Senior Director of Process and System Engineering

Job Description Overview

The Senior Director of Process and System Engineering Function is a senior leadership position reporting to VP of Engineering responsible for the strategic direction, governance, and operational excellence of a specific group of interlinked engineering disciplines within the organization. This role ensures the Process and System Engineering disciplines’ technical standards, processes, and talent are world-class, supporting both project delivery and long-term business objectives in the nuclear sector.

Governance

Define, implement, and continuously improve Process and System Engineering discipline-specific standards, procedures, design guides, and best practices across the business. Drive alignment with the broader business strategy for the Process and System Engineering discipline, enabling organic growth, strategic partnerships, subcontracting strategies, market involvement, and complementary growth initiatives. Oversee the governance and oversight function, ensuring independence from daily operations and fostering a culture of constructive challenge and evidence-based decision‑making. Define and maintain the capabilities to be a CANDU OEM. Act as the escalation point for technical issues and disputes, resolving them collaboratively with project leadership. Provide technical support to Office of the Chief Engineer. Provide leadership and support in addressing complex technical and resource challenges within projects. Work closely with senior project leadership to ensure technical consistency and alignment across projects.

Strategic Operational Excellence & Continuous Improvement

Drive process and regulatory compliance, ensuring quality and continuous improvement across all projects. Drive excellence and develop innovative ideas to improve efficiency in our delivery processes with a fit for purpose mentality – this includes final accountability for selecting any technical software tools and ensuring they are configured, integrated and utilized to promote efficiency & quality of work product. Conduct design assurance and management self-assessment activities. Engage in Root Cause and Causal Analyses and facilitate Learning Teams exercises. Capture, share and utilize engineering knowledge across the organization, incorporating lessons learned and best practices. Serve as the technical authority for software tools, methods, and methodologies in their domain. Oversee the management of engineering software applications, code libraries, code holders, software verification & validation activities, software lifecycle, and hardware configuration. As needed, supports the Proposal team in the review of proposals and to develop innovative ideas to create efficiencies and avoid engineering conservatism.

Leadership

Lead a team of Process and System Engineering Discipline Functional Managers and Directors and Subject Matter Experts. Monitor discipline performance, talent movement, and staffing decisions in collaboration with Project leadership teams. Interpret and apply negotiated agreements with bargaining agents as they affect the rights, obligations, and working conditions of employees.

Talent & Capability Development

Lead the development and execution of strategic plans for the process and system engineering disciplines, including capability building, succession planning, and resource management within each Skill Category / Job Family. Define technical training, qualifications and certification requirements for each skill category/job family within the Function. Lead the technical and skill communities across all related projects. Support Process and System Engineering Functional Directors and Managers in identifying gaps in the size or technical capabilities of the job family relative to overall forecast requirements and supports the development and execution of a plan to close those gaps through a combination of hiring, releasing and developing staff. Evaluate Process and System Engineering Functional staff performance and provide clear expectations, including performance management as needed. Support Project Engineering Directors and Managers to develop and implement corrective measures to improve individual and team performance. Support Mentoring, coaching, and developing engineering staff, fostering knowledge transfer and a collaborative technical community. Including overseeing the development of future knowledge & skill sets. Work collaboratively with project leads to support compensation and level reviews with the goal of maintaining internal equity and proper distribution of levels within each Skill Category / Job Family and across the engineering organization. Chair Promotion Committee meetings and approve promotion cases for Grades 4 and above.

Resource & Stakeholder Management

Ensure all Process and System Engineering Functional engineering resources are managed within business plans and financial targets. Interface with senior executives, project partners, and external stakeholders to ensure effective engineering support. Engage with the strategic workforce planning process to ensure sufficient resources with the right skills. Support recruitment, promotion, and movement of personnel and maintaining a robust cohort of Subject Matter Experts (SMEs).

Expectations

Uphold and promote the organization’s safety and quality culture. Deliver strategic and operational objectives for the process and systems engineering discipline. Foster a high performing, engaged, and accountable engineering team. Drive compliance with all regulatory and organizational standards. Champion innovation and best practices in engineering delivery. Foresee and implement emerging trends in technology and engineering delivery.

About you

Engineering or Science degree from a recognized university; advanced degree preferred. Professional Engineer (P.Eng) registration with PEO or equivalent required, member in good standing. Minimum 15 years of relevant experience. At least 10 years in a technical leadership position at a commercial nuclear power plant or equivalent is considered an asset. Demonstrated experience in leading significant engineering departments and multi-disciplinary teams. Experience working throughout various stages of complex engineering projects from conception to commissioning. Meaningful experience working at project site. Extensive knowledge of INPO/WANO fundamentals, nuclear safety practices, CANDU reactor technology and regulatory requirements is considered an asset. Advanced capabilities in process and systems engineering technical areas, process improvement, resource and growth management, and operational excellence. Visionary, results-oriented, and highly motivated leader. Strong business acumen, technical expertise, and people management skills. Ability to drive change, enhance productivity, and deliver results in a complex, regulated environment. Commitment to safety, integrity, and continuous improvement. Excellent communicator, negotiator, and influencer.

Rewards & benefits

Explore the rewards and benefits that help you thrive - at every stage of your life and your career at AtkinsRéalis in Canada. Enjoy competitive compensation, employee recognition, and a brilliant range of flexible benefits you can tailor to your health, wellbeing, financial and lifestyle needs. Make the most of diverse opportunities for training and professional development to grow your skills and expertise. And take advantage of our hybrid working culture and generous time-off policies to balance a fulfilling career with your personal life. Be rewarded. Find out more.

About AtkinsRéalis

We’re AtkinsRéalis, a world-class engineering services and nuclear organization. We connect people, data and technology to transform the world's infrastructure and energy systems. Together, with our industry partners and clients, and our global team of consultants, designers, engineers and project managers, we can change the world. We’re committed to leading our clients across our various end markets to engineer a better future for our planet and its people.

Additional information

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AtkinsRéalis, we seek to hire individuals with diverse characteristics, backgrounds and perspectives. We strongly believe that world-class talent makes no distinctions based on gender, ethnic or national origin, sexual identity and orientation, age, religion or disability, but enriches itself through these differences. Created by the integration of long-standing organizations dating back to 1911, AtkinsRéalis is a world-class engineering services and nuclear company dedicated to engineering a better future for our planet and its people. We create sustainable solutions that connect people, data and technology to transform the world's infrastructure and energy systems. We deploy global capabilities locally to our clients and deliver unique end-to-end services across the whole life cycle of an asset including consulting, advisory & environmental services, intelligent networks & cybersecurity, design & engineering, procurement, project & construction management, operations & maintenance, decommissioning and capital. The breadth and depth of our capabilities are delivered to clients in strategic sectors such as Engineering Services, Nuclear and Capital. News and information are available at Atkinsrealis or follow us on LinkedIn.