Project Risk Manager

Hays is proud to partner with a leading global mining organization to recruit a Senior Specialist – Project Risk Management for a permanent opportunity based in Toronto, Ontario.

Our client is a major organization within the mining and critical minerals sector, with a strong focus on safety, sustainability, innovation, and responsible resource development.

Your New Role

As the Senior Specialist – Project Risk Management, you will provide senior functional leadership for Project Risk Management across a portfolio of major Canadian studies and capital projects.

You will be responsible for establishing and continuously improving project risk frameworks, governance, standards, methodologies, and tools, while providing independent risk insights that support planning, execution, and investment decisions.

What you will do:

• Lead the development, implementation, and continuous improvement of the Project Risk Management framework across the Canadian project portfolio.
• Establish risk management standards, procedures, governance requirements, reporting structures, methodologies, tools, templates, and risk taxonomies.
• Lead major project risk assessments, including quantitative risk analysis, contingency assessment, probabilistic forecasting, schedule risk analysis, and confidence-based estimating.
• Act as a key interface between Project Controls, Project Delivery teams, and Enterprise Risk Management (ERM).
• Provide risk leadership and advisory support to Project Directors, Study Managers, Project Managers, and functional leaders.
• Facilitate multidisciplinary risk workshops and challenge project assumptions to identify key threats, opportunities, mitigation strategies, and residual risks.
• Integrate risk management across engineering, mining, processing, infrastructure, permitting, environmental, Indigenous relations, procurement, contracting, construction, commissioning, and operational readiness.
• Oversee project risk registers, mitigation plans, opportunity management, reporting, and escalation processes.
• Develop portfolio-level visibility of emerging risks, opportunities, and trends requiring leadership attention.
• Support project governance reviews, investment decisions, assurance activities, and stage-gate processes.
• Integrate risk management with cost estimating, project scheduling, forecasting, and project controls.
• Coach and mentor project teams and risk practitioners to strengthen risk management capabilities.
• Identify and implement industry-leading practices and continuous improvement initiatives.

What You’ll Need to Succeed

To be successful in this role, you will bring:

• 15+ years of progressive experience in project risk management, project controls, project management, or a related discipline.
• Extensive experience supporting large-scale capital projects within the mining industry.
• Demonstrated experience developing and implementing Project Risk Management frameworks, standards, and governance processes.
• Strong experience leading multidisciplinary risk workshops involving senior technical and business stakeholders.
• Expertise in quantitative risk analysis, Monte Carlo simulation, contingency development, probabilistic analysis, and confidence-based forecasting.
• Strong knowledge of capital project development from studies through execution, commissioning, and handover.
• Strong understanding of project controls, cost estimating, scheduling, procurement, contracting, engineering, and construction management.
• Knowledge of recognized risk frameworks and practices including ISO 31000, COSO ERM, PMI, and AACE.
• Experience supporting executive-level decision-making and complex project portfolios.
• Strong leadership, facilitation, analytical, communication, and stakeholder management skills.
• Ability to effectively influence stakeholders within a matrix organization.
• An Undergraduate Degree is required.
• A postgraduate qualification in Project Management, Risk Management, Business Administration, or a related field is considered an asset.
• Fluency in English is required; Portuguese is considered an asset.

What You’ll Get in Return

Our client offers a competitive total rewards package, including:

• Competitive compensation and annual incentive opportunity
• Defined Contribution Pension program
• Comprehensive health and dental benefits
• Disability and optional insurance programs
• Vacation, personal, sick, and parental leave
• Employee and Family Assistance Program
• Virtual healthcare
• Professional training and career development opportunities
• A workplace focused on safety, diversity, inclusion, and career growth

What You Need to Do Now

Please apply directly or reach out to me for a confidential discussion about the opportunity.