Director of Construction

Our client is a well-established and growing construction organization seeking an experienced Director of Construction to join its senior leadership team.

This is a highly visible leadership position responsible for the strategic and operational oversight of construction activities across the General Contracting division. The Director will provide leadership to Project Managers, Project Coordinators, and Field Operations leadership, ensuring projects are delivered safely, efficiently, profitably, and to the highest standards of quality.

Reporting to the Vice President of General Contracting, the Director of Construction will play a critical role in establishing operational strategy, managing risk, developing people, and ensuring project delivery is aligned with the organization's broader business objectives.

The ideal candidate is a strategic construction leader who can operate at both the executive and project level, build high-performing teams, establish accountability, and drive continuous improvement across a growing portfolio.

Key Responsibilities

Construction Operations & Leadership

• Provide senior-level leadership and strategic direction for all construction operations within the General Contracting division.
• Oversee and mentor the Field Operations Manager, Project Managers, and Project Coordinators.
• Establish strong alignment between field operations and project management teams.
• Provide coaching, direction, and performance feedback to project teams to ensure consistent and high-quality project delivery.
• Monitor project performance from pre-construction through project closeout, with accountability for safety, quality, schedule, and financial performance.
• Establish clear delegation, accountability, performance measurement, and reporting systems across project and site teams.
• Develop and implement standardized construction procedures and best practices across all project phases.
• Provide oversight of division-wide budget forecasting, cost tracking, and financial performance.
• Review and validate project forecasts, cost-to-complete reports, labour tracking, and earned value metrics.
• Ensure alignment between field costs, project budgets, and contractual deliverables.
• Review significant change orders and claims with project and site leadership.
• Identify opportunities to improve project profitability, efficiency, and financial accountability.
• Monitor overall portfolio performance and proactively address emerging financial or operational concerns.
• Identify, assess, and mitigate operational and contractual risks at both the project and portfolio levels.
• Lead high-stakes claims, disputes, and crisis situations, ensuring timely and strategic resolution.
• Participate in executive reviews of major project milestones, delivery strategies, and critical risk items.
• Monitor master schedules across the division and work with project and field leadership to resolve delays, resource constraints, and scheduling conflicts.
• Provide strategic guidance on complex project challenges and operational issues.
• Build, mentor, and develop a high-performing construction leadership team.
• Identify high-potential employees and create development opportunities to build a strong pipeline of future leaders.
• Partner with People & Culture on recruitment, performance management, succession planning, and coaching.
• Establish and monitor KPIs and performance scorecards for direct reports.
• Develop a multi-year workforce strategy for Project Management, Project Coordination, and Field Leadership positions based on future project requirements.
• Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, continuous improvement, and operational excellence.

Client & Stakeholder Relationships

• Serve as a senior-level contact for major clients, consultants, and strategic partners when required.
• Provide long-term oversight of key client relationships and repeat business accounts.
• Represent the organization at high-level project meetings, steering committees, and conflict-resolution discussions.
• Support business development initiatives through client interviews, proposal development, and assessment of operational capacity for upcoming projects.
• Maintain strong relationships with internal and external stakeholders throughout the project lifecycle.

Preconstruction & Business Development

• Support preconstruction and project planning by reviewing scopes, schedules, resource requirements, and delivery strategies.
• Collaborate with Estimating and Preconstruction teams to assess project feasibility and operational requirements.
• Provide input into project pursuit and bid strategies based on available resources, capacity, risk, and delivery requirements.
• Support proposals, interviews, and client presentations as a senior operational representative.

Safety, Quality & Technology

• Partner with Safety, HR, Finance, Estimating, and Preconstruction teams to support successful project delivery.
• Ensure safety and quality processes are integrated throughout all phases of construction.
• Establish and monitor division-wide quality standards and benchmarks.
• Conduct or support site audits and monitor client satisfaction.
• Champion the adoption of new construction technologies and digital tools.
• Ensure project teams are properly trained and effectively utilizing construction technology and systems.

Strategic Planning & Reporting

• Prepare and present quarterly performance reports to the VP and executive leadership team.
• Report on operational health, project performance, resource requirements, risks, and strategic priorities.
• Contribute to annual and multi-year operational planning.
• Develop workforce and resource strategies aligned with future project pipelines.
• Identify opportunities to improve consistency, transparency, efficiency, and scalability across construction operations.

Qualifications & Experience

• Post-secondary education in Construction Management, Engineering, or a related discipline.
• 15+ years of progressive construction experience, including at least 7 years in senior leadership positions overseeing multiple concurrent projects and teams.
• Proven experience leading both field operations/Superintendent teams and Project Management/Project Coordination teams within a General Contracting environment.
• Extensive knowledge of construction delivery models, including Lump Sum, Construction Management, and Design-Build.
• Strong expertise in scheduling, project forecasting, risk management, cost control, and dispute resolution.
• Advanced understanding of Ontario construction law, OHSA, construction contracts, change order processes, and permitting requirements.
• Strong familiarity with construction management and project systems such as Procore, Viewpoint Vista, MS Project, Primavera, or comparable platforms.
• Exceptional leadership, communication, negotiation, and relationship-management skills.
• Demonstrated ability to influence and collaborate effectively at all organizational levels.
• Strong financial and commercial understanding with the ability to connect project performance to broader business objectives.
• Valid G Driver’s Licence and the ability to travel to project sites throughout Ontario as required.

Leadership Profile

The successful candidate will be a strategic, accountable, and highly collaborative construction executive who understands what it takes to successfully deliver complex projects while developing the people responsible for executing them.

You will bring a combination of operational excellence, financial acumen, leadership capability, and strong relationship-management skills. You are comfortable making difficult decisions, managing risk, resolving complex issues, and holding teams accountable while maintaining a positive and collaborative culture.

This is an opportunity for a construction leader who wants to have a meaningful influence on project performance, operational strategy, team development, client relationships, and the continued growth of the organization.