabilities combined with the ability to operate at a strategic and operational level.
• The ability to work independently and build an organization in a developing environment.
• Excellent communication, presentation, negotiation and relationship-building skills.
• Canadian citizenship is required.
• An active or recent Secret, Top Secret or higher security clearance is preferred.
• Former Canadian Armed Forces experience is highly valued, particularly candidates with experience related to survivability or operational programs.