Job Title: Senior Project Manager, Construction
Reports To: Senior Director, Design & Construction
The Senior Project Manager, Construction is responsible for leading the planning, execution, and delivery of Quick Service Restaurant (QSR) construction projects for Mary Brown’s Chicken and Fat Bastard Burrito across Canada across Canada. This role manages the full project lifecycle, including ground-up and pad developments, freestanding and inline restaurants, conversions, relocations, non-traditional sites, drive-thru facilities, and major renovations. The Senior Project Manager leads projects from site approval and pre-construction through design, permitting, tendering, construction, turnover, grand opening, financial reconciliation, and closeout, ensuring projects are delivered safely, on schedule, within budget, and in alignment with brand, operational, quality, and regulatory requirements. This role operates with a high degree of autonomy and accountability, mentors developing team members, and demonstrates potential for formal people leadership.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
Project Planning & Construction Management
- Lead multiple concurrent restaurant development and construction projects from site approval through grand opening and closeout, including projects up to approximately 5,000 sq. ft.
- Develop project and work back schedules, critical paths, budgets, risk assessments, milestones, and forecasts.
- Coordinate franchisees, landlords, developers, architects, engineers, consultants, contractors, vendors, municipalities, and internal teams to ensure timely execution of project requirements.
- Review architectural, engineering, construction and permit drawings, CCDC documentation, specifications, FF&E requirements, SOW, PO’s, CO’s, SI’s, and related project documentation for accuracy and constructability.
- Lead the tender process, including tender packages, bid coordination and analysis, scope review, negotiation, tender analysis and recommendations for awarding.
- Manage contractors, consultants, suppliers, and vendors against scope, schedule, budget, quality and workmanship, safety, and contractual requirements.
- Conduct site and progress reviews, manage deficiencies, and proactively identify and mitigate schedule, cost, quality, and construction risks.
- Coordinate permits, approvals, inspections, utilities, occupancy requirements, turnover, and restaurant opening.
- Manage project closeout and financial reconciliation, including deficiencies, as-builts, warranties, O&M manuals, statutory documentation, final costs, changes, credits, invoices, holdbacks, and required sign-offs.
Design, Brand & Operational Coordination
- Collaborate with Design, Real Estate, Franchising, Operations, Marketing, Procurement, Finance, and other internal teams to integrate brand, operational, and construction requirements.
- Validate design packages for constructability, operational functionality, code compliance, and brand standards.
- Coordinate FF&E, kitchen equipment, millwork, materials and finishes, interior graphics, signage, drive-thru components, menu boards, lighting, shop drawings, fabrication, and installation requirements.
Budget, Procurement & Vendor Management
- Develop, manage, forecast, and reconcile project budgets and capital expenditures throughout the project lifecycle.
- Review, validate contractor draws, invoices, CO’s, consultant fees, allowances, credits, and all project costs.
- Identify cost pressures and implement appropriate value-engineering, procurement, negotiation, and cost-control strategies while protecting operational and brand requirements.
- Coordinate procurement of construction services, FFE, signage, millwork, lighting and specialty products.
- Monitor contractor, consultant, and vendor performance and provide ongoing direction and feedback to drive accountability, quality, cost effectiveness, and continuous improvement.
Stakeholder Management & Leadership
- Serve as a senior point of contact for internal and external stakeholders, providing clear project leadership, communication, accountability, and timely executive-level reporting.
- Build strong working relationships with franchise partners, landlords, developers, consultants, contractors, vendors, and cross-functional teams.
- Lead project meetings and navigate competing priorities, negotiations, conflicts, and challenging conversations professionally and effectively.
- Provide leadership, coaching, and mentorship to Project Managers, coordinators, and developing team members, supporting knowledge transfer and professional growth.
- Demonstrate readiness to assume formal people-leadership and direct-report responsibilities as the team evolves.
- Identify lessons learned and opportunities to improve project delivery, standards, processes, tools, reporting, and departmental best practices.
Health, Safety & Compliance
- Promote a strong safety culture and ensure compliance with applicable occupational health and safety legislation, building codes, accessibility standards, permits, municipal requirements, and company policies.
- Proactively manage construction, financial, schedule, contractual, operational, and stakeholder risks, escalating significant issues to leadership as required.
- Maintain complete and accurate project documentation, approvals, records, and closeout information.
The duties of this position may change from time to time. MBI Brands reserves the right to add or delete duties and responsibilities at its discretion contingent on business need. This job description is intended to describe the general level of work being performed. It is not intended to be all-inclusive.
POLICY
- Adheres to company policies, procedures, standards, and applicable health and safety requirements and leads by example with professionalism, integrity, accountability, and respect.
- Supports the implementation of Design & Construction standards, processes, and improvement initiatives.
- Fosters a professional and respectful workplace and complies with all workplace health and safety requirements.
CORE COMPETENCIES
- Strong project leadership, accountability, organization, and ability to independently manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
- Exceptional written and verbal communication, interpersonal skills, and ability to communicate effectively across all organizational levels.
- High emotional intelligence, professionalism, self-awareness, and situational awareness when navigating complex business and interpersonal situations.
- Strong analytical, critical-thinking, problem-solving, negotiation, conflict-resolution, and decision-making skills.
- Strong financial and commercial acumen with demonstrated understanding of budgets, contracts, forecasting, change management, cost control, and value engineering.
- Ability to anticipate risk, exercise sound judgment, and develop practical solutions balancing schedule, cost, quality.
- Demonstrated leadership and coaching capability with the ability to build accountable, high-performing teams.
- Adaptable, self-directed, detail-oriented, and committed to quality, improvement and professional development.
REQUIRED SKILLS AND QUALIFICATIONS
- Minimum 8+ years of progressive project management experience in QSR, restaurant, retail, hospitality, or comparable multi-unit commercial construction, with QSR/restaurant construction experience strongly preferred.
- Proven experience independently managing multiple concurrent projects, including ground-up developments, pad sites, freestanding and inline locations, conversions, non-traditional sites, drive-thru facilities, and renovations.
- Degree or diploma in Construction Management, Engineering, Architecture, Project Management, or a related field.
- PMP designation preferred; equivalent demonstrated project management experience will be considered.
- Strong knowledge of commercial construction, CCDC contracts, tendering, contract administration, scheduling, budgeting, cost control, permitting, risk management, and project closeout.
- Ability to read, interpret, coordinate, and review architectural, engineering, construction, permit, and shop drawings.
- Working knowledge of QSR operations, kitchen equipment, operational layouts, FF&E, millwork, signage, graphics.
- Experience with municipal approvals, permitting, inspections, landlords, and applicable code requirements.
- Experience within multi-unit and/or franchise development environments to manage internal, external stakeholders.
- Demonstrated leadership capability and experience coaching or mentoring others; previous people-management. .
- Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite, Excel, Smartsheet, Adobe Acrobat Professional, and related PM tools.
- Valid driver’s licence and willingness to travel across Canada, including occasional overnight travel.
PHYSICAL ACTIVITIES / REQUIREMENTS OF THE ROLE
Work is performed in corporate office, restaurant, and active construction-site environments. The role requires regular computer use, site visits, use of required PPE, and travel throughout Canada, including overnight travel and flexibility outside regular business hours based on project requirements.
Occupational health & safety requirements
All supervisors and managers are directly responsible for ensuring the health and safety of workers under their supervision. They must ensure that workers are operating in a manner as required by the Occupational Health and Safety Act and its regulations in addition to company health and safety policies and procedures. Supervisors must inform all workers of the existence of any potential or actual risk to the health or safety of the worker of which the supervisor is aware, and must provide direction and instruction, in writing where prescribed, for safe measures to be taken during the course of their work.
About Us
MBI Brands (the “Company”) is one of Canada's largest privately held restaurant companies, franchising and operating two premium QSR brands - Mary Brown's Chicken and Fat Bastard Burrito. Both brands have established MBI Brands as a nationally recognized franchisor of choice. Renowned for its family-like culture, the Company fosters an environment where team members can grow, thrive, and make meaningful contributions. Driven by a dedicated team of Operators Who Care, MBI Brands is committed to excellence, best‐in‐class service, and serving guests, teams, and communities worldwide.
We are a team of Operators Who Care, strongly focused on excellence, best-in-class service, and caring for our guests, teams and communities across the globe. We celebrate our people - from new hires to our most tenured employees - creating a culture built on respect, inclusivity, collaboration and teamwork. With nearly 400 locations worldwide and plans to double our footprint in the next few years, we are embarking on exciting expansions into both new and existing markets, including the UK, Mexico, India, and Pakistan.
MBI Brands holds the prestigious Canada’s Best Managed (Platinum Member) designation and has also received numerous awards, including the Canadian Franchise Association’s Franchisee Satisfaction Award.
We are proud to offer a range of unique and attractive benefits:
- Extended health benefits coverage including dental coverage, critical illness coverage, life insurance, and long-term disability
- Eligibility to participate in our retirement savings plan with employer match
- Minimum of three weeks paid vacation
- Career advancement opportunities
- Wellness programs, with an on-site gym and personal trainer
Bonus eligibility: discretionary annual bonus.
Base salary for this position may vary based on relevant factors such as experience, education, location, and skills.
This posting is for an existing vacancy.
MBI Brands is committed to building a diverse workplace reflective of the communities we serve and to fostering an inclusive culture where employees feel valued, respected and inspired to thrive as their authentic selves. We value diversity of thought and the unique skills, perspectives and experience each individual brings to the Company. We welcome applications from all qualified candidates and encourage applicants from members of groups that have been historically underrepresented, including but not limited to First Nations, Métis and Inuit Peoples, racialized individuals, persons with disabilities, people who identify as women and/or LGBTQ2S+.
We also strive to provide an accessible candidate experience. Please let us know if you need any accommodations during the recruitment process.
