Division

Water & Wastewater

Important Notices & Amendments

This position currently falls within our hybrid model**, allowing the employee to** typically work a minimum of 50% of your time at your regular work location and the other 50% of time at home.

As an employer of choice, Niagara Region offers competitive salaries and benefits, a defined benefit pension plan, a corporate wellness centre, access to the Employee and Family Assistance Program (EFAP), mentorship and training programs, employee recognition programs, and more. In addition, the Region recognizes the value of having flexible work arrangements to support better work-life balance for our employees. Hybrid work arrangements may vary from one employee to another and may also differ in the number of remote workdays. These opportunities remain subject to the alignment of operational needs, business requirements, and customer service expectations.

Temporary Duration

Approximate Duration:12 - 24 months

About Us

Serving a diverse urban and rural population of more than 475,000, Niagara Region is focused on building a strong and prosperous Niagara. Working collaboratively with 12 local area municipalities and numerous community partners, the Region delivers a range of high-quality programs and services to support and advance the well-being of individuals, families and communities within its boundaries. Nestled between the great lakes of Erie and Ontario, the Niagara peninsula features some of Canada’s most fertile agricultural land, the majesty of Niagara Falls and communities that are rich in both history and recreational and cultural opportunities. Niagara boasts dynamic modern cities, Canada’s most developed wine industry, a temperate climate, extraordinary theatre, and some of Ontario’s most breathtaking countryside. An international destination with easy access to its binational U.S. neighbour New York State, Niagara attracts over 14 million visitors annually, as well as a steady stream of new residents and businesses.

At Niagara Region, we value diversity - in background and experience. We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We aspire to hire and grow a workforce reflective of the diverse community we serve. By doing so, we can deliver better programs and services across Niagara.

We welcome all applicants! For more information about diversity, equity, and inclusion at Niagara Region, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion - Niagara Region, Ontarioor email related questions to diversity@niagararegion.ca. To send input on reducing barriers in the current hiring process, please email myhr@niagararegion.ca

For the Region's full employee equity statement, Working at Niagara Region - Niagara Region, Ontario.

Don’t have every qualification?

You may be hesitant to apply if you do not have every qualification listed in the posting. While specific qualifications are important for certain roles, we invite individuals from diverse backgrounds and varying levels of experience and education to apply. Our recruiters will evaluate your suitability for the role.

Please note that for unionized roles, we must follow collective agreement requirements. However, we encourage all interested candidates to submit their applications. We believe success in a role can extend beyond meeting every single requirement.

Job Description

Job Summary

Reporting to the Manager of Capital Projects for Water and Wastewater Engineering, the Project Coordinator will assist in various day-to-day activities associated with managing capital projects. They will coordinate with various individuals (internal and/or external), as advised by the Manager, to facilitate planning, execution, monitoring and reporting for capital projects as well the Water and Wastewater Engineering team. They are responsible for financial, project coordination and administrative support for complex and sensitive projects to allow the Manager Capital Projects to focus on high level and complex tasks. The Project Coordinator will be responsible for project specific communication & collaboration, within cross functional teams. They will also independently manage some tier 2 and 3 projects.

Education

• Post-secondary diploma in Civil, Mechanical, Chemical, Electrical or Environmental Engineering or a related discipline.
• Post-secondary degree in Civil, Mechanical, Chemical, Electrical, Environmental Engineering or a related discipline is preferred.
• An equivalent combination of education, experience and qualifications may be considered.

Knowledge

• 2 to 5 years of project coordination experience, preferably in municipal infrastructure.
• Knowledge of project management tools/software.
• Knowledge of MS Office MS Outlook, MS Project or other Project Tracking Systems
• Knowledge file management, transcription, and other administrative procedures.
• 2+ years of experience in project management, preferably in municipal infrastructure is preferred.
• Required to become a Certified Engineering Technologist, Licenced Engineering Technologist or Professional Engineer upon completion of the requisite work experience.
• Registered as Professional Engineer with the Professional Engineers of Ontario (PEO) is preferred.
• Project Management Professional (PMP) designation is considered to be an asset.
• Working knowledge of water and wastewater delivery, collection systems and treatment is considered to be an asset.

Responsibilities

Provide administrative and project coordination support to Manager Capital Projects working on Tier 1 and 2 complex and sensitive projects and other initiatives which support the W&WW Engineering team. (45% of the time)

• Ensure all documentation and records adhere to frameworks and requirements applicable, are properly formatted, versioned and stored in the correct location and are maintained and completed throughout the project lifecycle.
• Maintain project documentation on changes to project (i.e., scope, budget, schedule, risks, and stakeholder issues).
• Coordination of project schedule by scheduling workshops and meetings with internal and external project stakeholders, coordinating facilities, managing resources needed to execute project deliverables.
• Coordinate internal project team meetings, prepare and distribute the agenda and meeting minutes, and follow up on action items.
• Review and circulate Consultant and Contactor meeting minutes and follow up on action items.
• Maintain project management logs and ensure action items are up to date and accurate, follow up on assigned action items and issues, monitor status and completion, and initiate escalation notification as required to maintain project schedule.
• Monitor completion of document reviews by project team and ensure comment logs are completed and maintained including comment consolidation. Follow up as required to ensure actions and responses are completed and recorded accordingly, and revisions tracked etc.
• Identify bottlenecks, risks, opportunities for contiuous improvement and look for strategic insights applicable to specific projects and internal processes.
• Monitor and provide updates on project status, changes, and project metrics/ performance measures.
• Assist with Requests for Information (RFIs) by gathering available information, coordinating with supporting W&WW working groups to obtain requested information and coordinating with service providers to collect information (condition assessments, inspection etc.).
• Draft project status reports, memos and summaries for Region Council, Area Municipalities, external agencies and other internal groups.
• Assist and coordinate with other internal groups (Legal, Financial, Procurement, Planning and Transportation) to develop RFP’s, determine insurance requirements, prepare requisitions and change orders, coordinate planning and construction projects, etc.
• Support and manage special initiatives for the W&WW Engineering team for continuous improvement, i.e. monitoring and reporting on bottleneck processes, identify and resolve conflict within internal specifications, collaborate with special interest groups to incorporate and update internal processes and documents, etc.

Manages and delivers water and wastewater capital projects under the guidance of the Manager Capital Projects, throughout the Project Lifecycle (initiation, planning, environmental assessment, design, construction, commissioning, and close-out by managing the integration, scope, time, cost, quality, human resources, communication, risk and procurement for each project. Projects include Tier 3 capital projects including linear assets, reservoirs, CSO tanks, forcemains, and watermains and other systems as well as Tier 2 projects including pumping stations. (25% of the time)

• Independently manages and delivers tier 3 capital project(s), ensuring compliance to requirements and adherence to budget and schedules (as assigned), under the guidance of the Manager Capital Projects. Projects include condition assessments, sewer rehabilitation, small sewage pumping station upgrades and minor mechanical and electrical in facilities).
• Manages project throughout the lifecycle; including initiation, planning, Environmental Assessment, design, construction, commissioning, and close-out.
• Plans and manages the delivery of capital projects, including the development of terms of reference, definition of scope, execution (design and construction) and project closeout.
• Defines project requirements, develops project scope, chairing scoping meetings and preparing Terms of Reference.
• Coordinates with utility companies, area municipalities, regulatory agencies (e.g. Ministry of Environment and Climate Change, Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority, Ministry of Transportation, etc.), Indigenous communities, railways, and other levels of government (i.e. provincial and federal), or elsewhere as required, to promote good public relations and customer service on behalf of the Region.
• Communicates and solicits input and engagement from Indigenous communities.
• Negotiate with service providers and authorizes extra expenditures and changes in scope of work for consultants and contractors as per Procurement By-Law and approved by the Niagara Region, and administers clauses as per the Region’s Agreement for Professional Services and Contractors Agreement.
• Initiates, organizes and manages professional engineering consultants and contractors throughout projects, studies, technical workshops and meetings (i.e. value engineering, feasibility, optimization, functional design, facility needs assessments, technical assessments, pre-design and detailed design) for capital projects.
• Manages contract preparation, administration, inspection, and quality assurance during construction phase of the project, ensuring compliance with contract specifications, negotiating and approving changes to contracts.
• Reviews consultant reports, designs, contract drawings, specifications, and equipment and materials to be supplied, ensuring compliance with legislated regulatory standards and certificates of approval, and expediting approvals from relevant agencies.
• Manages the commissioning process of linear infrastructure and upgraded components of water and wastewater facilities and pump stations, ensuring regulatory compliance, while maintaining operations including review and approval of plans, equipment start-up, equipment testing, operations and maintenance training, functional testing, identifying deficiencies, and negotiating resolutions with contractors.
• Monitors and evaluates the performance of contractors, consultants, and others as appropriate.
• Prepares reports to Public Works, Corporate Services Committee, and other standing committees, researching and assisting in the preparation of reports to regional or municipal councils, or more senior levels of government and other agencies on environmental issues and project-specific topics.
• Carries out responsibilities for project tracking updates, Drinking Water and Wastewater Quality Management System, Standards and Regulations.

Leads communication with project teams, Council, external stakeholders/ agencies, special interest groups and public on behalf of the Region. (20% of the time*)*

• Engage and maintain continuous communication with the project team, all stakeholders and service providers to ensure the project continues to advance on schedule and escalate as needed.
• Develop and maintain relationships and communication with internal and external project stakeholders to support core objectives of the project and service delivery. Liase with stakeholders on an ongoing basis.
• Meet regularly with Manager Capital Projects on project-related matters.
• Solicits reviews, comments and response from the project team at multiple formal and informal milestones throughout design and construction phases to continually seek opportunities to increase customer satisfaction and project success.
• Ensure full involvement of Regional departments and other W&WW working groups in the implementation of capital projects throughout the project lifecycle, so all perspectives are incorporated and addressed. This includes ensuring representation in document reviews, attendance in meetings and gathering responses and information for RFIs.
• Consolidate feedback from project team and maintain documentation to ensure all questions, comments and feedback is recorded.
• Ensure document comment logs are completed, updated and responses and actions are logged.
• Maintain communication logs and records, including meeting minutes, correspondence (email records), letters, etc.
• Effectively communicate project expectations to team members, in a timely and clear fashion.

Assists with revisions of policies, procedures, templates and standards relating to the management of capital projects. (5% of the time)

• Evaluates effects of updates, changes, or new legislation, regulations, policies, procedures or guidelines, new products and materials, and technological advancements, recommending and adopting new strategies to address impacts on Regional infrastructure and future priorities.
• Develops and updates templates and controlled documents including RFP/RFQ/RFPQ/RFT templates, design manual, project management manual, divisional specifications, and construction contract documents.
• Develops, researches and recommends new work processes and systems with a focus on continuous improvement.
• Researches new engineering products, materials, processes, and preparing reports outlining findings.

Manages and administers capital budgets and forecasts to ensure support for Council’s objectives, financial transparency, accountability, and monitoring budget adherence. Ensure compliance with corporate financial policies, procurement and best practices in asset management and planning. (5% of the time)

• Maintain project procurement records such as requisitions, change orders, invoices etc. are complete, up to date and filed correctly.
• Assist the Manager Capital Projects and project staff with capital project forecasting, financial processes, and other documentation.
• Perform financial administrative support including preparation of expense reports, purchasing card processing and initiating purchase requisitions.
• Authorize and administer the acquisition of goods and services per the procurement policy.

Perform other related duties and responsibilities as assigned or required.

Special Requirements

• Must maintain ability to travel in a timely manner to other offices, work locations or sites as authorized by the Corporation for business reasons.
• In accordance with the Corporate Criminal Record Check Policy, the position requires the incumbent to undergo a Criminal Records Check and submit a Canadian Police Clearance Certificate.
• Regional staff strive to enable the strategic priorities of council and the organization through the completion of their work. Staff carry out their work by demonstrating the corporate values.

Closing Statement

Uncover the wonder of the Niagara Region and join a team dedicated to meeting tomorrow’s challenges TODAY!

Let us know why you would be an excellent team member by submitting your online application.

We thank all candidates for their interest however, only those candidates selected for an interview will be contacted.

If you require an accommodation for the application process in accordance with the Ontario Human Rights Code and the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, the alternate formats for contacting us are as follows:

• Email: myhr@niagararegion.ca
• Phone: 905-980-6000 or 1-800-263-7215
• Bell Relay: 1-800-855-0511
• In-person: Sir Isaac Brock Way, Thorold, ON L2V 4T7 – Human Resources Department