Senior Architect

Location: Toronto, Ontario (Ottawa, Ontario also considered) | Office-based

Industry: Architecture and Engineering | Federal and Defense Facilities

Employment: Full-Time, Direct Hire | Senior Individual Contributor

The Opportunity

We are partnering with a large multidisciplinary design firm whose buildings practice puts architects, engineers, interior designers, sustainability specialists and technologists on the same projects. Its architecture group delivers complex public and institutional work in education, transit, healthcare, aviation, civic, industrial and federal sectors. The federal and defense side of that portfolio is growing, and that is where the team needs senior depth.

You will lead facilities for federal and defense-sector clients: national defense, federal policing, public works and other high-security government end users. You carry each project from planning and concept through contract documents, construction and commissioning, leading multidisciplinary teams the whole way and keeping every deliverable compliant with federal standards, procurement rules and security protocols.

You must be eligible for a federal Secret-level security clearance or higher. An active clearance is preferred.

What You'll Own

Design and technical leadership

• Lead design and set technical direction on federal and defense building projects, from first concept to close-out.
• Produce architectural drawings, specifications and BIM deliverables to federal design standards, codes, guidelines and security requirements.
• Coordinate with the engineering disciplines, interiors, sustainability and specialty consultants for cohesive, technically rigorous solutions.
• Oversee construction administration so design intent and performance criteria hold through to handover.

Project delivery

• Prepare federal submission packages, milestone deliverables and the documentation authorities having jurisdiction expect.
• Manage schedules, budgets, quality metrics and risk controls across several workstreams at once, including a live risk register with impacts, mitigations and escalation paths.
• Deliver in phased, secure and mission-critical environments.

Clients and stakeholders

• Act as liaison to federal departments, project authorities, user groups and security representatives, and turn their program requirements into architectural solutions.
• Lead design presentations, working sessions and technical reviews with senior government stakeholders.

Studio leadership

• Mentor emerging architectural staff, and take a share of studio resourcing, workflow and quality assurance.

The facilities you will lead include defense and security infrastructure, government administrative buildings, justice, policing and public safety projects, and other mission-critical, high-security environments.

What You Bring

• A bachelor's degree in architecture.
• Registration as a licensed architect with the OAA or the AIBC.
• Fifteen or more years of architectural experience.
• A significant portfolio of federal and defense facility projects, including secure environments.
• A strong working knowledge of federal procurement, PSPC standards and Treasury Board design requirements.
• A track record leading multidisciplinary teams on complex, phased or highly technical projects.
• Exceptional communication skills with a client-focused, solution-driven approach.
• Strong presentation, documentation, and leadership capabilities.
• The ability to balance competing priorities across concurrent projects.
• Eligibility for a federal Secret-level security clearance or higher.

Who Gets Our Attention

• An active federal security clearance.
• A master's degree in architecture.
• Projects delivered directly for national defense, federal policing or public works clients.
• Deep construction documentation and contract administration experience.

The Person

You know how to deliver public buildings where precision, security and compliance carry as much weight as the design. You like technically demanding work and complex stakeholder groups, and you earn the confidence of senior government clients through sound judgment and technical credibility. You want to stay close to the work while carrying real leadership responsibility.

Why This One?

This is a newly created seat on a specialized federal and defense team that is still growing. The projects are large, technically demanding, and highly visible, and you will shape how the team delivers secure public facilities as well as the architecture itself.

Location

• Toronto, ON is the primary base; Ottawa, ON is also considered.
• Office-based, with long stretches at a workstation; field work may involve travel and exposure to the elements.

Compensation

• CAD $103,300 to $153,300 per year in Toronto or Ottawa; the final figure depends on education, qualifications, experience, and work location.
• Comprehensive benefits package

Follow us on LinkedIn to learn more about West End and top positions like this in your industry.